A review by Brooks Rich
Sometimes when I got back to the films I love from my childhood I wince at what poor taste I had. I ask myself, "good god, Brooks, why did you watch Suburban Commando so much?" I thought Hulk Hogan was cool back in the day. So sue me. But sometimes I find that a film I loved as a child holds up pretty well. I am not saying this is one of my favorite movies of all time and I hold it on the same level as Die Hard or my favorite film, Rear Window. But for a sports underdog story, The Mighty Ducks from 1992 is pretty solid. It's not groundbreaking cinema but it's a feel good story and sometimes that's all you need.
The plot is pretty simple. A lawyer named Gordon Bombay, a likable Emilio Estevez, gets pulled over for drunk driving and must do 500 hours of community service. He is assigned to coach an ice hockey team that can barely skate, let alone score any goals or win any games. Through his wisdom, and using legal means to steal the star player of the dreaded Hawks, Bombay makes his team a competent force and leads them to an unlikely spot in the championship game.
I do think this is one of the better films from back then that holds up. The true great sports film for kids form the '90s is The Sandlot but The Mighty Ducks is right behind it. Also an interesting bit of trivia, originally they didn't want Emilio Estevez for the role. They wanted Tom Cruise. This film is directed by Stephen Herek, a director who has an interesting filmography. He also directed such films as Critters, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, and Mr. Holland's Opus. I'm not saying The Mighty Ducks is his best movie but it's definitely up there. Just think. This film was so successful that a professional sports team was created in 1993, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
I think what works so well about this film is that its not only a sports underdog story with likable characters that are very '90s but also a redemption story for Bombay. He has a journey of self discovery just as much as the members of the team do.
If you've never seen this, maybe give it a watch. Again it might not be the best film of all time but man does it not make you stand up and cheer for the little guy. Good stuff.
Sometimes when I got back to the films I love from my childhood I wince at what poor taste I had. I ask myself, "good god, Brooks, why did you watch Suburban Commando so much?" I thought Hulk Hogan was cool back in the day. So sue me. But sometimes I find that a film I loved as a child holds up pretty well. I am not saying this is one of my favorite movies of all time and I hold it on the same level as Die Hard or my favorite film, Rear Window. But for a sports underdog story, The Mighty Ducks from 1992 is pretty solid. It's not groundbreaking cinema but it's a feel good story and sometimes that's all you need.
The plot is pretty simple. A lawyer named Gordon Bombay, a likable Emilio Estevez, gets pulled over for drunk driving and must do 500 hours of community service. He is assigned to coach an ice hockey team that can barely skate, let alone score any goals or win any games. Through his wisdom, and using legal means to steal the star player of the dreaded Hawks, Bombay makes his team a competent force and leads them to an unlikely spot in the championship game.
I do think this is one of the better films from back then that holds up. The true great sports film for kids form the '90s is The Sandlot but The Mighty Ducks is right behind it. Also an interesting bit of trivia, originally they didn't want Emilio Estevez for the role. They wanted Tom Cruise. This film is directed by Stephen Herek, a director who has an interesting filmography. He also directed such films as Critters, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, and Mr. Holland's Opus. I'm not saying The Mighty Ducks is his best movie but it's definitely up there. Just think. This film was so successful that a professional sports team was created in 1993, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
I think what works so well about this film is that its not only a sports underdog story with likable characters that are very '90s but also a redemption story for Bombay. He has a journey of self discovery just as much as the members of the team do.
If you've never seen this, maybe give it a watch. Again it might not be the best film of all time but man does it not make you stand up and cheer for the little guy. Good stuff.
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