Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Goal! The Dream Begins Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 23, 2008

An illegal Mexican immigrant living in Los Angeles dreams of playing professional soccer in Danny Cannon’s Goal! The Dream Begins (2005). But without papers and money, he is forced to pick up garbage bags to make ends meet. When an-ex talent scout spots the young man, things take a dramatic turn. Sleek camera work, a well-polished script, and a passionate performance by Kuno Becker are pic's key ingredients.

Santiago Munez (Kuno Becker) wants to play professional soccer. He works hard and saves his money hoping that one day luck will be on his side. But his father (Tony Plana) wants him to take over the slowly expanding garbage business and stop dreaming of the impossible.

During a local game, an ex-talent scout (Stephen Dillane) visiting LA spots Santiago playing and immediately calls the manager (Marcel Iures) of Newcastle United. He agrees to see Santiago if the youngster flies to England for a trial.

Santiago’s father is enraged. He does not trust the retired scout. In an attempt to prevent Santiago from flying to England he steals his savings and invests them into a brand new garbage truck. Santiago’s grandmother (Miriam Colon) steps in and offers her grandson enough to get him across the Atlantic. The young man quickly packs his bags and leaves LA. At Newcastle United’s training facility Santiago fails to impress. Hours before he is to be sent back to LA the team’s hottest star, Gavin Harris (Alessandro Nivola), secures Santiago one last try.

Far and away from Newcastle United

Goal! The Dream Begins tells a familiar story. It is composed quite similarly to what plenty of other dramas about willing but unlucky sportsmen favor. There is plenty of kitsch here but there is good acting as well. Furthermore, the main protagonist, a handsome Latino with a charming smile, fits the exact profile these types of films glorify. The actual script isn’t groundbreaking but it is certainly likable enough if you should have a few hours to spare.

So, what is different about Goal! The Dream Begins and why did it suffer at the US Box Office? Certainly as far as mainstream America is concerned this wasn't the type of film that would entice those who follow NFL, MLB, and the NBA on a regular basis. It is about soccer, hence all bets were off. To make things worse plenty of its dialog is in Spanish while the English was primarily spoken by those funny sounding Brits.

All of the above may sound somewhat politically-incorrect to you but I assure you it has a lot to do with why Goal! The Dream Begins did not fare as well as Spike Lee’s He Got Game (1988), John Lee Hancock’s The Rookie (2002), or Ericson Core’s Invincible (2006). (Note: all of these are also Disney productions). As you could see the same formula was present, the results were not.

Still, I thought that Goal! The Dream Begins was amongst the best sport–themed films Disney have produced in quite some time. It captures the uncertainty young athletes undergo on their way to becoming professionals very well while at the same time it preserves that much needed “family” element these films also need in order to succeed. The mandatory happy-ending isn’t destroyed by a horrible lesson in morality and for the most part the main protagonists remain true to their ideals. Finally, Danny Cannon and team must have really outlined the strengths of their project well as surprising cameo appearances by David Beckham, Real Madrid star Raul, and Zinedine Zidane add a great deal of flavor to this charming film.

Goal! The Dream Begins Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.40:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC, and granted a 1080p transfer Goal! The Dream Begins arrives on Blu-ray via Disney/Buena Vista. The treatment this rather interesting film has received is solid. The color-scheme is very convincing and its lush yellows and blacks look exceptional. Detail is also terrific and especially during some of the practice scenes where the rain is pouring down the high-definition transfer allows for a degree of depth I very much doubt an SDVD transfer could provide. The overall presentation is also well balanced – whether the action takes place on the streets of Los Angeles where the main protagonist picks up the garbage (a strong yellow to orange tint), the night clubs in England (blacks and dark blues) or the soccer stadiums (a variety of greens and grays) the 1080p transfer handles the color balance very well. Clarity on the other hand is just as impressive. I also did not spot any specs, dust, or debris, as the print provided by Disney does appear to be in top-notch condition. Finally, the film carries a heavily commercialized look that enhances certain scenes in a manner more suitable for an ADIDAS ad but I suppose the type of appeal its creators were after is what justifies its presence.

Goal! The Dream Begins Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are four different tracks on this disc: English: PCM 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit), English: Dolby Digital 5.1, French: Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1. The PCM track is what I opted for and indeed the mix delivers the typical for Disney top-notch quality. The dialog is very well rendered, easy to follow, and crystal clear. There are no hissings, pop-ups, or cracks that I could detect either. The surround channels are very active and especially during some of the Newcastle games there is a great deal of "chasing" going on in the rears. The bass is strong and punchy and those of you with high-end home equipments will be delighted by the enhancements the producers of this disc have added up (the first training sessions at Toon and the penalty situation towards the end of the film are great examples). Indeed, this is a potent and expertly treated audio encode that should meet the expectations of even the most demanding amongst us. Optional English, French, and Spanish subtitles are provided.(For the record, I experimented with the French dub but it is nowhere near as potent and lively as the English PCM track is. The Spanish dub is of similar quality).

Goal! The Dream Begins Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The supplemental materials on this Disney produced disc are of generic nature. First, there is a short featurette titled "Behind the Pitch" which reveals how authentic football footage was injected into this film. In addition, there is also a full-blown commentary with director Danny Cannon and screenwriters Dick Clement and Ian La Frenals. The majority of the comments here address the appeal soccer has worldwide, character development, and technical proficiency. Overall, this is an informative piece but certainly not something that would inspire you to appreciate Goal! The Dream Begins any more.

Goal! The Dream Begins Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Goal! The Dream Begins is a charming little film with plenty of heart well worth a look. It is well done and proficiently acted but probably too stereotypical to truly separate itself from the myriad of other films about unlucky athletes we have seen in the past. The fact that soccer, not baseball, football, or basketball is the focus of attention here might have been, unfortunately, off-putting for some viewers. Apparently the beautiful game is slowly gaining popularity on this side of the Atlantic but there is still a long way to go before it reaches the prominent heights the "big three" enjoy.