"GOON": Bad Comedy, Great Underdog Story
The original plan for Week 2 of this blog was to watch another film many people have told me to watch, The Princess Bride. However, that plan didn't work out when I couldn't find a copy of the film. So instead, because the sequel just came out in America, Week 2's movie of focus is 2012's Goon.
After his beatdown of an enraged hockey player goes viral, Massachusetts bouncer Doug Glatt (played by Seann William Scott, a.k.a. "Stifler" from American Pie) gets an opportunity to be the enforcer for a local hockey team. While lacking in actual hockey skills (or intelligence), Glatt's fighting abilities lead him to develop a big following, and he soon gets signed to the minor league team of the Halifax Highlanders.
Once a successful team, the Highlanders have been on a significant losing streak ever since their star player, Xavier Laflamme (Marc-André Grondin) suffered a concussion at the hands of legendary enforcer and the film's final boss (no pun intended), Ross "The Boss" Rhea (Liev Schreiber). The impact not only forced Rhea into suspension for 20 games, but also literally knocked the confidence out of Laflamme, causing his performance to suffer and leading him down into a hooker and booze-filled slump. Glatt is brought in with the hopes that his pride and abilities to protect his teammates will reignite the fire of this broken team.
Directed by Michael Dowse, Goon takes various plot points from the original Rocky, Rocky Balboa (the sixth film in the saga), Kung Fu Panda, both versions of (The) Bad News Bears, and throws those plot points into a minor hockey league of dick jokes. In my opinion, those dick jokes, and gay jokes, and Canadian/French/French Canadian stereotypes fall flat and are more suited for a lowest common denominator viewer. However, I enjoy underdog stories, and this is a great underdog story that borrows and tweaks from other great underdog stories.
Doug Glatt starts out as a lovable loser looking to be something more than just a bouncer, admiring hockey players like Ross Rhea from afar. Then, without any formal training, he suddenly gets that once-in-a-lifetime chance he's been waiting for to be like his idols, and through his own unique way he discovers what he's destined to do, which is to protect others. That's very similar to the journey of Po from Kung Fu Panda, who also starts out as a lovable loser looking to be something more than just a helping hand at his adoptive dad's noodle shop, admiring the kung fu masters of the Furious Five from afar. Then, also without any formal training, Grand Master Oogway declares Po to be the legendary Dragon Warrior, and Po gets that opportunity he's been waiting his whole life for to be like his idols. Through his own unique way, Po also discovers that he's meant to be a warrior and protector of others.
One could also make the argument that the "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" plot point is from the original Rocky movie, when Apollo Creed handpicks the Philly slugger we know as Rocky Balboa to fight him for boxing's Heavyweight Championship. Noted movie reviewer, Kristian Harloff has actually compared Goon's sequel to that of Rocky 2 and Rocky 3, which is what led me to make this comparison between the first films of these two franchises.
The original Rocky also lightly inspires Goon's love story between Glatt and hockey fan, Eva (Alison Pill, whom I best remember as the drummer of the Sex Bob Ombs from Scott Pilgrim Versus The World), and the best friend dynamic with Pat (Jay Baruchel, the voice of Hiccup from How To Train Your Dragon). Granted, Eva is a bit sluttier than Adrian ever was, and Pat has a much filthier mouth than Paulie ever did, but the meat and potatoes of those relationships still share the same seasonings as in Rocky. Just like with Rocky and Adrian, it's not about sex with Glatt and Eva. They genuinely love each other, they enjoy talking with one another, they are supportive of one another and will be there to comfort each other when the other one needs it. And just like Paulie did with Rocky, Pat used whatever resources he had to help his buddy prepare for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity he was given. Only instead of providing access to a meat freezer, Pat brought Glatt onto his public access show and reviewed multiple hockey highlights with him on how to fight effectively on the ice.
