Goon

When he’s seen dispatching a rude opposing hockey player in the stands, Doug Glatt is hired by a rival team … for his fighting skills. It seems the new team’s star is gun-shy after being hit by a puck, and Glatt’s job is to be his on-ice bodyguard.

Matt
Rating: 7 out of 10

Seann William Scott gives a really solid performance. Did I just say that?

Yes, I did. This is a likeable and true tale of a goon — the tough guy on hockey teams who put up way more penalty minutes than points. They are the tough guys of a tough guy sport, and this is an interesting story of a pretty unassuming guy who never played hockey but ended up worked his way through the minors as a goon. Scott plays Doug Glatt, a bouncer at a bar who gets a shot at being a goon after beating up a hockey player in the stands of a game.

It all seems a bit much, but Scott plays him as a simple guy, who is actually a gentle soul and not the smartest guy — but certainly the nicest. There’s also a love story with a not-so-typical gal, and a rivalry with a fellow goon, played very well by Liev Schreiber. This is definitely one of the better sports movies I’ve seen in a while.

Cop Out

Jimmy Monroe (Bruce Willis) and off-kilter Paul Hodges (Tracy Morgan) are two suspended cops trying to track down a stolen and very valuable 1950s baseball card. Along the way, they encounter a Mexican beauty and countless other characters and get entangled with the mob. Kevin Smith (Clerks) directs this comedic action flick co-starring Adam Brody, Jason Lee, Michelle Trachtenberg, Kevin Pollak and Seann William Scott.

Matt
Rating: 4 out of 10

I love Kevin Smith, but I’m not in love with him. We put Kevin Smith on our most overrated directors list for good reason.

When he makes a great movie, like “Clerks,” “Dogma” or “Chasing Amy,” he really nails it. But he makes a lot of turds, like “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” “Jersey Girl” or “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.”

“Cop Out” is somewhere in between. It’s not as awful as “Jersey Girl” but it’s nowhere near “Mallrats” or “Clerks 2.” There are a couple funny parts — Morgan’s character uses dialogue from action movies when playing the “bad cop” to intimidate witnesses. Morgan and Willis have good chemistry on camera and there’s a handful of funny parts. But all in all, most of the humor is so moronic it hurts your head to watch. If you want a really funny cop comedy, check out “The Other Guys.”