LIKES:
The Music:
-It's a small like, as this movie isn't known for the most picturesque or unique arrange of music, it does use the small number of songs to its advantage.
-Orchestral numbers that feel straight out of a sports' movie fill the action moments, orchestral pieces matching the moment of the sport and the intensity of what is to come.
-Training montages and recruitment sections are filled with other fun tracks, those inspiring tracks that get stuck in your head and are filled with just good vibes and good times.
-Again, minor in terms of scale, I always appreciate a good soundtrack to lift something up.
The Acting:
Another colorful cast brought together, Waititi has fun with the group he has assembled, using the American-Samoan culture to make a lot of fun in this simpler movie.
-Kaimana, new to me, plays the transgender role well. A bit stereotypical, and a bit in your face, but nevertheless works as the character evolves past the political point and into something more. There is sass, edge, vulnerability, and feminine charm in the movement that turned out to be inspiring rather than annoying for me.
-Kightley is fun. A very awkward humor that he executes well, with positivity and sincerity that fits the bill in the promised feel good movie moments. His dialogue is catchy, his comedic prowess is fun, and dare I say, I just love how well he and Fassbender get alone in this film. Certainly not the deepest role, but I applaud how he balanced the quirky Taika comedy, with the sincerity of the show.
-Fassbender is still a magnificent magician of the acting world, and this movie only further shows how much I like his diversity. He's passionate, poetic, alcohol infused, and inspirational all in one, and was just so good at delivering his lines to have that bite. His engagement with the characters matches the referenced coach's passion, alongside his natural ability to capitalize on every word uttered. It's simply quite awesome and magical how he pulls out a good role and doesn't go over the top unless directed to.
The Dialogue
-Waititi is quite famous for his written words and turn of phrase that makes his movies so memorable. And in this film, there is still that clever wording that I can't quite believe seems natural and forced at the same time.
-The movie has these odd metaphors that feel very belonging to the island, wise, but silly at the same time, and timed so well that I chuckled at the response the actors had with it.
-But then turns back to these moments of inspiration that are harsh, funny, and direct insulting, but somehow not crossing the border and having me laugh.
-Then, the writing somehow goes back to silly and off the beaten path candor, these indirect presentations that though random, work in the moment to ad a comedic punch and mirror the reverie of storytelling.
-And yet still, there are moments where the rawness of vulnerability comes out and really inspires and moves you to be better.
-The whole thing seems messy at first, but as the movie progresses, gets better as you grow accustom to the odd turns of phrase, the weird balance, and get to know the character's point in the movie.
The Comedy... to an Extent:
-I laughed and chuckled a bit in this movie, those key moments so fun and well executed that I was in stitches from just how simple they delivered the lines.
-In the case of slapstick humor, there is crashing, hitting, harmful, and over the top theatrics that are the typical soccer sports. It works because most of the time it's not overdone, and there was writing to support the humor.
-As mentioned above, the dialogue has those moments that are surprisingly fun and complicated, a mix of witty and silly that again just seems to be perfectly timed to match the fun.
-And even some of the more forced moments are thrilling to enjoy, when done in balance and not over and over, really pack that comedic punch Waititi is known for having.
The Inspirational Moments:
-The story is cliché, and the predictability is there, but, the movie does indeed accomplish the goal of being that feel good movie of the year.
-The character development of the coach alone has some hard hitting life lessons that had my heart swelling with the promise of improving.
-Meanwhile, the self-mockery and poking fun at the culture, only to turn it back towards something productive further made me nod at how well this movie is built to be funny and uplifting.
-It's an odd dance of the two, and even the predictability can't hinder too much the presentation of inspiration, and how Taika's balance managed to still shine through.
DISLIKES:
Too Silly At Times:
-The mockery can be fun, but like many things, sort of steps out of his boundaries and crosses the lines that might either be too much or too insulting depending on your perspective
-Religion mockery can be a tad on the nose and blasphemous at times, but relatively in check and less used that we should be okay.
-While the banter sometimes goes a tad too far for my liking that the moment is over and we are just going around circles with little reward for the investment in their time.
The Movie Plot Feels Bland:
-Certainly the writing and comedic styles are the center stage of this movie and a message as a secondary outlook, but the plot of the movie feels a bit of a mess and a bland one at that.
-The struggle for soccer training seems very mismatched, the progress missing the movie magic spark that I go for in these films and telling the story with a little less accuracy to the real life events.
-Secondary plots fall out the wayside, and only one major player, maybe two, gets an actual dive into a story to make them engaging, the major one being a bit on the political agenda, but still kept in check.
-Then even the ending feels like a Waititi finish, funny, humorous, but sort of just done, only to fade into the typical summary of where they are now.
-For the guy that brought us Free Guy and Thor Ragnarök, I can't help but feel there was more to this tale, but the silliness I feel dictated the finesse of the story.
The Character Usage:
-It's not the worst, but at the same time, not the best when a former Disney movie about kids playing soccer does it better than this.
-There are a lot of characters introduced in this film, but I didn't really care about most of them, because they were not used that much and quite honestly boring when there was a lot a potential.
-A star player, a goalie or two, even some of the other members all just feel flat and lacking, only discernible because of anatomical landmarks than character ones. It's a bit sad, as again there was a lot of potential, but the time constraints of a comedy often mean... this is a sacrifice.
The Soccer Match Itself:
-I've seen plenty of sports movies that do their bouts right, but this movie... well... it doesn't do the bouts very well and misses the magic for me.
-No coordinated bouts of soccer prowess going against each other, no impressive moves, or even suspenseful action moments I like in these flicks. And yet... we have only another silly presentation that comedic, and has its moments, is very stale and not worth the buildup the training was trying to present.
Will Arnett's Involvement:
-Arnett has a silly style, I get that, but this just seemed a misfire for me in terms of his inclusion in this film.
-Some stupid and darker humor is the strength of his, but otherwise another accessory character that is boring, not needed, and does little to add to the grand scheme of the movie.
-A weaker antagonist, and actual weaker comedy presentation to the normal jack of all trades of humorous use just feels... weaker and a waste given the potential.
The Verdict:
Next Goal Wins is a complicated mess of fun, surprising heart, and inspiration all at the hands of the mad director of comedic messes. The comedy is a bit much at times, but the movie does a nice job entangling silliness to the heart, and keeping much of the laughs diverse and to lots of styles. My opinion for the real winner is the writing, this complex balance of moods, atmospheres, and personality that moves with the characters and makes for a fun movie that fits with the holiday season. The acting is good for this movie, delivering the lines solidly, and I felt there was a good chemistry that never lost the family feel. And yet, Waititi's direction still loses grasp on other elements in his mockery of the culture and getting the laughs out seems priority that the equilibrium shifts away from some of the other elements I find important. The character usage, the plot, and the soccer game itself are lackluster, mediocre, and quite disappointing when you know what could have come with it. And thus this movie is hard to determine if it's really good for the theater, or if this was meant for something like Hulu or Apple+. Thus, my scores for this movie are:
Comedy/Drama/Sport: 7.0
Movie Overall: 5.5-6.0.
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