Schlappschuss 2 - Die Eisbrecher

The original Slap Shot movie starred Paul Newman. It was a hilarious look at the seedier side of minor pro Ice Hockey. It has become a huge classic among most Hockey fans. Since I am an Ice Hockey Referee part time, I joke that Slap Shot is mandatory viewing for all referees.

Having seen the original, I was skeptical about a follow-up 24 years later. The Hansen brothers reprised their characters well, but everyone else was new. The roles they were playing didn't seem to come naturally to the other actors. Still it was a pretty good acting job overall. There were some lines lifted directly from the original. This was somewhat clever, but after the 3rd time, it was just hokey.

Even with this sequel's drawbacks, there were still lots of laughs. The Hansens can be counted on for that. There is some nudity and a brief sex scene that won't work for kids except maybe mature teenagers.

So don't go in expecting a clean follow-up to the original classic, just go in for some laughs and a few memories.

This movie has no originality, Paper thin characters, and a plot that missed the heart of the first movie. I don't even see how they can or would dare to call this a Slapshot movie. The original was all REAL HOCKEY this is 90% Computer Generated trash. The original was fall on the floor hilarious, I didn't even crack a smile at this waste. The director had his head up his rear when he was making this movie, because every time it shows the Charston Cheifs owner (BTW in the last movie didn't they move the Cheifs to Minnesota?) it is in a tight head shot. The whole idea of the first film was to have fun and bring the hockey attitude out and it did that very well. This plays out more like a D grade drama with some poorly executed jokes stolen from the original movie.

F- Avoid like the plauge!

To think after over 30 years the Hanson Brothers are still playing hockey for the Charlestown Chiefs. They all looked a little long in the tooth for that rugged sport. That's part of what did not make me buy into this film as a sequel.

They're the only ones that are back though. And it seems they never got to Minnesota as was promised in the original film. Stephen Baldwin is a player/coach and they're still the same lovable misfits who play Gonzo hockey. But Slapshot 2: Breaking The Ice has the team sold and moving again, this time to Omaha, Nebraska.

Where the guy who has now bought them millionaire Gary Busey who's big into family values thinks that hockey is way too violent for the kiddies. So he's forming a new league and is taking a leaf from the World Wrestling Federation. He's going to have a hero time, composed of clean cut college hockey players who will be the good guys and he's buying the Chiefs to function as the bad guys. The games will be like WWF matches only the good guys will always win. Watching the idea I thought it was as bad as the Recon unit always losing in Heartbreak Ridge. They've even hired a choreographer for the matches.

The money looks good, but there's something missing of course. The one who takes it worse is David Paetkau who is hoping to get picked up by a National Hockey League franchise.

Sad to say the idea of a WWF type hockey entertainment is a bad idea and sadder to say for Slapshot 2: Breaking The Ice it translates to the screen. Everyone here knows it and goes through the motions. This is one far stretch from the free wheeling original Slapshot film.

Even the Hanson Brothers can't save it.

Only one underdeveloped plot element ties this to the earlier film. The Hanson Brothers are back briefly; since they are clearly twenty years older than they were in the first movie, this is perhaps wise. Any attempt to equal their importance to the original would have been silly at best. And outside of them, the only reason to make this a sequel is to piggyback on the success of the original. Crass and shameful, to say the least. That said, this movie isn't really bad, but it's nothing to get excited about either. Jessica Steen and Callum Keith Rennie are utterly wasted. The film rests on the rather inadequate shoulders of Stephen Baldwin, who, in addition to having gone somewhat to seed in the last few years, seems unable to portray any emotional depth. There is a satirical level to the screenplay, indicting the trend toward sport as show business, and the production values are fine, but it all amounts to a minor diversion.

Sequel yes, why? Who knows but if you take this movie into it's own little world and try and not link it to the first movie (which I must admit can be hard, with the original Hanson Brothers still on the same minor league ice hockey team) try not to think of it has a sequel because it will spoil the first one for you.

The first one was a cult classic hit for sport movies. But this one, isn't exactly the worst sport movie I've ever seen. The hockey probably wasn't enough to keep sport movie fans attentions, but it did have enough for the non sport lovers to actually think "oooh violence on ice-not bad" a little go ;)

Callum Keith Rennie (an astounded Canadian actor - who probably signed for this film because of the first ones status and a film about ice hockey) is slightly wasted in this movie. We can see him in other roles that show of his natural talents as a brilliant actor, but playing Palmberg, it was enough to keep watching and laughing.

A female coach... ohhh not really that much of a plot twister... and Stephen Baldwin's screen performance wasn't exactly fantastic.

I think people reacted badly to this film because of the first one. They should never have plainly labelled it as a sequel as the "straight to DVD" shows how much it was liked by audiences (it just wasn't.)

But I had four of my wisdom teeth removed the weekend I rented this and it kept me occupied long enough to forget about the big open wounds in my gums, so really, give this film a chance. You can laugh, if you can just get over the fact that this film is a sequel. - :)