The OTHER Hanson Brothers in George Roy Hill's SLAP SHOT

1977's SLAP SHOT remains the ultimate motion picture to deal with the great sport of hockey. I've been a hockey fan for years, and I thought this flick was a fairly realstic portrayal of hockey, and if you're a real hockey fan you'll probably also appreciate the plot detail concerning the transition of "old-school" hockey to blood, brawls, and fisticuffs.

Paul Newman plays the coach and star player of a minor league hockey club, the Charlestown Chiefs. Lately, the Chiefs have found themselves in a long losing streak, and really nothing has gone their way. They can't score, the give up too many goals, and the fans HATE them. But all that's about to change. Newman used to be an "old-school" hockey player, and has earned the team's respect because of it. But, the times they are a changing, and Newman takes up a new philosophy for playing the game.

Following the addition of a trio of brothers who don't exactly fit the bill for talented hockey players, the Chiefs game goes from getting beaten around, to being the ones doing the beating. Led by Newman, a team emerges that literally sticks it to the opposition. The Chiefs start winning games, and the fans love the fighting and blood. All the while, Newman and his other players try to pick up women after the games, and fix their troubled love lives while trying to keep up with their game.

It turns out that management of the team is considering folding the team, something that begins to look inevitable as the season wears on. The players decide that regardless of the fact that next season they may be out of work that they are going to give it their all this year, but will it be enough?

SLAP SHOT features a wide variety of amusing minor characters. Since this is hockey, there are the obligatory foreign players who speak little or no English, but have mad hockey skills. There's also a French Canadian goalie, eh, who is probably the most amusing player on the team. I got a kick out of this character. Perhaps the most recognizable of the characters however, are the Hanson brothers who are easily the most dirty players in the game. They literally crush their opponents and do anything they can to cause trouble and start fights. This, however, makes them incredibly popular with the evergrowing crowd of Chiefs fans, and makes them instant celebrities. The Hanson brothers have become cult heros in the world of real ice hockey as well, and are probably the most well-known gag going among hockey fans.

SLAP SHOT is one highly amusing and entertaining film that will probably keep you chuckling even if you're not a fan of hockey, although fans of the game will obviously like it a lot more. The movie broke new grounds it seems in movie vulgarities, as there is a constant stream of crude language from the foul-mouthed hockey players. This will make the film a bit hard on the ears of some, and make network TV showings nearly incomprehensible, but I would still urge the majority of audiences to check SLAP SHOT out. I can almost guarantee that it will keep you entertained, and I bet you won't regret it.