Goal 2: Living The Dream

Year of Release: 2007
Genre: Teen / Drama
Rating: PG-13 for Adult Themes
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Starring: Kuno Becker, Alessandro Nivola, Anna Friel, Rutger Hauer, David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, Roberto Carlos

Date Of Review: February 2008

When I first heard about the “Goal” concept, it was to be an epic trilogy of soccer films, something soccer fans could only dream of.  I waited with great anticipation for the original movie. “Goal The Dream Begins” set up the foundations beautifully for a series of great films. The plot, the performances and the soccer sequences were all handled with a degree of skill that most sports movies can only wish for. The film was everything that I wanted and more. Unfortunately, the sequel “Goal 2” The Dream Continues”, is a backward step for the film series. The sequel had good intentions and some great ideas but it falls way short of anything in the original film. Unfortunately, it has a meandering script with clumsily written dialogue and performances that are so uninspired that even the inventive football photography can’t save the film from mediocrity.

This time round Kuno Becker or should I say Santiago Munez joins David Beckham and a whole host of other soccer superstars at Spanish glamour-club Real Madrid. The film attempts to showcase the lifestyle of a high profile soccer superstar but sadly it quickly degenerates into a mish-mash of uninteresting, lackluster scenes pieced together by a thin thread of storyline that crumbles under the weight of the powerfully executed soccer action. The sub-plot involving Santiago's younger brother is sub-par at best and maybe even disposable. In the end it’s the integration of real soccer with simulation soccer scenarios that become the film’s saving grace and possibly the only thing that keeps the viewer interested.

World famous soccer players, like English international David Beckham, France’s world cup hero Zinedine Zidane and Brazilian great Ronaldo appear throughout as themselves.  The camera loves to pick them up for a few seconds at a time but doesn’t give them anything substantial to do. They are given no speaking lines and are merely eye-candy for soccer enthusiasts. Maybe, the filmmakers should have checked out the classic soccer film “Victory (1981)” with Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine and a whole host of soccer legends like Pele, Bobby Moore and others. In that film the players shone with the actors, both on and off the field. Heck, Pele was even given a substantial speaking role which included a number of highlight moments.  In this film the players only blend superficially with any of the actors. Unfortunately the players contribution is a real let down.

Most of the film is an amalgamation of montage scenes completely devoid of any substance. Some of them have very little relevance to the story and you can’t help but wonder why they have even been included in the finished product. Some scenes on the other hand are cut mid-stream just as they become interesting to the viewer. Ultimately it’s all rather disjointed and riddled with irrelevant or incomplete scenes that pile up, one after the other. The editing is slap-dash, instead of snip-snap, with lawn-mower cuts instead of trim ups. It puts Johnny Depp’s character “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” to shame. Some of the film winds up resembling more of a dog’s breakfast than a Sunday morning soufflé.  Much like the role of Rutger Hauer, you don’t put an actor of his caliber in the dressing sheds and give him nothing to do, it’s an absolute copout.  Having said all that, the soccer scenes are handled with considerable finesse. The good news is, the finale is a high scorer and does raise the excitement level of the film. With fabulous goals from both the actors and the soccer superstars, fans won't be disappointed with the film's final 15 minutes.

On a positive note “Goal 2” does have a nice visual style with some stunning cinematography and great goals, now if only it had the substance in the dramatics department to match it, the film could have really been something special. Still I must say as disappointing as this film is, I am still highly anticipating the third film in the series. It takes the story to the final level with an interesting World Cup scenario, so I am sure, with that in place, it can’t be all that bad, but then again, we all know how a good concept can get botched up… don’t we.  Let’s hope that third time round “Goal 3” will be an extra-time winner and not a missed penalty.

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The Original "Goal" - Now Available on DVD & Blu-ray:

Goal! The Dream Begins (2005) [DVD]
While living in Los Angeles, a young Mexican immigrant finds his world turned upside down when he is given the opportunity to travel to England and pursue his dream of becoming a professional soccer player. Suddenly thrust into an unfamiliar land where soccer is a way of life, he must prove that he has what it takes to overcome the odds and become a superstar on the field. Kuno Becker, Stephen Dillane, Anna Friel star. 118 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English (SDH), Spanish; audio commentary; featurettes; music video.

Goal! The Dream Begins (2005) [Blu-ray]

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