Getting back to Kung Fu Panda, another borrowed plot point from the animated hit is the jealous teammate turned trusted friend. When Po first joins the Furious Five, Tigress does not handle it well. She was Master Shifu's star pupil, and had been all but guaranteed the title of Dragon Warrior. So for some random noodle shop employee with no formal training to come in and steal her hard-fought spotlight, it eats away at her. The same can be said for Xavier Laflamme, who up until Ross Rhea gave him PTSD was a prodigy on the ice. So even though he wasn't playing well when Doug Glatt was signed to the Highlanders, Laflamme does not like losing his spotlight to some guy who's only skill in hockey is fighting. Yet the more pride in what they're doing and unwillingness to quit that Po and Glatt showcase, the more Tigress and Laflamme respect them and fight alongside them (as opposed to against them).
That respect goes a long way, and causes the Highlanders to transform from the group of angry misfits we first see them as into a functioning family unit by the film's climax, which is a plot point from (The) Bad News Bears. When we first meet the Bears and the Highlanders, they're both in states of pure dysfunction in which nobody is playing well. Then along comes Doug Glatt/Amanda Whurlitzer and Kelly Leak, and these dysfunctional teams start winning, finding their confidence and pride in themselves and each other, eventually making it to the championship game as true teams.
The last borrowed plot point is that of the old warrior looking for one last fight. In Goon, Ross "The Boss" Rhea has been suspended for 20 games and has been transferred to the team he started his career with. From a full-circle perspective, Rhea is prepping to end his career where he started it. Before Rhea calls it quits though, he wants one last fight, and he wants it to be with Doug Glatt, whom everyone is declaring Rhea's successor. When his suspension is up and they finally face off in the championship game, the old lion shows he can still bang, but the young gun comes up victorious in the end despite breaking his leg.
Similarly in Rocky Balboa, Rocky's been on the sidelines for a few decades and Mason "The Line" Dixon is the new face of boxing. Yet when ESPN shows a simulation of the two fighting, interest is sparked and the two end up fighting for real with Rocky proving he can still bang, but Dixon coming out victorious despite breaking his hand.
In today's era of art, everything inspires everything else. What matters in the end is what inspiration did you use and how did you use it? While Goon may not have used the best comedic inspiration possible, its story thrives via the sports films and martial arts films that inspired it. Once again, I look forward to watching the sequel.
After his beatdown of an enraged hockey player goes viral, Massachusetts bouncer Doug Glatt (played by Seann William Scott, a.k.a. "Stifler" from American Pie) gets an opportunity to be the enforcer for a local hockey team. While lacking in actual hockey skills (or intelligence), Glatt's fighting abilities lead him to develop a big following, and he soon gets signed to the minor league team of the Halifax Highlanders.
Once a successful team, the Highlanders have been on a significant losing streak ever since their star player, Xavier Laflamme (Marc-André Grondin) suffered a concussion at the hands of legendary enforcer and the film's final boss (no pun intended), Ross "The Boss" Rhea (Liev Schreiber). The impact not only forced Rhea into suspension for 20 games, but also literally knocked the confidence out of Laflamme, causing his performance to suffer and leading him down into a hooker and booze-filled slump. Glatt is brought in with the hopes that his pride and abilities to protect his teammates will reignite the fire of this broken team.
Directed by Michael Dowse, Goon takes various plot points from the original Rocky, Rocky Balboa (the sixth film in the saga), Kung Fu Panda, both versions of (The) Bad News Bears, and throws those plot points into a minor hockey league of dick jokes. In my opinion, those dick jokes, and gay jokes, and Canadian/French/French Canadian stereotypes fall flat and are more suited for a lowest common denominator viewer. However, I enjoy underdog stories, and this is a great underdog story that borrows and tweaks from other great underdog stories.
Doug Glatt starts out as a lovable loser looking to be something more than just a bouncer, admiring hockey players like Ross Rhea from afar. Then, without any formal training, he suddenly gets that once-in-a-lifetime chance he's been waiting for to be like his idols, and through his own unique way he discovers what he's destined to do, which is to protect others. That's very similar to the journey of Po from Kung Fu Panda, who also starts out as a lovable loser looking to be something more than just a helping hand at his adoptive dad's noodle shop, admiring the kung fu masters of the Furious Five from afar. Then, also without any formal training, Grand Master Oogway declares Po to be the legendary Dragon Warrior, and Po gets that opportunity he's been waiting his whole life for to be like his idols. Through his own unique way, Po also discovers that he's meant to be a warrior and protector of others.
