ironhorse_iv
As a kid of the 1990s, 'The Mighty Ducks' trilogy (1992-1996) was one of my favorite sport movies at the time. It's the movie that got me, interested in hockey. It had a very positive message about teamwork, sportsmanship and overcoming adversity. However, the sequel to the first movie does have the most faults, out of the three. It's something I can't overlook. Directed by Sam Weisman, the movie has Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez) returning from the minor leagues after a major knee injury forced him out. While rehabbing he is offered the role as coach of Team USA in an international hockey tournament known as the Jr. Goodwill Games. With that job, comes with him, reuniting with his old Pee-Wee Hockey Team, the Mighty Ducks, as well as a few new players in tow. Without spoiling the movie, too much, I was somewhat disappointing, when this movie came out, because the fact that the Mighty Ducks wasn't going to defend their Pee-Wee Hockey title. After all, I kinda love, the Hawks Vs Ducks rivalry. Still, I did like the new idea of them, playing in a Junior Olympic type settling. It made the games, a lot more challenging, despite D2 follows the same formula as its predecessor. Also, the fact that Team USA is made out of the majority of the Mighty Ducks team, seem very illogical. First off, the team were so bad at hockey in the first movie, that they only made their local hockey playoffs, because another team got the measles. That's doesn't make them, the best junior hockey players the United States has to offer, at all. Also, wouldn't the Ducks need a couple of more wins under their belt, be needed to even, be consider to represented their countries!? One big win doesn't make you, the best. Even Bombay as the coach makes little sense. He has been an amateur coach at a junior level for a single season of local pee-wee hockey. Before that, he was a lawyer. It's not like he was a seasoned coach or player. Also, he was mostly drunk when he coached the Ducks in the first movie. So, how is that, make great coaching!? The fact, that he spent most of the movie, eating up fame, doesn't make it, any better. I think the worst, had to be his roster management. I don't get, why benching all-star goalie named Julie "The Cat" Gaffney (Colombe Jacobsen) for the horrible goalie, Greg Goldberg (Shaun Weiss) is a good idea!? Doesn't Goldberg hate being the goalie? Also, what are the rules of this league? How come the other teams, are all males with a single ethnic or social background, but the Mighty Ducks is the only one that has female players and players with different ethnic background? It's very weird. Also, it seem like anybody can join the team, even after the sporting events, happen. A good example of this, is how Russ Tyler (Kenan Thompson) is able to join the team, with little to no previous ice hockey experience. Wouldn't the Jr. Goodwill Games committee board, up against that? It's seem like they don't really care for any the rules, if they willing to have players take off their mask, switch uniforms and hog-tie other players without getting ejected from the game. The Ducks don't even get major penalties. Just a 2 minute minor. I really don't get, how Jr. Goodwill Games would allow this to happen. Also, why would anybody cheer Team USA when they become the Mighty Ducks in the end? For most of the fans, the name, the Ducks is totally meaningless to them. If anything, they would be Disqualification for the second half, due to the name change. Even with that, Team USA is not the underdogs in the film. In my opinion, Coach Bombay should be coaching, the Trinidad and Tobago team; a country team that doesn't have snow-like weather nor let alone, an ice rink. Add to the fact; that they are playing in a different country, during the summer months. That team seem to be more like the underdog than the other teams in the film, due to them, being a Caribbean team. Who knows, maybe if they did that, this movie would be a little more memorable, like 1993's 'Cool Runnings', which was about the Jamaican bobsled team, during the Winter Olympics. Instead, Team USA looks like jerks, by completely destroying them; not only with scores, but physically, injuring their players. Despite all that, the movie does have some good highlights. The comedy was mostly a hit than a miss to me. All of the recurring and new characters were great in their roles, even if some of them, were just one-dimensional stereotypes. The hockey scenes were intense, and fun to watch. Even the music by composer, J. A. C. Redford was inspiration. Overall: All this commercial success paved the way for the creation of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, (now the Anaheim Ducks) NHL team as well as a unrelated animated series called 'Mighty Ducks' (1996-1997). While, the sequel is the most cheesy movie of the three films. D2 is still reasonably entertaining. It's a fun nostalgia trip. Recommended to anybody who is a fan of 1990s kid sport movies.
aclott789
This is clearly above and beyond all other movies ever made and it definitely deserves the number one ranking on IMDb. It's not even close. Why, you ask? Only because it has everything a movie could possibly need. Think about it, you've got Coach Gordon Bombay, Pacey from Dawson's Creek, kids from Morgan Park High School in Chicago(I live a block away!) which actually does not have a hockey team, Keenan's knuckle puck, Team Iceland, Goldberg for comic relief, the team from Trinidad & Tobago whose fans play Caribbean drums after they score a goal, that hot chick from Maine, and We Are the Champions! Come on, it doesn't get any better.Evereybody now, "Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack!"
