Puck Hogs

I saw this film at the festival and it was just so bad that people walked out. I watch a lot of movies and I have never once walked out of a film but I was so bored and even literally offended by how bad the jokes in this movie were that I almost walked out. I almost walked out of "Threesome" when I was younger at the theatre and then I almost walked out of this movie years later, and the only reason I didn't was I was worried the cast and or crew would be there and I did not want to offend anybody. I found myself looking at my watch thinking the movie must be a half hour in and seeing only eight minutes had passed. The entire audience was pretty quiet through out except for a few forced sounding/polite laughs. The acting was not very good (tho def not terrible) and the big problem was the writing/direction of the film, the jokes were all very bad and predictable and yes the acting could have been better, just seems like a really amateurish production to me.

I went into Puck Hogs hoping for a decent sports comedy, but unfortunately, it misses the mark on almost every level. The plot is flimsy, the jokes feel forced and outdated, and the characters are more like caricatures than anything believable or relatable. It tries hard to be a quirky underdog story but never finds its rhythm.

That being said, there are a few moments that made me chuckle, and you can tell the cast is having fun, which adds a tiny bit of charm. The hockey scenes are serviceable, and there's some heart buried beneath the cringeworthy gags and uneven pacing.

However, the film just doesn't hold up overall. It's a slog to get through and feels like a low-budget attempt to recreate far better sports comedies from the past. While not the worst thing I've ever seen, it's certainly not something I'd recommend unless you're a die-hard fan of hockey-related humor.

This review offers a fair critique, giving the movie some credit while justifying the low rating.

The cover art / poster of this movie is misleading. The sexed-up girl in front stages it like a raunchy buddy comedy. The only thing I'd change is that cover art. It markets the movie wrongly, and I expect those who want to watch the movie it appears to be will end up disappointed. It's more introspective than that, isn't sexist, and is an often-funny look at a struggling local Canadian hockey team. The players reunite to give the championship one last shot, while under the threat of losing their team altogether. There are some great hockey standards, like the hotheaded Russian goalie and the guy perpetually on the bench (afraid of the "corners"). I saw it on Netflix with my husband, who loves the Montreal Canadians, and we both loved it for its irreverent, character-based humor. It's FX's The League (the main character reminds me so much of Pete) meets Trailer Park Boys. The low-budget look paired well with the down-home feel and the characters seemed like authentic townie Canadians. I feel like we found a hidden gem, especially since other reviews are mostly negative. I highly recommend this film, especially to those who enjoy sports, root for underdogs and like "mockumentaries" as I do.

The VIFF reviews page at Third Row or whatever the publication is called hit the nail right on the head when they call this "a sad little comedy". Except I don't think the word comedy should even apply, does a film count as a comedy simply for trying to be a comedy or should it at least be funny at some point? The review does point out that the film is funny for the first five or ten minutes and I guess that is true in that at least it kept my interest for that long, but even if you like the beginning the movie is a real snooze fest from there on. The performances are all wooden and unfunny and you can tell the actors are just thinking "what the hell is going on and when can I just get paid and get out of here?" The director is Warren P. Sonoda and if you click on his name it takes you to other titles like Ham and Cheese and for anyone else out there who has seen Ham and Cheese you will know I am right to ask this question, "who keeps letting Warren P. Sonoda make movies?" The guy obviously has no clue what comedy is or even how to make a coherent or interesting film. The production values look sloppy and again, after the first few minutes the movie comes off the rails and becomes a series of scenes with confused actors playing oddball characters trying desperately to get a laugh. I think people were falling asleep during this movie. Not just saying that, it was that boring and that poorly received. I didn't see anyone walk out but after sitting through 20 minutes of this awful movie I grabbed my coat and was ready to walk out as soon as other people started to, I wish I had the guts to start the stampede for the exit myself, everyone else probably would have thanked me. There is some recognizable Canadian talent in the film but this is nobody's best work and again I think it comes down to a horrible script (after the first few minutes) and really incompetent directing. Avoid this movie unless you are a masochist.

It ain't Slap Shot, but it sure has some humorous moments. I liked it very much.