Review of Goon: Last of the Enforcers (2017) by Thequietgamer — 10 Mar 2018

Like most comedy sequels it ups the vulgarity and absurdity, lessening it's effectiveness. Goon 2 succeeds somewhat better than most though. The fights are meaner, the on ice action looks great, and it's plenty funny. Jay Baruchel show some talent in his directorial debut. His writing seems to have taken a hit though. Apparently it was Goldberg who kept things more grounded last time around. New co-writer Jesse Chabot seems completely onboard with letting things get as ridiculous as possible. Some elements of the movie are so over-the-top (the new sports commentators) that nothing feels like it's taking place in reality. Goon 2 is much more of a self-aware and parodies the sport of hockey on a greater level. The story is a bit all over the place. Things are at their best when the focus is on Eva and Doug's relationship. They are starting a family and have to figure out just how hockey will fit into their new, more adult lives. Doug is just as likable as ever even if his simple-mindedness comes dangerously close to being a genuine disability for the sake of the jokes. Eva's arc is pretty satisfying and backed by a solid performance from Allison Pill. There's just too much other stuff going on in the background. Liev Schreiber is back for some reason. His inclusion feels like unnecessary fluff and the character's subplot ends up lacking a fulfilling conclusion. When it comes to the latter of those two complaints, the same can be said for the film's new antagonist, but at least he serves the purpose of giving Doug someone to bloody and is partly responsible for at least two of the movie's funniest moments. LaFlamme's quest to become the team's new captain falls very short because all of the life has been sucked out of him.

What ultimately worked in the first Goon's favor wasn't just that it was funny. It was that it had a lot of heart. That same heart can be found here as well. The real emotion doesn't come until near the ending, but it's one of this sequel's saving graces. I still genuinely gave a crap about these characters. Even the comic relief ones. Plus, yeah, it's darn funny. There are some outright gut-busting moments that were only made possible by Baruchel's desire to get as wild as possible. It's kind of a double edged sword for the movie in the end, but overall I didn't bleed too much. Certainly not as much as the cast. The blood effects are almost obscenely overdone, adding to the sense of unbelievability that hurts the overall product. I have to give a shoutout to Kim Coates who is a real scene stealer. I seem to recall him being one in the original as well. The Goon follow up is a worthy, but definitely lesser sequel that has just enough fight left in it to make it worth stepping back out onto the ice for.

7.