Today's Movie: Goon

2011's Goon was one of the films that just missed the cut on "My Favorite Sports Movies" list that I wrote a while back, and I seem to enjoy it more every time I watch it.

 The films stars Seann William Scott as a bouncer turned hockey enforcer named Doug Glatt. Doug is a polite, kind-hearted, and kind of dumb guy who is looking for his place in the world. Despite his very pleasant demeanor, Glatt happens to be really good at fighting and catches the attention of a minor-league hockey coach who promptly offers him a spot on the team. Even though he has no actually hockey skills to speak of and can barely skate at the start of the film, Glatt's determination and ability to knock-out virtually any opposing player quickly makes him a fan favorite. It isn't long before Glatt earns a call-up, to essentially be the on-ice bodyguard for a former high-end prospect who hasn't been same since being dealt a monstrous body-check by the goon of all goons Ross Rhea (played by Liev Schrieber).

While there isn't anything groundbreaking in this movie, it's just really well put together. At just over an hour and a half, the film movies along at a decent pace. I also think that, top to bottom, it was really well cast. If you're a fan of sports movies and haven't seen Goon, then I recommend checking it out.

4 out of 5.

Today's Movie: J. Edgar

Released in 2011 J. Edgar is a Clint Eastwood directed film about the career of former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. The film stars a pretty good cast consisting of actors like Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts, Judi Dench, and Armie Hammer. It did OK at the box-office and did garner a few award nominations (mostly for DiCaprio's performance). However, it wasn't a huge hit and it received mixed reviews. As of this post, it holds a 43% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.5/10 on the IMDb.

A common complaint I hear levied against this movie is that it's too slow and, as a result, kind of boring. Now, I think the film is far from perfect but, it does have a few key elements that work for me and I think make it a perfectly enjoyable movie. First off, Leonardo DiCaprio's performance is really good. The film alternates between an older Hoover and his younger self, as he recounts the stories of his long career. I think that in both instances, as the young and old Hoover, DiCaprio does a solid job. Additionally, I think that both Hoover and the early years of the FBI are interesting topics. 

To be fair, the movie isn't all good. For example; some of the old man make-up (particularly that applied to Armie Hammer) is unconvincing and, as stated earlier, the film is a bit slow. It doesn't drag so much that it becomes frustrating but, there are some scenes that probably could've been trimmed down, reworked, or cut out completely. One thing that does bug me though is the drab color palette. I'm fine with some color correction to make a film and characters feel muted and a little cold, but why so many directors go for this 'concrete gray' look I'll never understand.

Overall, I like this one. Is it my favorite DiCaprio performance? No. Is it my favorite film directed by Clint Eastwood? No. And honestly, if you're interested in checking out a film about the early history of the FBI then I'd recommend  1959's The FBI Story starring James Stewart over this one. That being said, I think this is a solid movie and I give it a 3.5 out of 5.

Take Me Home Tonight

Take Me Home Tonight, which is not an Eddie Money biopic but rather a comedy set in the late 1980's, was released back in 2011. The film stars Topher Grace, who you may remember from either That '70s Show or Spider-Man 3 aka 'that terrible one with Topher Grace'. The film has a mixed-bag of a cast with Anna Faris, Dan Fogler, Teresa Palmer, and Chris Pratt staring alongside Grace.

The movie is about a guy named Matt (played by Topher Grace) who is at a bit of a crossroads in his life. He has a degree from MIT, but he currently works at a video store in the mall because he doesn't know what he wants to do with his life. On top of that, one day his high school crush named Tori (played by Teresa Palmer) walks into the video store. After lying to her about working at Goldman Sachs, Matt sees an opportunity to finally try and impress Tori at a party later that night. From there the bulk of the film is a bunch of shenanigans set to 80s music. Matt's friend Barry steals a car and does some cocaine, there's a dance-off, Matt and Tori ditch her boss' cocktail party to go have sex on a trampoline, and Matt rolls down a hill in a big steel ball ending up in a swimming pool.

If you ever thought to yourself 'I would really like to watch less funny version of an American Pie film, made in the this decade except set in the 1980's', then this one is right up your alley. It's not a bad movie, but it could've used a bit more comedy to punch-up what is largely an unoriginal script.

It's watchable, but not memorable.

2 out of 5