November 28, 2012 -- This movie has unexpected sensitivity, considering the subject matter, which is a hockey player hired solely for his ability to beat up people on the other team. It shows hockey players beating each other unconscious. Teeth and blood litter the ice after these fierce fights. Yet this so-called hockey thug is actually a nice guy and I found myself rooting for him to knock those other players out. This film is based on a true story.

The main character, Doug Glatt (played by Seann William Scott of “American Pie” and the sequels of that film) is a bouncer at a local bar. The kind of bouncer who says “sorry” before he knocks you out when you insist on fighting with him. He doesn't enjoy being a bouncer, it is just a job.

One day he goes to a hockey game, where his loud-mouthed friend, Pat (Canadian native Jay Baruchel of “The Sorcerer's Apprentice,” who also co-wrote the screenplay and was a producer of this film) gets a player so mad he climbs into the stands to confront Pat. Doug steps in and knocks out the player to protect his friend. The coach is so impressed, he hires Doug to be his enforcer (thug). When other teams get physical with his team, Doug's job is to get physical right back and beat up any players who are hurting his teammates.

Doug is a guy who can take a punch. He can also knock a guy out with one punch. He can barely skate at first, but he practices his skating and puck-handling enough so that he can be on the ice in a game without embarrassing his team. He's still not a hockey player, but he is getting a strong reputation as a fighter, so much so, that he is promoted to a team higher up in the farm system, just one step below major league level. His job is to protect a talented player, Xavier LaFlamme (Marc-André Grondin) who has lost his nerve after being hurt by another thug, the feared veteran player Ross Rhea (Liev Schreiber of “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”).

While Doug is becoming famous as a hockey player, his family is not impressed. They want him to become a doctor or a lawyer. Doug tries to explain that he is not smart enough to do those things, but he is big, strong and tough enough to be a hockey player. His family refuses to honor his achievements. Doug is attracted to a pretty hockey fan, Eva (Alison Pill of “To Rome With Love”). Eva already has a boyfriend, but she is attracted to Doug's sweetness and innocence.

Doug is a very tough man who can handle himself in a fight. He is willing to do whatever his coach wants him to do in the way of violence, but at the same time he is polite, considerate and very unselfish. He is very much a team player, unlike LaFlamme. Doug soon becomes a favorite of his coach. Doug begins to show signs of becoming a real hockey player. People have a hard time accepting Doug as a winner, but that's what he is.

Seann William Scott does a great job playing this difficult role. It is a performance with some nuance to it. Liev Schreiber turns in another fine performance in this film. He plays a thug with a brain. He fully realizes his niche in the sport and he accepts it, but wishes it wasn't so limited. He tries to warn Doug of the danger of wanting more than he can get out of the sport. He admires Doug, but warns him he won't hold back if they get into a fight. This movie is a lot better than you might think it could be at first glance. It rates a B.

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Copyright © 2012 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

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