I'm sitting here watching D3: The Mighty Ducks, and it brings back a lot of memories. Every time I hear the repetitive quacks of the Ducks, it sends a little tingle down my spine. I remember how cool I used to think the characters were, how inspiring their story used to be, how hectic the action was and how realistic the situations seemed. As a 10-year-old, I remember getting legitimately excited when "bash brother" Dean Portman showed up in the locker room for the 3rd period. As a kid, the movie was phenomenal.
Watching it now, the movie is comically bad. The one-liners are priceless, the action is slow and unrealistic, and the storyline is ridiculous. Even better, the Icelandic center, Gunnar Stahl from D2: The Mighty Ducks is recycled as Scooter, the varsity team's American goalkeeper. The idea that a prestigious prep school would change it's name just because a highly-touted freshman hockey team beats the varsity team is equally outlandish.
Watching the team play pick-up hockey with full pads and gloves is such a blatant attempt to coerce kids into playing safely it's hilarious. During the game, the over-the-top hits and saves make me cringe, and the fact that grown women are cheering for "freshman" Dean Portman's penalty box striptease is more than a little bit disturbing.
As much as these faults detract from the movie, I can't say I don't thoroughly enjoy watching it. My positive memories of the movie from my younger years far outweigh the negative feelings I have at this point. Even if I didn't have positive memories of the movie, my fondness for the old-school unrealistic sports genre (see: Little Giants, The Mighty Ducks, The Air Up There, Angels in the Outfield, etc.) would have led me to love the movie anyway. Because of this, and because of the fond place D3 holds in my heart, I can't stop watching it.
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