Next Goal Wins Movie Review: Michael Fassbender's 'White Saviour' Takes Center-Stage in Taika Waititi's Engaging Sports Comedy (LatestLY Exclusive)

Next Goal Wins Movie Review: It should be a major warning bell for any filmmaker if the schtick that made them popular among their fans has now started to annoy them. And it just takes one movie for that to happen. For Taika Waititi, that movie was Thor: Love and Thunder. Next Goal Wins doesn't completely redeem Taika—not helped by the fact that he once again becomes the unwanted narrator of the tale (the opening narration gave me a very strong TLAT vibe) - and yet, for its genre, it is a pleasant watch. This is thanks to its likeable characters and performers, even if Next Goal Wins often gets Ted Lassoed off the field many times. If only the movie chose another character as its protagonist... Next Goal Wins Trailer: Michael Fassbender Takes a Chance on the Worst Football Team Ever in Hilarious First Look at Taika Waititi's Biographical Sports Comedy.

What's Next Goal Wins All About?

Based on real-life events, Next Goal Wins is about how a Dutch American football coach, Thomas Rongen, turns into a 'white saviour' for the American Samoa football team, once considered the weakest team after a 31-0 loss to Australia. Played by Michael Fassbender, Rongen is someone with his personal life in a mess and anger management issues on the field. After getting fired from his previous coaching job, Rongen is left with two options—have no job or coach the American Samoan team. With no other choice, he takes up the latter option, bringing him to his biggest challenge ever—coaching a bunch of misfits with no football skills and making them into a team that could at least score one goal. Just that.

Watch the Trailer of Next Goal Wins:

Where Next Goal Wins Scores

Next Goal Wins is not a relentless goal-scorer, but it is a fairly entertaining film with warm beats and enjoyable performances. The good news is that Taika Waititi's whimsical humour fits into the Polynesian culture he sets his film in, with a delightful Oscar Knightley, who plays the optimistic team manager, often making the best use of it and getting away with the best lines too. The football team may not all have strong character arcs, but they pitch in for some of the film's funnier moments. Lest I forget, the Honolulu setting makes for some beautiful imagery.

Rongen's confrontations with the Samoan way of living also have their quirks, though it is often a trope we have seen in the past. Not to mention, the film playing with its 'white saviour' trope is trite by now, even if Taika does make self-aware jokes around it. I mean, if you are using one of your characters to make a political statement on gender identity, it is also slightly disappointing to make that person as a factor why the Caucasian male protagonist gets his shite right.

Where Next Goal Wins Misses

Where Next Goal Wins keeps making penalties is in some erratic plot development. The way Rongen manages to turn this bunch of misfits into a properly functioning unit is rushed through, and we are only given glimpses of how he managed to pull that off.

Even more erratic is how he behaves in the climax of the film, where he switches back to his old nature, draining down some of the character development we had seen him go through. And say what, it takes merely a speech to get him back on track.

The Match-Winning Performance

Yet, Next Goal Wins still manages to keep its heart beating when it focuses on building camaraderie, a consistent writing strength of its director. Particularly that of Rongen and the team's sole transgender player, Jaiyah Saelua (Kaimana). Jaiyah, a real-life player, is easily the film's best character, enhanced by a standout performance from newcomer Kaimana, and at times, I wish the film were more from their perspective. It would have helped Next Goal Wins avoid the 'white saviour' trope. Wonka Movie Review: Timothee Chalamet Makes a Charming Willy Wonka in This Delightful if Uneven Origin Story.

Some of the film's most endearing moments rest in the camaraderie between Rongen and Jaiyah. I didn't buy how they immediately buried the hatchet after a skirmish over Rongen trying to misgender her identity, or I am clueless as to why Jaiyah wants to play football. But I couldn't help but smile when Rongen accidentally calls Jaiyah by his daughter's name or that washroom breakdown scene that has both actors in great form. There is also a sense of maturity in how the film treats Rongen's relationship with his ex-wife (Elisabeth Moss), though Will Arnett, who plays the 'other man' in this equation, feels like he is still in his Arrested Development mode.

Final Thoughts on Next Goal Wins

Next Goal Wins may not secure a spot in the hall of fame when it comes to sports comedy, but it certainly scores points for its heart and performances. Taika Waititi, despite a misstep or two or a few more, gets back in some form after the disappointment of Thor: Love and Thunder, though a protagonist change would perhaps have worked wonders for the film. Who can say...

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 02, 2024 10:38 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).