GOOD OL’ HOCKEY GANG RETURNS
Baruchel coaches Goon cast to victory in directorial debut
Ever think that the blood spatter in that hockey classic, Goon, is a bit much? Hahahaha — you’ll want to bring a tourniquet to the sequel.
Goon: Last of the Enforcers takes you back to the rink and the exploits of Doug “The Thug” Glatt (Seann William Scott), hockey enforcer nonpareil for the Halifax Highlanders.
Let the bloodletting begin! Alas, things have changed for the sweet-natured Doug. He’s taken a bad beating on the ice from a player named Anders Cain (Wyatt Russell); moreover, he and Eva (Alison Pill) are married and expecting a baby, and she just can’t watch him get hurt any more.
No more fighting, she says. Get a job, she says. Our Dougie finds himself a job in the insurance industry, and it’s soul-destroying.
At the same time, he has to watch that psycho Anders join the Halifax Highlanders and even become captain. Anders is a lousy captain. He has anger issues with the team owner, who happens to be his dad (Callum Keith Rennie).
The Highlanders need Doug back. And Doug returns. He also decides to learn new hockey fight techniques from his former arch rival, Ross Rhea. Ross (Liev Schreiber, whose mullet alone is worth the price of admission) mentors Doug and teaches him to punch again. You can be sure the day comes when Doug and Anders Cain have a fight to the finish.
Violent, crude and really funny, Goon: Last of the Enforcers, works for the same reason the original Goon worked — you will love the characters.
Joining Doug are all the regulars from Goon — Kim Coates, Jay Baruchel, Marc-André Grondin — as well as newcomers Elisha Cuthbert and T.J. Miller; you’ll also spot a few real players: Tyler Seguin, Michael Del Zotto and Brandon Prust.
Baruchel co-wrote this sequel, as he did Goon, and this time he also directs. Full marks for capturing the speed and complexity of hockey in an in-your-fashion that feels real.And for capturing the exaggerated crunchy cartilage sounds of hockey fights.
Yerggh! We mean that in the best way.