Goon, the story of a tough, but kind-hearted hockey enforcer making his way up the minor leagues, hits theatres across Canada today. Written by Montreal’s Jay Baruchel and Vancouver’s Evan Goldberg, Goon is directed by Michael Dowse and distributed in Canada by Alliance Films. Here’s what the nation’s critics had to say this morning:

The Globe and Mail: 2/5 stars

Reviewed by Stephen Cole: “More often than not, Goon is just another boys’ after-pub flick – Dude, Where’s My Movie? It’s Canucks trading punches and quips in the corner of the rink; European players with Borat accents humping abandoned goalie masks in the dressing room.” Read the whole review here.

The Toronto Star: 3/4 stars

Reviewed by Peter Howell: “No Oscars are at risk from Goon, which requires the viewer to tolerate a large amount of violence and an even greater amount of profanity. But Goon looks set to skate alongside, if not slam into the boards, the sainted memory of Slap Shot as the movie that really gets the spirit of hockey’s animal attraction.” Read the whole review here.

The National Post

Reviewed by Jay Stone: “Goon, the latest attempt to translate the peculiar Canadian talents of self-deprecating humour and guys on skates pounding the crap out of one another into a hit comedy. The result is a 92-minute misconduct penalty.” Read the whole review here.

The Montreal Gazette: 4/5

Reviewed by Brendan Kelly: “…the great thing about Goon is you don’t need to love our national sport – or our currently underachieving hockey team – to dig this ultra-raunchy laugher about a minor-league enforcer. The only prerequisite is that you be in the mood for some coarse language, a heavy dose of refreshing political incorrectness and some of the bloodiest, goriest punch-ups to be seen on the big screen since Raging Bull.” Read the whole review here.

Straight.com (Vancouver)

Reviewed by Patty Jones: “Goon is an excellently violent, foul-mouthed, and charming hockey comedy.” Read the review here.