Goon 2 Brilliantly Portrays Bloody Truths About Hockey

Goon 2:  The Last of the Enforcers debuted in the United States Friday and is a must-see for every die-hard hockey fan

When something is good, you generally want more of it.  But when you get it the second time, expectations are lower considering you now have an idea of what you’re getting.  Simple economics show us this principle of marginal cost which can applied to many things including movies.  The demand for a sequel when a movie sees success can be so strong that the release may seem rushed or made without as much quality as the original. I assumed this would be the case with Goon 2: The Last of the Enforcers, sequel to the 2012 movie Goon, but I was mistaken.

The original Goon came out in March of 2012 and captured the hearts of many hockey fans around the world.  The movie definitely catered to a niche market of hockey lovers, but it’s reputation slowly grew as one of the better sports movies of the decade.

As a fan of the original Goon, I was excited to see what Jay Baruchel had up his sleeve for the sequel.  The trailer made it seem like another fun, goofy hockey comedy loaded with more awkward quotes from Doug Glatt.  But this time Goon features a new villain in Wyatt Russell who plays Anders Cain, a multi-talented player and son of the owner of the Halifax Highlanders.

Without getting too much into specifics, Goon 2 touched on so many important issues in the game of hockey today all in a one-hour and 41 minute movie.  There’s the trend that the NHL is moving away from fighting due to the emergence advanced statistics and head trauma.  The topic is well represented with Anders Cain, a big and skilled forward who can score and fight anybody that seems to be replacing specialists like Doug.

Another issue that comes to light happens during Doug’s retirement party when he and his team are talking about Doug’s new job.  Many of his teammates are puzzled when they put themselves in Doug’s shoes, most notably Xavier LeFlamme who laments that he doesn’t know how do do anything but play hockey.  LeFlamme also speaks later in the movie about evolution and how players must adapt to change or they become extinct.  This is true for any industry, but especially in professional hockey that is coined a young man’s game.

As Doug struggles to find meaning in life beyond hockey, he discovers a common theme between hockey and his family which is presence.  Just like his hockey club, Doug is needed by Eva especially during her pregnancy.  Doug ultimately falls back to his mantra of “doing what he has to do for the team” and sacrifices himself for the greater good.

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A final theme that you should look out for is the relationship between Anders Cain and his father Hyrum Cain who is the owner of the team and was a former player.  Undertones of disappointment, legacy, and selfishness loom the father and son throughout the movie and eventually climax when Cain cannot live up to his father’s expectations.  Anders exposes the circus that is professional hockey describing himself almost as a slave to the roaring fans in the stands cheering for more bloodshed.

Overall, Goon 2 far exceeded my expectations and gave me the chills at points in the movie where fiction crossed paths with reality.  The movie is still as hilarious as the first Goon, but you can see how much each character has evolved.

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So whether it be for just a few laughs or getting insight on some of the bloody truths about the game of hockey, Goon 2 will not disappoint.  And with hockey season right around the corner, if anything it will get you hyped for the game we all love.