Reluctant coach takes over a laughably bad hockey team. Yeah, that's "Bad News Bears on Ice."
"The Mighty Ducks" could've been so much better without the contrived conflict. I know it's hard to distinguish yourself as a David v. Goliath sports movie, but no need to make it full of nauseatingly pointless drama.
Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez) was a successful lawyer and one-time child hockey star. After a DUI he was sentenced to 500 hours community service which entailed coaching a no-name youth hockey team. His boss, Gerald Ducksworth (Josef Sommer), thought it would help him build character and learn "fair play."
When he took over the team, they were a mess. They weren't a hockey team; they were just a bunch of kids with ice skates. After some customary bad coaching, Coach Bombay had an epiphany and started being the coach he should've been.
Now for the unnecessary drama.
Exhibit A.
Gordon pointed out to the Pee Wee Hockey league that due to district lines there was a kid, Adam Banks (Vincent LaRusso), on the Hawks who was ineligible to play for the Hawks, so either he could play for the Ducks or not play at all. When the coach of the Hawks, Jack Reilly (Lane Smith), caught up with Gordon in the hallway they had it out. In their exchange Gordon said, "We're losers; not fit to live," in a sarcastic tone to indicate Coach Riley's sentiments. But because some 11-year-old kids were eavesdropping they COMPLETELY misunderstood him and took that info back to the team. The team quit.
Exhibit B.
When Gordon went back to work to meet up with his boss he was confronted by his boss, Coach Reilly, and Adam Banks' father. Apparently, Mr. Banks (Hal Fort Atkinson III) was a big client of Mr. Duckworth's firm and he wanted to use that as leverage to force Gordon to withdraw his petition (i.e. his complaint that got Adam removed from the Hawks). Mr. Duckworth, in classic rich old man = rich old jerk fashion, told Gordon to withdraw his position or lose his job. How wholly ridiculous and over the top. It's not even like Adam couldn't play, he just couldn't play for the Hawks. This was drama for drama sake.
Exhibit C.
The Ducks hate Adam, especially Jessie Hall (Brandon Adams). Even when Adam was scoring goals for the Ducks, Jessie couldn't get over his inexplicable disdain for Adam.
Exhibit D.
And for the coup de gras: the Ducks made the championship game versus the Hawks. Coach Reilly instructed two of his players to injure Adam Banks because that's the kind of low-life b*stard Coach Reilly was. After the kid McGill (Michael Ooms) sent Adam into the goalpost, knocking him out of the game, another kid asked McGill, "What did you do?"
McGill answered in a sinister manner, "My job."
What!?! Are you serious right now? Unbelievable. I played youth football in the early 90's and even the meanest kids wouldn't have responded like that and in such a deadpan, cold-blooded manner. Was McGill an evil overlord in training? That was what I'd expect from a low-level criminal trying to crack into the big time. Oh! it was ghastly.
Take out all the extra padding called drama and this movie would've been better. No, it was never going to be unique, it's like almost every other sports movie. Its only distinguishing characteristic is the sport itself, but it seems they weren't happy with that small difference. I say, don't do more than you have to. KISS: keep it simple stupid and avoid looking like a farce.
"The Mighty Ducks" could've been so much better without the contrived conflict. I know it's hard to distinguish yourself as a David v. Goliath sports movie, but no need to make it full of nauseatingly pointless drama.
Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez) was a successful lawyer and one-time child hockey star. After a DUI he was sentenced to 500 hours community service which entailed coaching a no-name youth hockey team. His boss, Gerald Ducksworth (Josef Sommer), thought it would help him build character and learn "fair play."
When he took over the team, they were a mess. They weren't a hockey team; they were just a bunch of kids with ice skates. After some customary bad coaching, Coach Bombay had an epiphany and started being the coach he should've been.
Now for the unnecessary drama.
Exhibit A.
Gordon pointed out to the Pee Wee Hockey league that due to district lines there was a kid, Adam Banks (Vincent LaRusso), on the Hawks who was ineligible to play for the Hawks, so either he could play for the Ducks or not play at all. When the coach of the Hawks, Jack Reilly (Lane Smith), caught up with Gordon in the hallway they had it out. In their exchange Gordon said, "We're losers; not fit to live," in a sarcastic tone to indicate Coach Riley's sentiments. But because some 11-year-old kids were eavesdropping they COMPLETELY misunderstood him and took that info back to the team. The team quit.
Exhibit B.
When Gordon went back to work to meet up with his boss he was confronted by his boss, Coach Reilly, and Adam Banks' father. Apparently, Mr. Banks (Hal Fort Atkinson III) was a big client of Mr. Duckworth's firm and he wanted to use that as leverage to force Gordon to withdraw his petition (i.e. his complaint that got Adam removed from the Hawks). Mr. Duckworth, in classic rich old man = rich old jerk fashion, told Gordon to withdraw his position or lose his job. How wholly ridiculous and over the top. It's not even like Adam couldn't play, he just couldn't play for the Hawks. This was drama for drama sake.
Exhibit C.
The Ducks hate Adam, especially Jessie Hall (Brandon Adams). Even when Adam was scoring goals for the Ducks, Jessie couldn't get over his inexplicable disdain for Adam.
Exhibit D.
And for the coup de gras: the Ducks made the championship game versus the Hawks. Coach Reilly instructed two of his players to injure Adam Banks because that's the kind of low-life b*stard Coach Reilly was. After the kid McGill (Michael Ooms) sent Adam into the goalpost, knocking him out of the game, another kid asked McGill, "What did you do?"
McGill answered in a sinister manner, "My job."
What!?! Are you serious right now? Unbelievable. I played youth football in the early 90's and even the meanest kids wouldn't have responded like that and in such a deadpan, cold-blooded manner. Was McGill an evil overlord in training? That was what I'd expect from a low-level criminal trying to crack into the big time. Oh! it was ghastly.
Take out all the extra padding called drama and this movie would've been better. No, it was never going to be unique, it's like almost every other sports movie. Its only distinguishing characteristic is the sport itself, but it seems they weren't happy with that small difference. I say, don't do more than you have to. KISS: keep it simple stupid and avoid looking like a farce.