YOUNGBLOOD

YOUNGBLOOD is a riveting reimagining of a popular 1986 hockey movie, where the new movie has changed the title character into a young black man.

The new YOUNGBLOOD tells the story of Dean Youngblood, a young prodigy from Detroit who’s drafted into the Hamilton Mustangs in Canada. As a boy, Dean grew up with a dad and brother who loved hockey. He would spend hours playing every day as he grew his talent.

Things take a turn for the worse when Dean’s mother tragically passes away one day. Things look bleak, and Dean’s father is distraught. He turns to the one thing he knows, which is hockey. He drives Dean and his brother harder every day, teaching them not only hockey but also how to defend themselves against the many bullies they face on the ice.

As the years pass, they become hardened and tough. However, Dean picks up a reputation for aggressiveness and is suspended for a year. When it seems like he might never play again, he suddenly receives an offer from a team in Canada to play. He goes to the tryouts and is drafted.

Getting accepted onto the team is the biggest thing that has ever happened to Dean, but, unfortunately, the hardships have just begun. Dean’s father had sown violence into him and taught him to get back at whoever gave him trouble. This deep-seated seed of violence, paired with unresolved hurt and pain from the loss of his mother, gets Dean into hot water fast. Every time the coach puts him on the field, Dean ends up getting into a fight.

Outside of Dean’s hockey life, things aren’t much better. His dad and brother get on him for everything he does wrong in his games, and he has a bumpy relationship with his girlfriend, who happens to be the coach’s daughter. This all climaxes when the Mustangs play the championship game against the Bombers, who have a player who’s out to get Dean. Dean must decide whether to give in to his hurt and pain and retaliate or to choose to do what is best for his team and ignore him.

YOUNGBLOOD is superbly filmed. It starts with Dean as a young boy and follows him all the way up to his time playing with the Mustangs. He has a great character arc that allows viewers to see the hurt and pain that causes him to act the way he does later in the movie. The scenes shot on the ice as the players battle it out are especially engaging, with fast scenes and quick cuts. Every shot in the movie is intentional and made to further the plot toward what it’s trying to fulfill.

YOUNGBLOOD has a light moral worldview where the title character must learn self-control and sportsmanship. Eventually, he overcomes his deep anger from past hurt displays mixed morals throughout the movie. Dean also must overcome the racism in a sport where most of the players are white. However, Dean sleeps with his girlfriend in one scene. Also, YOUNGBLOOD has 31 obscenities and profanities, including at least two strong profanities. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises excessive caution.