Goon

Goon is a 2012 Canadian comedy film about the life of a minor league Ice Hockey enforcer written by Jay Baruchel and starring Seann William Scott. The film is billed as a Spiritual Successor to the 70s classic Slap Shot with the blood and gore Up to Eleven.

Doug Glatt (based on the real life player Doug Smith) is a slightly dimwitted, but generally kind bouncer at a night club who packs one hell of a punch. His best friend Ryan (Baruchel) runs a local cable show covering their local extremely minor league hockey team. One day while the two are at a game, a fight escalates into a bench-clearing brawl and one of the opposing team's players climbs up into the stands after he's yelled at by Ryan. When he calls Ryan a faggot, Doug, who has a gay younger brother, goes into Papa Wolf mode and lays him out. The event caught the attention of the team's management who offered him a position on the team as an enforcer. Despite his initial inability to skate, he makes an impact (literally) and catches favor with the coaches. Eventually he is given a call up to the slightly-less minor league Halifax Highlanders in order to protect their star player Xavier LaFlamme, a former NHLer who had suffered a concussion at the hands of legendary enforcer Ross Rhea and was sent down to the minors after fear of being injured again caused him to lose his game. Over the course of the movie he develops a relationship with a woman, Eva, who he makes out with in a bar not knowing she has a boyfriend. Eventually Doug has to prove himself by fighting the legendary Ross Rhea, who had been sent to the minors following a suspension, during his final game before retirement.

You can view a trailer right here

Not to be confused with Goong. Or The Goon Show.


 * Berserk Button: Don't call someone gay in front of Doug.
 * Blood From the Mouth: And there is a LOT of it.
 * Canada, Eh?: Well it is a movie about hockey (though the protagonist is actually an American.)
 * Coming from a Canadian troper, it gets downright painful in a couple of instances, more notably when Ross does his 'coming back' speech.
 * Dogged Nice Guy: Doug, for much of the movie.
 * Dumb Muscle: Doug isn't too bright. He's painfully aware of it too.
 * French Jerk: Xavier, and everyone in Quebec. Xavier eventually turns out to be a Jerk with a Heart of Gold.
 * Genius Bruiser: Unlike Doug, Ross Rhea comes across as plenty savvy; besides being very skilled at psychological warfare he has no illusions about the reality of his job.
 * Glass Hammer: Ross, who can really dish out a beating, but goes down after taking considerably less punishment than Doug during their fight.
 * Golden Snitch: A rare intangible example, as in the final game
 * Hookers and Blow: Xavier takes up a steady habit of spending his money on this after getting demoted to the minors after his concussion.
 * No Celebrities Were Harmed: Of various real NHL players, and the announcer at all the Highlanders' games is basically Don Cherry in a normal suit.
 * Not So Different: "So, you're the new me, eh?"
 * Papa Wolf: Doug is extremely dedicated to protecting his team, even Xavier. His protective instincts come from defending his gay younger brother from bullies.
 * Passing the Torch: Implied to be Ross Rhea's intentions as he fights Doug in his self-professed final year before retirement.
 * Punch Clock Hero/Villain: Both Doug and Rhea are genuinely nice guys and only beat the living crap out of other people because it's their job. Very much Truth in Television with enforcers in professional hockey.
 * Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: The Halifax Highlanders were a floundering team featuring a drunk captain, a disaffected ex-superstar, and a pill-popping goalie to name a few. Then Doug came along and, while most of their personality quirks remained, they started winning games.
 * Refuge in Audacity: This movie would be almost unbearable to watch if it tried to take itself seriously.
 * Spiritual Successor: to Slap Shot
 * Truth in Television: Georges Laraque's character politely asks Doug for a fight, similar to what he did here as a member of the Phoenix Coyotes.
 * Worthy Opponent: Ross sees Doug as this, to the point that he refuses to let the ref break up their fight in the climax, no matter how gruesome it got.