credit: The Mighty Ducks
It’s very possible that this show is not getting worse, but that it’s somehow dumbing down its premise to make certain that it can be firmly understood by everyone. Of course, even that explanation doesn’t sound that great when it comes to The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers. Instead, it feels accurate to say that this show has tried to latch onto the idea that the underdogs are always going to win, that they’re going to push through thanks to pluck and the desire to prove to others that they’re not losers and can in fact take that one chance out of a hundred to win in their own way.
Unfortunately, while District 5 created the precedent that would become the original team, Game Changers is trying to do the same, no matter if the producers and director say otherwise, and it’s flopping, hard. The characters aren’t nearly as likable, the story feels a bit cheesy, and the dialogue feels choppy and causes everyone to feel as though they’re nervous teenagers that are uncertain of every passing moment and how to react to it. In other words, the movies still stand head and shoulders above this story without question.
credit: The Mighty Ducks
The story between Jace and his father, Coach Cole, is the most entertaining part of this show at the moment.
Quite honestly, ignoring the Ducks and their issues at this time feels like a much better idea since, upon attending the hockey camp, three of them have become would-be bookies and matchmakers that haven’t really improved, and two of them have been going through relationship issues that might make a lot of people wonder if they were really this insecure as teenagers. And then there’s Nick, but I’ll get to him in a moment.
The fact is, the dynamic between Jace and his father is far more interesting than anything else the Ducks have been doing. In the first season, it was easy to entertain the idea that the Don’t Bothers would eventually join or become the Mighty Ducks. But in this season, thinking that things might go along the same route is kind of counterintuitive, if only because it means that things are changing in a way that feels like a regression, not progress.
Nick comes off as the kid who was spoiled, told he was special and has never had to deal with real life that often.
Many might want to say something in response to this and might even mention that Nick knows what it’s like to deal with issues since he has two moms. But here’s where Nick comes off as a rather irritating character: he’s not an upbeat character as some might think. He gives up when things get tough, or at least he tries to, he’s spoiled beyond belief, and he’s an insufferable know-it-all that doesn’t know half of what he thinks he does.
In short, someone told this kid he was special and never bothered to tell him that the world beyond his cozy little cushion isn’t a nice place and won’t conform to his whims. Even the idea of Evan not being able to his party felt like it was about to become a catastrophe that Nick couldn’t recover from. In short, Nick is a pampered, irritating kid who would likely be better off at a much different camp.
credit: The Mighty Ducks
Alex needs to learn more about hockey before lecturing people about hockey.
As a mother, Alex is a helicopter parent who does try to do as much good as she possibly can. But even in season one, when it felt like Gordon Bombay was being a bit rough, she wasn’t much help unless one counts the sensitivity training that she’s best at.
This character is akin to a parent that lives for her child and nothing else. While some might agree that this is something that should happen, that she’s doing the exact thing she should be, the unfortunate truth is that despite the fact that her son loves hockey and she wants to support him, she doesn’t understand enough about the sport to be giving Coach Cole such a hard time.
A win by the Mighty Ducks feels as though it might reaffirm the idea that skill doesn’t mean as much as heart.
An underdog win is usually something that a lot of people can get behind since it speaks to the desire and determination of those who don’t start out with the talent and natural athletic ability. Unfortunately, even as the original Ducks found out, skill is needed when it comes to higher levels of competition, and it’s been seen that while having heart and passion for the game is important and even beneficial, it’s not usually capable of beating out skill on its own. Like it or not, the skill seen at Camp Epic might require more heart, but if heart alone wins the day, then it’s a poor representation of what it takes to create a solid hockey player or a team.
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