Slap Shot

A great hockey movie!

A lotta great lines!

Classic!


HAT TRICK.   July 3, 2004
Gregory Saffady (Michigan)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Many were amazed that SLAP SHOT was written by a woman when it was released in 1977. More amazing was that Nancy Dowd's original screenplay was robbed of an Oscar nomination in 1977. Dowd got the feel of the game and the players as perfect as the paint on the blue lines (her brother Ned Dowd plays the infamous Oggie Ogelthorpe in a nano-second cameo that has reverbs throughout the film). George Roy Hill works his A-list players, Newman, Strother Martin and the now heralded Hanson Brothers, into sports (not just sports films) legends. SLAP SHOT is a winner.


Baldwin needs to be a little more observant!   March 25, 2004
Um, did you perhaps fail to notice that this is an R rated movie? That usually means that there is a fair amount of coarse language, expletives, violence, nudity, etc. Just what made you think that this was a movie for children? Anyway, it's a great movie and being a *huge* Paul Newman fan, I really enjoyed seeing him in this very amusing comedy role.


Baldwin you are clueless   March 21, 2004
Christian Hoogheem (Minneapolis, MN United States)
As a hockey player and hockey coach I can tell you one thing, you are not a hockey dad. This movie is definately one of the most hilarious sports movies ever. Don't even bother with any other hockey movie, except maybe Youngblood, because those other movies, especially Mighty Ducks (puke) is not hockey, flying V my behind (did we forget about offsides?).
The Hanson brothers were everyone's heroes. While we all wished to be Gretzky or Orr, we all wanted to be the Hansons. They are some of the best caricatures of hockey players in the 1970s. Hockey was a brutal, lawless game that while some had skating skills, most had fighting skills. It was fun growing up in the 70's and early 80's playing hockey as a kid. While playing high school and college was not quite like this movie, go see a junior game or a USHL game and this is what you'll see, albeit a bit more toned down.
Mighty Ducks - please. Give me Reg Dunlop, Killer Carlson and the Hansons - which being from Minnesota gives me pleasure seeing some hometown skaters. Enjoy the movie, enjoy the hits and the humor.


Baldwin NY totally missed the point!   March 17, 2004
A. L. Kennedy (Brooklyn, NY United States)
Um, I hate to inform you Baldwin, but you SHOULD HAVE READ THE BOX. It's rated "R" for a REASON and that means NOT FOR CHILDREN. "Slap Shot" is an incredible ode to how hockey was in the 1970's: and they nailed, it too--the cursing, the boozing, the fights, the missing teeth, bloodthirsty owners, the checks into the boards. Sportsmanship is a gracious concept, but it doesn't change the fact that hockey is a quick, brutal, and dangerous game. Your child will have to learn this, and the sooner the better! George Roy Hill produced perhaps the funniest sports story ever committed to celluloid and all the cliches ring true: the punching, the rivalries, even the refs take a beating in the final scene. Goons are still a part of hockey, although not as extreme as depicted here. (I barely survived Rangers games while in Madison Square Garden--having beer flung on you in the stands is NOT fun, but hey, I treasure those memories!) The best scene reminds you of how out-of-control hockey was--the Hanson Brothers hit the ice and pretty much everyone else around them. I saw players who wanted to leap into the stands to attack hecklers--"Slap Shot" takes this one step further by showing it. Does anyone besides me remember when there was more fighting than passing? The movie is a reflection (albeit very comical) of what really happened back in the NHL. Knowing this sport is a lot more than just sportsmanship. You might not have a bounty placed on your head like poor Tim McCracken, but it's a fairly true picture of how wild things were. And here's some trivia too: Jennifer Warren who plays Reggie Dunlop's wife in the film is ALSO in "Ice Castles" as Deborah Macklin, the coach. Both movies had shots from rinks in Minnesota and the old Broadmoor in Colorado. Watch these two films back to back--the rink shots are IDENTICAL! "Slap Shot", and the latest movie "Miracle" about the 1980 US team are two of the reasons I love hockey. No one remembers Emilio Estevez's name in "Mighty Ducks", but everyone knows Dickie Dunn, Reggie, the Hansons and Killer Carlson! By the way, did I mention I'm a figure skater? What else can I say? I adore my big brother sport. Even when the players might be missing a few teeth, the love shines right out of those black eyes! And true fans will agree. LOL