It has been many wondrous months of hockey earning attention from both the Olympics and the HBO series Heated Rivalry. Now Youngblood comes to the scene. It is a film where the competitive nature of hockey is still portrayed, but brings its viewers into the early stages of  trying to make it to the pros.  The film relies a lot on hockey conflicts and players being tough guys, yet it still is written to encourage teamwork and empathy. It also depicts an underdog story that is irresistible. Directed by Hubert Davis, Youngblood is film where one rookie star hockey player has a chance to make a name for himself. The presentation is enthralling with some moments being a bit of a blur, but mostly with positive energy continuously moving forward.

The film’s main character is Dean Youngblood (Asthon James), a young man who grows up playing hockey with the support of his father Blane Youngblood (Blair Underwood). His father always encourages him to have an attitude on the ice. For Dean though this presents a challenge.  His attitude as a player always has him facing penalties–mostly for fighting and always trying to be the bigger personality. He could be a truly great player by focusing on utilizing his skills in the game, but he finds himself in probation repeatedly.

The screenplay creates a pattern where failure keeps showing up on the books for Dean. It leads to conflicts with his father. The repetition is in how much love and hate go back and forth and it sells the story. Dean finds himself with an opportunity to playwith the Hamilton Mustangs in Detroit. The coach is Murray Chadwick (Shawn Doyle). Murray sees a sense of talent in Dean; however, Dean’s anger is still an issue. The power sought in being the best in a sport encompasses a lot of angles involving politics, pride, respect and fame—that is what motivates the players in Youngblood.

As one who finds inspiration from films focused on challenging behaviors, I enjoyed the concept of one trying to overcome anger. I felt that was what the story relied upon to build the many conflicts presented in the film. It has some common ground though with the team striving to be the best, but also it made parts of the film feel dull. This was primarily because I found myself thinking I want to see Dean continue to succeed and not just keep falling apart and getting second chances. I wanted to believe he was better than that. Relying upon blame is predictable for the film’s conflict in Youngblood. I will say though, the inspiring side is when Dean falls in love with a girl, Jessie Chadwick (Alexandra McDonald). She is the coach’s daughter, and also struggles with sport herself. The constant concept of feeling accepted and being the best has a portrait of correlations for young players. Three out of four stars.