This is the story of the infamously terrible American Samoa soccer team, known for a brutal 2001 FIFA match that saw them lose 31-0.
Taika Waititi’s “Next Goal Wins” harks back to a time, namely, the early-to-mid ’90s, when Hollywood studios were known for making fun, heartfelt, family-friendly underdog movies. Films like “The Mighty Ducks,” “Cool Runnings,” “The Cutting Edge,” and “Rudy” are a few that come to mind. “Next Goal Wins” follows in their footsteps, and even though the story is overly conventional, and we know exactly how everything will turn out, Waititi still manages to entertain us with his characteristic signature off-beat humor, dramatic challenges, and moments of awkwardness.
Dutch American football coach Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender) has just been fired as the head coach of the Under-20 United States men’s national team and their inability to qualify for the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He is allowed to redeem himself if he agrees to fly to the South Pacific to coach the national football team of American Samoa. Having been knocked out of the World Cup qualifiers in 2001 by losing to Australia 31–0, the worst loss in international football history, they desperately want to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but because they are considered the worst team in the world, nobody will touch them. Needing the money and a job, Rongen reluctantly agrees, and with only three weeks left before the World Cup Qualifiers, it will take him everything he has to turn the team into disciplined, passion-driven players with the desire to win.
While the film utilizes a lot of humor, it also employs the requisite assemblage of emotions from both the American Samoa players and Rongen himself, having lost his teenage daughter in a car crash years earlier. From the start, we know that once he takes the job, he will do so begrudgingly, and neither he nor the players will like each other, at first, but over time, they will learn more about each other and respect one another. The movie follows these beats seamlessly, allowing the characters to grow and, ultimately, giving them the propensity to work together as a team.
I didn’t recognize him when Michael Fassbender first appeared onscreen, complete with a scruffy beard and platinum ashy blonde hair. It wasn’t until after he shaved that I knew who he was. Known for more serious roles in films like “300,” “Hunger,” “Inglourious Basterds,” “Shame,” and the “X-Men” movies, here, we get to see some of his comedic chops on display, including a hilarious verbal rearrangement of Liam Neeson’s famous “Taken” phrase. Waititi occasionally appears as an American-Samoan priest but leaves most of the acting to his appealing cast.
As we enter awards season, the theaters will be filled with all kinds of movies, big, small, and everything in between, and while I don’t think “Next Goal Wins” will win any major awards, it is an enjoyable 103 minutes that will put a smile on your face and take your mind off your real-world worries.
Now available on Digital and on Blu-ray™ and DVD February 27th
