Champions (The Mighty Ducks)

Champions, 1992
(Emilio Estevez, Joss Ackland, Joshua Jackson)

midbus.

Disney produces this feel good ice hockey gem as only disney knows how to do. This is cheese at its all time quadruple-brie best but you can't help but warm to the young 'district 5' rapscallions who band together to take on the (would steal your nan's toffees) Hawks.

Estevez plays hot-shot lawyer Gordon Bombay who has lost sight of his humble pond-skating roots. Too focussed on winning at any cost, Gordon bombs out with an all American DUI. As often is the case, he gets away with coaching a local sports team while remaining on full-pay at his 'Ducksworth' law firm.

The now too familiar journey to redemption for Bombay is not exactly breaking the mould for disney but after 100 odd minutes, and 17 years later, this reviewer couldn't care - characters like Charlie Conway, Hans, Coach Reilly, Fulton Reed and Goldberg, the Goalie, still hold a special place in most people who grew up in the 90s' hearts. You may still roar with laughter at fart jokes and poo gags if you haven't matured quite as much as expected (personal gag - eds.)

Famed director Stephen Herek (pfft!) and most of the cast haven't been sighted since but you have to hope that even Matt Doherty, who plays the awkward ginger geek Averman, might still look upon 1993 with fond memories.

'It ain't worth winning, if you can't win big.'

A family classic.

7/10

Tombstone

Tombstone, 1993

Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Bill Paxton and Sam Elliot

Tombstone is the story of legendary law maker Wyatt Earp and the infamous battle of the O.K Coral in Tombstone.

The movie starts with Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell, Backdraft) arriving is Arizona to start a new life with his brothers Virgil (Sam Elliot, Road House) and Morgan (Bill Paxton, A Simple Plan) along with their wives. Wyatt has retired from law enforcement and just wants to settle down and become rich. Also tagging along with Earps is Wyatts good friend John 'Doc' Holliday (Val Kilmer, The Doors) who is a well known gambler and gunfighter.

When the local marshall is killed by the leader of a gang known as the Cowboys Curly Bill Brocius (Powers Booth, Rapid Fire) arguments begin to brew with earps and holliday. Due to the lack of law in Tombstone Virgil becomes town marshall with Morgan as his deputy. With the arguments getting worse with the cowboys Virgil requests the help of Wyatt and Doc Holliday to help him and Morgan disarm 5 Cowboys at the O.K Coral resulting in the infamous gunfight and the death of 4 cowboys.

The result from the deaths at the O.K coral the cowboys fight back causing grief in the earp family. After the attacks on the Earp family Wyatt, Holliday and few loyal companions set out to finish the cow boys once and for all. After the death of Curly Bill the cow boys are now led by Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn, Navy Seals).

Tombstone ends with Wyatt avenging his family and living happily ever after.

It is always difficult when movies are based around true events. Who knows what really happened at the shoot out at the O.K Coral but I believe Tombstone depicts it perfectly. Russell plays the famous law man very well but the most outstanding role goes to Kilmer as Doc Holliday
8/10

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