Rating: 
Summary: Pleasantly Surprised
Review: Like another reviewer had stated, I was expecting just an average movie. One I did not care to see in the theatre, but MAYBE would rent. WOW! I was very pleased! Great acting, believeable characters, laughs, sadness, and cheers. What a heart-warming movie that did not drag for a second! A movie that gals and guys would find wonderful! What a great town and wonderful scenery in this small and cold town! I would recommend it to anyone. The only downside is that it has some language and a few scenes that might not be good for small children. But these scenes are needed in the movie. When this movie is discounted, it will be a purchase for me! 5 STARS
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and Exciting
Review: This movie has a wonderful plot that is much more than hockey. If you enjoyed Hoosiers than you will like Mystery, Alaska. A great sports movie that has a wondeful feel to it, with good humor.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty Good Movie
Review: Mystery Alaska was a good film about Hockey. It kind of reminded me of The Bad News Bears meets the NHL. Instead of kids however, the Mystery Alaska hockey team are a bunch of Adults all with problems of their own...which you will find out about by watching this. The cast is good, and I would say the 2nd half of the movie is much more fast paced than the first. It was another good performance by Burt Reynolds. Die Hard Hockey fans will love this movie. ALl others I would recommend renting this before purchasing it.
Rating: 
Summary: A satisfied non-hockey fan
Review: Well, I'm a woman and I'm NOT a hockey fan and I was pleasantly surprised when I found that I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I came to care about the characters (and they are real CHARACTERS) in this little Alaskan town. The movie was very funny while also very touching. There were so many special touches added (like a couple surprise cameo appearances) which add to the fun. The acting was topnotch, especially Russell Crowe and even Burt Reynolds. I found myself laughing outloud in more than one scene and cheering for the 'underdog' team during the final game. This movie isn't so much about hockey as about the human spirit, value of relationships and hometown pride. I'll definitely buy this movie when the price comes down.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining
Review: Pretty much what you'd expect. Small-town guys who excel at one thing get a chance do good, prove themselves. I thought the idea of the almost-ritual tradition of the town's Saturday hockey team was interesting and wished they'd developed the idea a little. That's my big complaint: the characters and themes are underdeveloped in favor of moving along with the hackneyed storyline of amateur underdog versus professional goons. Still, the film is entertaining enough, and the hockey game at the end is well-paced and exciting without becoming outrageous. I wouldn't shell out the bucks to buy a copy, but worth renting.
Rating:
Summary: see this to restore your faith in D. Kelly after Lake Placid
Review: after seeing lake placid, i was weary about trying another one of his featured films. However, I was pleaasnatly surprised. I actually really cared about the characters and to see the NY Rangers fly in by helicopter was a great and cool scene. The ending was great although unexpected. Worth a rental!
Rating:
Summary: Likeable but overly long
Review: This is a likeable film using the hackneyed "obscure underdog" storyline. David E. Kelley tries his hand at writing another feature film after the bizarre 'Lake Placid'. This is certainly better than that abomination, but the plot presents us with nothing new or fresh and meanders around town doing random character studies on unimportant characters. Still, it's hard not to like a film where a small town hockey club roughs up the New York Rangers.The story revolves around the small town of Mystery, Alaska where the only thing to do or talk about is hockey. John Biebe (Russell Crowe) is the sheriff and a veteran of the Saturday hockey game, which is the focal point of Mystery's culture. As a result of an article written in Sports Illustrated, the NHL and the NY Rangers think it would be a good promotional gimmick for the Rangers to play this scrappy bunch of amateurs. So now the town is in a tizzy over this defining moment in their history. Kelley's script expands this film to be much longer than it should have been. He spends far too much time following the gossip of who's sleeping with whom among ancillary characters, and not enough time in character development of the players other than Biebe. Director Jay Roach does a good job, however of keeping the viewer engaged through the use of excellent hockey action shots that take you right onto the ice. Also, how can you not love the majestic mountain backdrops in just about every outdoor scene. Once the film at long last gets to the game, it succeeds at accomplishing what the formula intends, that is, it gets us to pull hard for the underdog. For Russell Crowe, this was much less intense than his roles in 'The Insider' and 'Gladiator'. He did a nice job of portraying the old warhorse, giving the character steadiness, dignity and determination. I wonder where a guy from Australia learned to ice skate so well. Colm Meaney gave a good performance as the mayor but Burt Reynolds was a little stiff as the judge (maybe it's rigor mortis). Though there is a lot to criticize about this film, it is still entertaining and for those who love hockey, it does a good job of providing some up-close action footage of the game. I rated it a 7/10.
Rating:
Summary: Great Hockey Movie - Exciting and Inspirational!
Review: This is a terrific movie for any hockey fan to own. Until now I have watched the very old "Youngblood" with Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze over a dozen times this hockey season alone. Is it real life? Of course not! However, it is a movie that inspires you as any true sports movie such as "Rudy" or "Brian's Song" or "Bull Durham" or "Tin Cup" does. This is a fantastic film that easily fills the gap in anyone's sports film library. Why didn't I give it a 5? I always leave room for improvement not matter what I am rating...
Rating:
Summary: Pleasant Movie
Review: I wanted to see this movie for one reason only. I wanted to see Ryan Northcott, who portrayed Stevie Weeks. He also played Carl Wilson in a Beach Boys TV miniseries a few months ago, and I had read that "Mystery Alaska" was Northcott's debut movie. I was prepared to like this movie though, since it was described as a "feel good" movie. I hate to say that I thought the movie was sort of silly. As I was watching it I thought to myself more than a few times that it should have been a made-for-TV movie. It just didn't have that big screen feel to me. And the idea of the New York Rangers going to Alaska to play a small town hockey team struck me as pretty ridiculous. There are some very good performances in it though. Russell Crowe - I can understand why he's so hot now. He definitely has the charisma and talent. Ryan Northcott plays Stevie Weeks, the young, fast, new hot shot hockey player. He has a fresh-faced innocence and vulnerability besides being a good actor. I hope he goes far with his career. The actors were good overall. I just found the plot somewhat unbelievable. It seemed like the producers couldn't decide whether to make a silly movie with jokes, or a serious one. Or they just weren't very good at combining both. One last thing, watching a movie where its freezing, gray skies, and snow 24/7 on the ground doesn't do much for me either.
Rating:
Summary: A movie about friendship, not hockey
Review: If you were looking for a movie about hockey, sorry. This movie is much better than that. It is about friendship and the bonds people form when they spend their lives together. The small town atmosphere is so true. I was pleasantly surprised at how good this movie was. I laughed and I cried. Russell Crowe is a great actor. This is a movie to watch anytime with your friends and the ones that you love!
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