One could also make the argument that the "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" plot point is from the original Rocky movie, when Apollo Creed handpicks the Philly slugger we know as Rocky Balboa to fight him for boxing's Heavyweight Championship. Noted movie reviewer, Kristian Harloff has actually compared Goon's sequel to that of Rocky 2 and Rocky 3, which is what led me to make this comparison between the first films of these two franchises.
The original Rocky also lightly inspires Goon's love story between Glatt and hockey fan, Eva (Alison Pill, whom I best remember as the drummer of the Sex Bob Ombs from Scott Pilgrim Versus The World), and the best friend dynamic with Pat (Jay Baruchel, the voice of Hiccup from How To Train Your Dragon). Granted, Eva is a bit sluttier than Adrian ever was, and Pat has a much filthier mouth than Paulie ever did, but the meat and potatoes of those relationships still share the same seasonings as in Rocky. Just like with Rocky and Adrian, it's not about sex with Glatt and Eva. They genuinely love each other, they enjoy talking with one another, they are supportive of one another and will be there to comfort each other when the other one needs it. And just like Paulie did with Rocky, Pat used whatever resources he had to help his buddy prepare for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity he was given. Only instead of providing access to a meat freezer, Pat brought Glatt onto his public access show and reviewed multiple hockey highlights with him on how to fight effectively on the ice.
Getting back to Kung Fu Panda, another borrowed plot point from the animated hit is the jealous teammate turned trusted friend. When Po first joins the Furious Five, Tigress does not handle it well. She was Master Shifu's star pupil, and had been all but guaranteed the title of Dragon Warrior. So for some random noodle shop employee with no formal training to come in and steal her hard-fought spotlight, it eats away at her. The same can be said for Xavier Laflamme, who up until Ross Rhea gave him PTSD was a prodigy on the ice. So even though he wasn't playing well when Doug Glatt was signed to the Highlanders, Laflamme does not like losing his spotlight to some guy who's only skill in hockey is fighting. Yet the more pride in what they're doing and unwillingness to quit that Po and Glatt showcase, the more Tigress and Laflamme respect them and fight alongside them (as opposed to against them).
That respect goes a long way, and causes the Highlanders to transform from the group of angry misfits we first see them as into a functioning family unit by the film's climax, which is a plot point from (The) Bad News Bears. When we first meet the Bears and the Highlanders, they're both in states of pure dysfunction in which nobody is playing well. Then along comes Doug Glatt/Amanda Whurlitzer and Kelly Leak, and these dysfunctional teams start winning, finding their confidence and pride in themselves and each other, eventually making it to the championship game as true teams.
The last borrowed plot point is that of the old warrior looking for one last fight. In Goon, Ross "The Boss" Rhea has been suspended for 20 games and has been transferred to the team he started his career with. From a full-circle perspective, Rhea is prepping to end his career where he started it. Before Rhea calls it quits though, he wants one last fight, and he wants it to be with Doug Glatt, whom everyone is declaring Rhea's successor. When his suspension is up and they finally face off in the championship game, the old lion shows he can still bang, but the young gun comes up victorious in the end despite breaking his leg.
Similarly in Rocky Balboa, Rocky's been on the sidelines for a few decades and Mason "The Line" Dixon is the new face of boxing. Yet when ESPN shows a simulation of the two fighting, interest is sparked and the two end up fighting for real with Rocky proving he can still bang, but Dixon coming out victorious despite breaking his hand.
In today's era of art, everything inspires everything else. What matters in the end is what inspiration did you use and how did you use it? While Goon may not have used the best comedic inspiration possible, its story thrives via the sports films and martial arts films that inspired it. Once again, I look forward to watching the sequel.
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