Dynamixor
The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
Merolliv
I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.
SanEat
A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."
sddavis63
This made for TV movie is ambitiously titled, and therefore maybe a bit misleading. "Mr. Hockey: The Gordie Howe Story" can't really be said to live up to its title. It's basically about Gordie's comeback season in 1973-74. Retired for two years, and unhappily holding an executive position with his beloved Detroit Red Wings which gave him no involvement with the hockey operation, Howe was suddenly given a reason to make a comeback when the Houston Aeros of the upstart WHA drafted his two sons, Mark and Marty. Wanting to live out a lifelong dream, Gordie signs with the Aeros and returns to the game at the age of 45.There's a lot in this movie that comes across as authentic. The rivalry between the NHL and the WHA is demonstrated through the bitterness of Red Wing owner Bruce Norris and Maple Leaf owner Harold Ballard. But much of this revolves around the internal dynamics of the Howe family - reluctantly moving to Texas so that Gordie could live this dream. The movie doesn't soft pedal the awkwardness of the situation faced by Marty and Mark. Gordie was a great hockey player - but also a tough one, nicknamed "Elbows" for his willingness to take out opponents and defend his team-mates. But, of course, when he does that for Marty and Mark, it only embarrasses them. Gordie becomes obsessed with proving that he belongs, obsessed with winning the scoring title, obsessed with leading the Aeros to the championship - sometimes at the expense of his family.I thought the portrayal of Colleen Howe was a bit weak. She more or less ran the careers of Gordie, Marty and Mark, but we really didn't see that, except for one scene in which she negotiates with the Aeros' general manager.Gordie's comeback is a worthy story. After the NHL-WHA merger, he played in the NHL until the age of 51 - an amazing accomplishment in a fast paced and rough game. It's a good portrayal of one very important WHA season. (6/10)
edwagreen
There is just absolutely no meat in this story of hockey legend, Gordie Howe, who retires from the Detroit Red Wings, only to go the World Hockey League and play and move to a Texas team along with his two sons.The story tries to show Mrs. Howe as a loving, ambitious, hockey-mom type of wife.I think that Howe needed more than an apology from his son, when the latter criticized him in an article.There really is no central story or theme in this film. The film is a rather dull and poor biography of the hockey icon.
treuaiodmol
Gordie Howe was a simple, quite man off the ice but on it, he is a force to be reckoned with. Nicknamed "elbows" due to his frequent use of them to other player's faces, he became "Mr. Hockey" by scoring 786 goals in his NHL career. After retiring from the Detroit Red Wings and taking a job in the head office, he decides to join the new World Hockey Association when a former teammate lands a job coaching the Houston Aeroes and drafts Gordie's 2 sons who are too young to play in the NHL. This is a great story of his rise to the top of the new league and also shows how gentile, yet firm, he is raising his own family. Respect for others, dignity and perseverance are all positive themes shown throughout this film. If you love the game or know someone who plays Hockey on any level, you will appreciate this great story based upon the real life of Gordie Howe.
pecora_324
This docu-drama presents a solid depiction of Gordie Howe's decision to leave Detroit for a possible pro career in Houston. The spoiler alert? This is not a cradle-to-quit biography. Instead, the focus remains on the effect the move would have on the entire Howe family. The facts are easily verified; the impact Mark, Marty, and Gordie had on the fledgling WHA was resounding.Two mandates drove Howe; in order, family and hockey. By accepting the chance to play in a new league, the Detroit Red Wings' management lost any control they may have had over using Howe to keep other players in line. Their resentment was both bitter and public.The characters of Leaf owner Ballard and Wing owner Norris were especially good. The recent (1967) NHL expansion had lined their pockets, but the WHA would not; that was the underlying current. It was against this backdrop that the Howes' made this decision. Kudos to Kathleen Robinson as Colleen Howe! She found the perfect balance between wife, mother and businesswoman. Michael Shanks portrayed the aged Gordie as both a dad and a teammate with just a touch of larceny...well done!This film will fill a void in the hearts of hockey fans everywhere. Enjoy!
