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    Movie Review

    Soccer-themed film Next Goal Wins summons Disney-style smiles

    Alex Bentley
    Nov 16, 2023 | 2:36 pm

    For a person who’s made a good number of popular products, writer/director Taika Waititi can be a divisive figure. Successes like What We Do in the Shadows (both movie and TV versions), Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and Thor: Ragnarok raised his profile, but projects like Jojo Rabbit (for which he won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay) and his over-the-top acting in movies like Free Guy have not been as well-received.

    His latest, Next Goal Wins, offers both the best and worst of Waititi’s style. For decades, the American Samoan soccer team had been known as the worst in the world, never scoring a single goal and being on the wrong end of the most lopsided game in history, a 31-0 thrashing by the Australian team. In an effort to change their luck, they bring in Dutch-American coach Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender).

    Rongen takes one look at the team, which is full of misfits and unathletic people, and deems them a lost cause right away. But Tavita (Oscar Kightley), head of the local football federation, convinces him to keep trying, and the team slowly starts to gel thanks to the leadership of transgender player Jaiyah (Kaimana) and the recruitment of better players who had long given up on being part of the team.

    Waititi and co-writer Iain Morris make the story into a slightly elevated version of a Disney film like Cool Runnings. Almost every American Samoan character in the film has some kind of funny quirk, but showing their goofy foibles never comes off as mean-spirited. The jokes come fast and furious from minute one of the film (starting with an introduction by a priest played by Waititi himself), so a viewer’s tolerance for Waititi’s brand of humor will dictate how much they enjoy it or not.

    The film does have some attempts at being semi-serious. Rongen's life appears to be in turmoil, having to watch ex-wife Gail (Elisabeth Moss) move on with a new beau, Alex (Will Arnett). Jaiyah being a male transitioning into a female is treated as something to be respected, with only slight pushback from Rongen. And Waititi, being off Maori descent, knows how to present American Samoan customs without coming across as condescending or exploitative.

    On the sports side of things, the action scenes are not that believable, but since the team is supposed to be awful, that actually plays in the film’s favor. Comedy rules the day, so whether it’s the goalkeeper not having a clue what to do or the team stumbling through drills, it’s all part of establishing them as a group that has no chance of succeeding. That, of course, sets us up for catharsis for when they actually do.

    Fassbender (who just starred in the polar opposite film, The Killer) is an odd choice for the lead role. Even though he eventually gels with the rest of the cast, he still feels out of place. The actors in the American Samoan roles are almost all better than expected, led by Kaimana, Kightley, and David Fane.

    Michael Fassbender and cast of Next Goal Wins
      

    Photo by Hilary Bronwyn Gayle / courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

    Michael Fassbender and cast of Next Goal Wins.

    A long-gestating film (principal photography actually ended in January 2020), Next Goal Wins is light and fluffy on the surface, with a few emotional punches thrown in. It won’t be confused with Waititi’s best films, but it’s a perfectly serviceable comedy if you’re willing to accept the jokes it has to offer.

    ---

    Next Goal Wins opens in theaters on November 17.

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    BBQ News

    Tom Cruise fulfills vow to eat BBQ in Dallas on Mission Impossible tour

    Raven Jordan
    May 23, 2025 | 11:14 am
    Tom Cruise
    Tribal Cafe
    Tom Cruise in Dallas

    Movie star Tom Cruise promised he was going to eat BBQ in Dallas and he stood by that vow: While on a tour through Texas to promote his new filmMission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning, Cruise hit Pecan Lodge in Deep Ellum on May 22, where he was treated to a spread that included a specially-made sausage.

    Pecan Lodge is the perennial Dallas BBQ favorite that opened in Deep Ellum in 2014, known for its smoked brisket and "Hot Mess" loaded baked sweet potato. The restaurant's nods include being featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.

    The visit was no surprise to Pecan Lodge owner Justin Fourton, who shared in an interview that it had been discussed over a week beforehand.

    "You don't believe it at first, and up until today there was a part of me that was like "I don't know if this is gonna happen or not,'" Fourton said in an interview with WFAA. "They had a list of several places they were considering and he had got a couple of personal recommendations and finally made the choice to come to Pecan Lodge."

    Cruise's dining companions at the BBQ spot included the founders of Tribal All Day, the juice bar and cafe in Oak Cliff, who shared an Instagram post of a group posing with the actor inside Pecan Lodge.

    Cruise was spotted greeting fans as he left the restaurant in a video posted online.

    During his time in Dallas for Mission: Impossible, Cruise visited Dallas movie theaters including the IMAX at AMC NorthPark and the Cinemark on Webb Chapel Road. The official premiere for the film is May 23.

    San Antonio was the first stop on the actor's tour. He visited Military City on May 22, signing autographs at Joint Base San Antonio before heading to a packed 2 pm screening of Mission Impossible — The Final Reckoning at AMC Rivercenter.

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