D2: The Mighty Ducks
Before there was “Miracle”, there was “D2: The Mighty Ducks”. I remember going to the historic Empress Theater in my hometown to see it for the first time. The theater was right empty so I got to cheer as much as I wanted to. Even though this film was a very big part of my childhood, as an adult I can tell that it is not as good as the original film. The story is not as classically structured as the first film was for example. Then again, most sequels are like that. The film does include a lot of the fun that made the original film good. It does what a sequel should in that we have new allies and a new opponent. I still like this movie because of the comedy.
I was grateful that the opening credit sequence was much like the first film. We see Gordon Bombay living his dream but just like the first film, he experiences a huge setback. The sequence where the Ducks are rounded up is very well done. Re-introduced are many of our favorite characters from the first film and the montage has a sense of progression, as the group gets larger. I love Fulton’s moment in that sequence. The new players give the team a sense of nationality and they fit quite well with the Ducks. Every player has a purpose now for the betterment of the team. Charlie & Jesse have leadership qualities while Averman & Goldberg provide the fun. Guy & Banks have skill and Julie & Connie provide the girl power. Dwayne, Russ and Ken provide variety to the face of the team in addition to their skills. The nucklepuck provides a similar kind of fun that Fulton’s shot did in the original film. The best part of the sequel for me is the Bash Brothers. Portman & Fulton have great chemistry together and the comedy from them is fun. I like the first scrimmage that team USA has and the way it ends with Tibbles getting knocked out by Fulton’s shot. The zamboni accident is really funny too. Other hilarious moments in the film happen on Rodeo Drive with Jesse, Goldberg, Averman and Robertson. The best gag in the whole trilogy for me is when they order fast food through the store doorbell. It is timing, contrast and acting that create the humor in that moment. The genuine way that Averman asks “What do you guys want to drink?” that results in the spaz from the unseen store manager and concludes with the boys’ celebration is laugh-out-loud funny. I like jokes in movies that unexpectedly break the 4th wall such as when Averman pretends to interview Goldberg and it concludes with static as if the interview was real. Wayne Gretzky’s cameo is a great scene because we share the reaction of the players on screen. I have to wonder if the actors were kept in the dark about Gretzky until he showed up because it sure feels that way.
Bombay, as in the first film, must overcome flaws. Once he gets to LA, he faces temptations that get hold of him easily. After his accident in the minors, he feels that all his chances are done. The lures of celebrity life he gets as the coach of Team USA affects his priorities. Jan to me is not as good as Hans was back in the first film. I also felt that this film has less drama than the first film did. Both the team and Coach Bombay get a wake up call after the loss to Iceland. Stanton however is not as good an antagonist as Reilly was in the first film because with Reilly, there was a long time connection that he had with Bombay. I will say that the coach on coach contest was a good scene. The final game in the sequel feels longer in running time than the final game of the original film, which I like. The roping penalty is funny because of the announcer. The team roll call after the second period is a well-depicted scene and the revel of the NHL Duck jerseys is great (I miss those initial jerseys that Anaheim wore). The “NBA play” that Charlie comes up with is humorously portrayal and because of some great comedic timing, Luis’ goal is funny also. I love Russ’ goal because Goldberg shows up celebrating on the bench next to Bombay in Russ’ uniform. Another great comedy moment is Fulton’s shootout goal. I love the sword sound effect. The film’s ending with the team around the campfire singing “We Are the Champions” is a nice touch.
Steven Brill is an entertaining screenwriter but he just could not replicate the drama and character change we saw in the first film. The comedy in this movie is its best quality. I also liked the introduction of new characters and situations while at the same time retaining the fun we all had watching the first film. The good news is that the trilogy ends on a pretty good note as opposed to other trilogies
4 Stars