D2: The Mighty Ducks

This is not that different from the first film, following the formula except this time the Ducks are representing their country. It has similar humor, similar easy lessons about playing like a team, enjoying yourself and doing your best, similar underdog comeback against a very strong rival...

However, while the first one seemed more grounded, this one raises the stakes, and the corny elements become more bothersome. So we have Coach Bombay directing the USA national youth team, and the team is... his peewee team with a few additions from other parts of the country? There is no one in the Ducks with enough skill to play on a national team, apart from Adam Banks.

Then, the USA shirt is not good enough for them, they can only play their best with the shirts of their peewee team... Little kids won't be bothered, and they will cheer when the team puts on the Duck shirts, but older kids may grimace.

Also, we lose here the element having kids of a poorer neighborhood, with less means, facing up against richer opponents, with more opportunities to train. Here we have the national team, so when one of them doesn't know to hockey stop, it makes less sense.

A feel-good kid sports movie following the recipe of the first, watchable but not as relatable.

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!"

"This isn't a hockey game, it's a circus." - Coach Gordon Bombay, D2: The Mighty Ducks.

Rarely does a movie character sum up his movie so well. D2: The Mighty Ducks is a circus; a cacophony of conflicts, dopey characters, fighting, eccentricities, miscommunications, clichés, and inpenetrable goofiness. Here's a movie sequel that continues to beat a dead horse into the ground by offering the public a sequel to a Disney movie that can only be liked by reciting the word "nostalgia" or "nostalgic." At this point, it isn't that The Mighty Ducks films are bad movies in the usual sense, but it's that they are so unambitious, uninspired, and bland that it makes it hard to accept them as "take it for what it is" entertainment and harder to like them on the typical "good movie" level. Emilio Estevez, still portraying the greatly motivated man driven on the idea of success, reprises his role as Gordon Bombay, who the opening credits show us has gone on to be a minor league hockey player being seriously considered for his first NHL appearance until he injured during a breakneck game.

Now, Bombay's chances are done and he talks to a close friend about making money, until opportunity knocks when the idea of him coaching Team U.S.A.'s hockey team in the Junior Goodwill Games is proposed. Bombay quickly signs a suit's contract, bands the Ducks together again, and they quickly rustle up the skills and the motivation to win at this year's event and show audiences that Ducks stick together.

Need I go further? Should I mention that the kids are now teenagers, yet are still as brazen and as goofy as they were in the first film? Should I go on to mention that Bombay becomes too consumed with coaching a more honored and admired team, and lets all the pressure gets to his head to the point where he is scolding and yelling at his players? Ned I mention that this newfound consumption on Bombay's part has greatly upset a number of players, fueling Ducks-heckler Russ Tyler (Kenan Thompson) to aggravate the players? And do I even need to mention that in the third act the Ducks will discover Tyler's surefire knucklepuck and graciously adopt him to the team? One can also make note of the never-ending barrage of one-liners the film haphazardly includes in order to sound hip, motivating, and high-spirited. When one of the only girl players is called a "lady," she forcefully replies, "I'm no lady, I'm a duck!" And when the Ducks face their opponents from Iceland, the crowd chants, "We will, we will quack you!" in attempt to see how much the audience can cringe in a small period of time.

This is kids sports movie-making 101, although it's not harmful as much as it is non-beneficial to any of its viewers. It provides sweet, genial escapist delight and I believe that's what a number of Disney-movie fans seek, which in that case, renders D2: The Mighty Ducks a success according to them. To me, the film is overly long and winded, still far to content with capitalizing on the surprise success of its predecessor, is chock full of clichés, and anchored by its dull characters and formulaic premises. I guess you can also say I'm getting tired of hearing "We are the Champions" at the end of the picture further capitalizing on "the in-game spirit." At least the film knows one thing and that's how to properly utilize Estevez.

Starring: Emilio Estevez, Joshua Jackson, Michael Tucker, and Kenan Thompson. Directed by: Sam Weisman.

Rising like a phoenix from the ashes, D2 spreads its wings and soars to new heights of artistic merit. D2 is the rarest of sequels, a sequel that is truly better than the original. All of the jagged edges in the original film's plot have been streamlined, and the new ground being broken, (Self-Doubt, Conquering your fears, Sexual Identity) fit in seamlessly, giving this film a more robust feel, similar to that of Chunky Soup. Emilio Estevez (In his star-making role) plays coach Bombay with a smoldering fury that makes it very clear that he is Martin Sheen's favorite son. The rest of the cast is equally brilliant, especially the ducks themselves, whose performances are so real, you cant help believing that they are truly kids. The direction is bold yet beautiful, and instantly recalls that of the early german surrealists. The electronic score by Goblin is eerily effective in creating suspense in both the game and locker room scenes, and lets the viewer know that this isnt a game anymore, and that national pride is on the line. A masterpiece of baroque visuals and dry wit, D2 is a most worthy rental upon your next excursion to the video store.

For some odd reason, I liked D2: The Mighty Ducks. Now, obviously, I haven't had the opportunity to see The Might Ducks, you know, the first one? But my friend only had the second and the third, so I'm watching those first and hopefully I didn't have to see the first one to understand the second. But I got the story just fine, not to mention, after reading the summary of The Mighty Ducks, I get the point of the movie.

Basically, Gordon now has the chance to coach his Mighty Ducks again, only this time, they are Team U.S.A. They are fighting against the best Pee-Wee hockey teams in the world, including the very nasty, plays against the rules, Iceland Team. Now, if you've seen The Karate Kid, you get where this is going. Of course, Gordon changes and wants to win instead of have fun, leading the team into stress, and again, if you've seen Rocky, you get the point.

See what I mean by how predictable it was? Not to mention how many inspirational speeches there were, I was getting a toothache from how many there were, they were so sweet, it was unbearable. But I thought that it was a fun family film that the kids would definitely get a kick out of. As silly as it was, it is a good film for the kids, for morals, you know? :-D But, just sit back and enjoy, you never know, you might like it as well.

6/10