Goon 2012

Tom Russo, Boston Globe: The movie's unlikely sincerity can't completely offset its ugliness for less bloodthirsty viewers, but it helps, and it does smooth over some narrative rough edges. Read more

Kathleen Murphy, MSN Movies: Good for lowdown fun, this subversive comedy invites us in to celebrate its idiosyncratic bunch of sweet-natured goons. Read more

Stephen Holden, New York Times: Behind the film's brass knuckles are tender fingers. Read more

Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine/Vulture: As the brutality ramps up, and the story gains real consequence, for some reason, we actually laugh harder. Goon is a comedy, often a very funny one, but you might be hesitant to call it that once you've actually seen it. Read more

John Semley, AV Club: It's the rare hockey movie to approach violence head-on, without hectoring or hand-wringing, as an essential element of the sport, not some inhumane sideshow. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: Seann William Scott is the best comic Neanderthal in Hollywood, and he's found the perfect story in this fictionalized adaptation of a memoir by minor-league hockey brawler Doug Smith. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: What's somewhat surprising is you don't have to give a hoot about hockey to enjoy the movie. This is just a guy living his dream: Hitting people. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: When Seann William Scott uses his fists, he's a star. Read more

William Goss, Film.com: It's an underdog story that doesn't take itself too seriously, tender as a bruise and about as blue. Read more

John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter: Seann William Scott plays against type in surprisingly funny, unsurprisingly lowbrow hockey flick. Read more

Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: Scott isn't bad: He sells the comedy of his character's ingrained politeness as much as the aggression. But "Goon" feels like a movie starring a gimmick, not a person. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: All it wants is slapstick violence and "Slap Shot" profanity. And it delivers both - albeit not much else. Read more

Scott Tobias, NPR: It's made with affection both for the ritual of hockey fights and the strain of sports movies that care more about wisecracks and pranks than winning the big game. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: [Scott is] a talented actor, and it's worth checking out his new dramedy just to get a sense of his wide-ranging skills. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: "Goon" easily takes the title of second-best hockey comedy I've ever seen. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: The best thing about "Goon" is not the hockey action, or who wins and who loses. It's Doug's rags-to-riches story. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: The movie is harsh, nasty and vulgar like you wouldn't believe. And often, it's hilarious. Read more

Christy Lemire, Associated Press: For a movie about ragged, trash-talking thugs beating the crap out of each other on the ice, Goon is surprisingly sweet. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: The fact that a movie as harsh and despicable as "Goon" can be promoted as a comedy says terrible things about the state of the American film industry. Read more

Stephen Cole, Globe and Mail: What a disappointment. Read more

Alonso Duralde, TheWrap: George Roy Hill's classic Slap Shot may still hold the title as the quintessential hockey comedy, but Goon certainly deserves to be mentioned in its company, juggling charm and grit and raunch and bloody teeth with assuredness and aplomb. Read more

Tom Huddleston, Time Out: It's Scott who gives the movie its heart, delivering a performance of quiet strength and unexpected subtlety - when he's not cracking skulls. Read more

Eric Hynes, Time Out: Goon prevails where other sports-film farces fail thanks to Scott's winning, unwinking performance; Liev Schreiber's spot-on turn as a wizened, clock-punching rink assassin; and a pucked-up love of a bloody game. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: It takes hockey hooliganism to heights not seen since Slap Shot was offending the nation's finger-waggers back in the 1970s. Read more

Robert Koehler, Variety: The job of a hockey enforcer, invisible to many non-fans and even casual fans, is definitively presented here by taking the viewer into Doug's world and letting him do his thing. Read more

Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice: Depicting the vocationally debauched world of second-tier hockey, Goon is not only rowdy, but also humane... Read more

Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: [Scott] is reason enough to see the film, which otherwise is a by-the-book sports comedy. Read more