chazwhite Review of Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice

Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice (2002 Video)

Not a "classic" but a worthy sequel to the original.

[9/10 · 3 April 2002]

I went into this movie with very LOW expectations (after all, it IS a straight to video flick staring to the most marginal of the Baldwin boys). After viewing the film, I very happy to say I found the movie to be a worthy sequel to the 1977 classic (so long as you can overlook the cliché Hollywood sports movie ending). Over the years, people's fondness for the original has exaggerated the comedic aspect of the movie into more than it really was. I never really felt the original was a "comedy" (although with a few bits that are funny as hell). In line with that observation, this movie shouldn't really be labeled a comedy either. The thing that made the first movie great, was not the "comedy", but the fact that it captured a moment in sports history that (even at the time) has vanished. Combined with an ending that broke the rules for sports movies the original became a "classic". This sequel is not a classic (mostly due to its very predictable Hollywood ending), but this new version IS a good little sports movie that tells a good hockey story. Bottom line of this review is that I feel the movie was probably a bit cheated by not receiving a theatrical release, but it does shine as a top notch straight to video flick. At under $20, it's a good addition to the collection for fans of the original. As a newbe to the world of Slap Shot, it's worth a rent. Even my wife who hates hockey AND the original movie, liked this sequel.