Youngblood (1986)

That was an excellent one.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

I love this film. It's about Ice Hockey (alwasys a good start), and an up and coming US player who goes over the border to Canada to play having been scouted, in the hope of making a career for himself. Starring Rob Lowe as the titular Dean Youngblood, Patrick Swayze as Derek Sutton the Team Captain and Cythia Gibb as the love interest, it's a typical 80's star vehicle when Rob Lowe as a member of the Brat Pack and seemed to be in everything (The Outsiders, St Elmo's Fire, About Last Night etc). Everything about it screams 80s and I'm not entirely sure it's aged well, it's shot very simply but some nice "set pieces" such as Lowe working out or skate-training sessions. The chemistry between Lowe and Swayze is brotherly, a "bromance", after the initiation at least, and they had played brothers only a few years before in The Outsiders - Darry and Sodapop Curtis.Whilst this is a an underdog-does-good sports film, it isn't so Hollywood and without drama and it's not a typical happy ending. The skating scenes are really good, Swayze throws himself into the physicality of the role in typical fashion. I'm sure some stunt skaters were used but possibly the actors were ice-familiar anyway. Keanu Reeves has a minor (comedic, and with some great one liners) role and was a goalie at school and he plays Heaver, the goalie with the Mustangs. Much of the story is predictable but there's also a few twists, and whilst the acting isn't stunning, Gibb is the weakest link, the skating and the comedy makes this a fab film - especially the bar scene when Dean first joins the team. The love scene is a little cringeworthy (more so when I first saw this) especially in connection with the wonderful Miss McGill (Fionnula Flanagan). I guarantee you'll never hear the phrase "Room Service?" without smiling, and you'll never look at a cup of tea the same way again. LOL.

Back in 1986 prior to the opening of this film, some press was spilt about the level of dedication "pretty boy" actor Rob Lowe was going to for the title role, such as bulking up a bit for the role and the extensive training to make the hockey scenes as authentic as possible. After all that preparation, it seems a shame that the end result is a predictable largely generic feel-good sports film set on the ice. Lowe is the title character, who in a whirlwind of activity becomes a force to be reckoned with on the ice. And I mean whirlwind - in the space of 24-48 hours Lowe leaves home, arrives in the city, is seduced by his mature landlady, gets on the wrong side of a brutal hockey player, wins a spot on the team, gets caught with his pants down by the coach's daughter Cynthia Gibb, subsequently starts a flirtation with her, is hazed by the team members in a rather humiliating fashion and wins the respect of veteran player Patrick Swayze. One can accuse the film of much, but being boring is certainly not one of them. There are things that work well in the film. The hockey scenes seem authentic and rousing, even though there is rarely ever any doubt about where the film is headed. Lowe and Gibb share a certain amount of chemistry and the camaraderie among the teammates (including an unknown at the time Keanu Reeves) feels accurate. Swayze is also fairly solid in a typical role of semi-mentor. Unfortunately, the film is hampered by its formula. There are certain steps that it needs to hit by rote and it is at best moderately enjoyable to see it hit them. Part of the problem rests with the leading man. At the time, Lowe was dismissed as little better than a Teen Beat sensation, which is a bit unfair. However, even his most ardent Fans must admit that Lowe fares much better in ensemble pieces (The West Wing, The Stand, Brothers and Sisters) where his shortcomings can be muted than he does as a leading man, where his lack of charisma starts to come into play. Despite his hard work, Lowe never seems completely believable or at ease in the central role, which has a tendency to throw the film off its stride. Yet there are still reasons to watch. Hockey fans will enjoy the on-ice action, romance fans will probably find something to like in the relationship between Lowe and Gibb, and Lowe fans will have the guilty pleasure of seeing him in what has become his essential nude scene - embarrassed and trapped in a public hallway in a filled to capacity jockstrap while being ogled by Gibb. Any of those aspects are certainly worth a painless couple of hours to take in the film.

Dean Youngblood doesn't want to get stuck on the farm like his father Blane and his brother Kelly. He has the chance to make it in minor league hockey, and maybe go on to a major league team such as New York. But to make it with the Hamilton Mustangs, he has to compete with a big tough guy named Racki who enjoys knocking people down.Dean is not tough, but he has speed, so he does get to be a Mustang. He goes through the usual hazing that "the new guy" gets, and he must persevere every step of the way or risk either going back to the farm or ending up in Medicine Hat or some other remote place that I'm sure the longtime residents like.Dean does make one good friend on the team, Derek Sutton. But there is much to learn about being a competitor, especially in a league where violence is accepted as a fact of life (now, correct me if I'm wrong, but if bench-clearing brawls are frowned on in American baseball, how can they actually be encouraged by even the hockey coaches?). Dean must make important moral choices, and then he must think about what his future will be with each possible option.Dean also has a chance at romance. Jessie Chadwick is the adorable but feisty coach's daughter. And his landlady is Miss McGill (think "Bull Durham"). Which one do you think he'll choose? Or will one of them choose him?I know little about hockey. I have seen the "Mighty Ducks" series, and I was watching when a team from my state won the Stanley Cup. So I don't know enough to evaluate the on-ice action. I do know the finale was exciting if somewhat formulaic, with effective use of slow-motion.As for performances, I thought there were some really good moments. Cynthia Gibb did the best job overall, in my opinion. Ed Lauter also had some good scenes as the coach, and a couple of scenes with Dean and Sutton were really good. Jim Youngs and Eric Nesterenko, as Dean's brother and father, both had several scenes alone with Dean which were quite good.This wasn't a comedy, but I liked the humor in several scenes with Jessie. The funniest part of the whole movie: Jessie sneaking a portable radio into school to listen to Dean's game. Close behind was a scene where the public was skating in what I thought was a rink, but it may have been the arena where the Mustangs' games were played.I couldn't shake the feeling that this was another one of those average movies with the usual formula. But it had enough to make me reasonably happy, even if it wasn't a classic.

Dean Youngblood (Rob Lowe) wants to join a Canadian ice hockey team...BUT he has to prove he can fight back when challenged on the ice. Naturally he falls in love with the coach's daughter (Cynthia Gibb). And Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze are guys on the team!Totally predictable and pretty dull in terms of story but this film has some redeeming moments. The scenes on the ice are well done and filmed--I heard they actually consulted a retired ice hockey player on how to shot them. They DO work. Also Swayze has a few good moments too. Reeves never could act and this movie doesn't change my opinion. But my reason for seeing this was Rob Lowe. He never was much of an actor but I think he was one of the best-looking men I've ever seen. He pumped up for the movie (it shows) and there's a sequence which is just in there to show Lowe in a jockstrap. Nice to see a guy being the sexual object and not the women. Gibb is cute too.But, unless you're interested in seeing Lowe practically nude or have a huge interest in ice hockey, you'll probably be bored. I give it a 6.