The Mighty Ducks

Starring: Emilio Estevez, Joss Ackland, Lane Smith, Heidi Kling, Joshua Jackson, M.C. Gainey, Josef Sommer, Elden Henson, Shaun Weiss, Matt Doherty, Brandon Quinton Adams, Marguerite Moreau, Jussie Smollett, Vincent LaRusso
Directed by: Stephen Herek
Rating: PG
Genre: Sport, Comedy, Drama
1992

Times Seen:
Tim: 4

Summary: After being arrested for DUI, a hotshot lawyer (Emilio Estevez) is forced to do community service by coaching a local kids' hockey team. He finds the team is terrible, and he sees no chance to turn them around. However, the team and the coach slowly start to bond, and begin to try to salvage the season.

Review:

Tim:

I might be a bit biased because I grew up watching The Mighty Ducks. I loved the movie as a kid, and I still believe this is a great movie today. It has held up in the face of time. This movie is a very funny comedy, an entertaining sports movie, and overall, an extremely enjoyable movie.

There are so many elements that make this a great movie. We have the story of the lawyer-turned-coach, Gordon Bombay. Bombay's story is really one of redemption- as a child, he missed a game-winning goal, and that has haunted him his entire life. Decades later, he has the chance to go up against his old coach. We all love stories of redemption, and this is a great one. We also have a ragtag team of ineffective hockey players who really can't beat anyone. As they start to gel together as a team, we suddenly have an inspiring underdog story. Plus, there are smaller stories about kids searching for father figures, and more. So, this is really a redemptive, inspiring underdog tale with elements of role modeling, playing by the rules v. cheating, and others. How could this movie not work?

The cast helps quite a bit. Emilio Estevez is very good as Gordon Bombay. Estevez brings a good deal of charisma and fun to the role. He is convincing in the part, and manages to be likeable while he is cruel and negative. The movie is really about his redemption as a human being, and this unfolds in a believable manner. Much of this is the result of Estevez's performance.

Lane Smith is very good as Coach Reilly. Smith embraces his cold, calculating side, and he is the coach we love to root against. The movie works because he is a compelling antagonist- while making it clear we shouldn't like him, he wisely keeps the performance in the realistic, never over-the-top vein.

The kids all give good performances as well. The movie intelligently gives us a wide array of different kids, all with their unique personalities. Especially good is Joshua Jackson as Charlie. Jackson is a talented young actor, and his performance really helps the film. He is the one kid we are really rooting for, and want to see succeed.

The Mighty Ducks is such a classic sports comedy. There are some truly iconic moments, from the "Quack! Quack! Quack!" chant to The Flying V, the scenes and images from this film are unforgettable. This is one of those films that is enjoyable for any age, and is an effective, enjoyable movie. I know some people may criticize this film, but it remains one of my favorites.

*Update- I watched The Mighty Ducks again with my family- it's one of my wife's all time favorite movies and she wanted to watch it with my 9 year-old son. It had been at least a decade and probably closer to 20 years since the last time I watched this movie. Once again, I truly believe this is a great movie. It's a kids' movie, of course, but it still manages to be one of the all-time great sports comedies. The story of Gordon Bombay (still one of the all time great names) and his redemption arc is timeless, especially when his salvation comes due to a ragtag team of hockey misfits. It's such great fun to see the Ducks come together- the original core players, plus the talented recruits they make throughout the season. The film is just pure fun and entertainment. My son liked the movie a lot.

Watching this film decades later, it made me wish Emilio Estevez had a bigger career. It's been quite a while since I've seen him. I love his charisma and his likability in this role. Joshua Jackson has gone on to have a very solid career- I'm still a big fan of him. Lane Smith was always excellent, so no surprise he was so good here. I've grown to be a big Elden Henson fan, so it was a joy to see him in this earlier role. I thought Marguerite Moreau gave a really good performance. The less to say about Jussie Smollett, the better. As a whole, though, this cast truly works.

Even decades later, The Mighty Ducks remains a true classic, one of the greatest hockey movies ever made. It's silly and ridiculous, but that doesn't detract from its entertainment value. It's completely rewatchable. I always love getting to watch movies I loved as a kid with my kids and you can put this one on that list.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: D2: The Mighty Ducks, D3: The Mighty Ducks, Cool Runnings, Rookie of the Year