D2: The Mighty Ducks

Malcolm Johnson started his review by saying, “"D2: The Mighty Ducks," among the more winning entries in the first attack of new kids sports movies, mixed nostalgia for a lost future with rousing underdog hockey games in its tale of a hotshot lawyer assigned to coach a team of losers.” Its sequel, released in 1994, even though it was by the same writer, includes an absolute loser. This time, the Ducks really suck.

Johnson noted, “Catchily tabbed "D2: The Mighty Ducks," the return of Emilio Estevez's Gordon Bombay and his quacking pucksters begins with the most preposterous of set - ups, then settles into an obvious set of matches pitting the Bombay bombers against a gang of Iceland Aryans with a nasty neo - fascist coach.” “The Mighty Ducks” reworked a familiar story with some feeling, but the sequel has next to nothing on its story other than making money off of the success of the first movie.

As promised at the end of the first movie, directed by the proficient Stephen Herek from a screenplay by Steven Brill, Bombay has continued his hockey career at the start of “D2.” Playing like pro, he is even looking at a chance to play in the National Hockey League. Sadly, no one is really interested in seeing Estevez in the NHL, so he is suddenly injured, sending him back to Minneapolis where everything started.

Johnson mentioned, “The law no longer interests Bombay so he takes to sharpening skates at the establishment run by his Scandinavian - American surrogate dad, endowed with surpassing wisdom by Jan Rubes. And what should the old codger come up with but a coaching job for Bombay with junior Team U.S.A., complete with backing from a schmo of a sporting goods dealer, drippily played by grinny little Michael Tucker.”

This doesn’t make sense that Team USA should include mostly Ducks. However, after a pointless look of roller blading, there they are, becoming a powerful team with some non-Minnesotans, a cowboy from Texas (Ty O’Neal), a girl from Maine (Columbe Jacobson), etc. Johnson noted, “It's kind of like one of those old World War II melting pot pictures.” No kid from Brooklyn, but they do get a street player from Los Angeles (Kenan Thompson) to enlist in the team.

To give Bombay a problem, Brill now has him submitting to the urge of endorsement celebrity, even as the director, Sam Weisman, shamelessly plugs in product placement. The coach even dates a Nordic girl connected with the Icelanders, despite the kids having a sweet American teacher, played by Kathryn Erbe. Johnson ended his review by saying, “And, of course, the Icelanders play dirty - thanks to their fiendish mentor Wolf, endowed with storm trooper savagery by sneering, snarling Carsten Norgaard. But Wolf at least injects an air of lively nastiness into a picture that deserves every bit of bile it can find to offset its duck - brained fun and games and phony lessons in life and sport.”

This is a shameful sequel just trying to show everyone what happens when you get the celebrity craze injected in you and all you care about is money. If you didn’t like the first one, like I did, or if you did like the first one, then don’t see this sequel. This will have you scratching your head thinking, “What are you doing Bombay?” Avoid this one and don’t make the mistake of watching it.

Stay tuned later today when I review one of the two new films that got released today.