Director: Michael Dowse
Cast: Sean William Scott, Alison Pill, Jay Baruchel, Liev Schreiber
Running time: 92 minutes
Certificate: 15
Extras: Power Play clips, deleted scenes, outtakes, interviews, ‘Fighting 101’
Since starring as Stifler in the original AMERICAN PIE, Sean William Scott has made a career playing burnouts, morons, and irresponsible jackasses. He’s been one of the names in teen and gross-out comedies. But as AMERICAN REUNION suggested, perhaps it’s time to grow up. With GOON, Scott shows a more mature side to his abilities as an actor, even if the film does still rely somewhat on profanity and cheap laughs. The film is actually something of a quandary; never quite full-blown comedy, but never serious enough to suffice as a drama, it’s a muddled effort.
Scott plays dim but well-meaning Doug Glatt, a bouncer with a natural ability to both take and dish out a beating. When Doug gets into a fight with an ice hockey player at a local game, he impresses the coach, he is enlisted to the team as an enforcer or ‘goon’, used specifically to protect his teammates and beat up the opposition. Doug becomes ‘The Thug’ and becomes a minor celebrity, and despite his limited role, is determined to prove his worth as a ‘hockey player’.
Based loosely on the story of hockey enforcer Doug Smith, GOON falls short of other popular sporting films. For non-hockey fans it lacks appeal, and the forward trajectory of Doug’s sporting career only engages toward the close of the film. It’s also dragged down by a thoroughly irritating turn for Jay Baruchel as best friend Ryan; his foul mouth and heavy sexual imagery never sits quite right, especially as GOON strives to be so inherently good natured. The saving grace is Scott himself, who plays Doug ‘The Thug’ pitch-perfectly, and is magnetic enough to carry the film even through its less-interesting scenes. Unfortunately, GOON is too much like the character: well-meaning and sweet, but without the smarts to succeed.
GOON is available to buy on Bu-ray & DVD 4th June
