IMDb > Goal II: Living the Dream (2007) > IMDb user comments
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38 out of 51 people found the following comment useful :-
Good sequel, the saga continues . . ., 9 February 2007
7/10
Author: misteradelaide from Glasgow, Scotland

Just saw Goal 2 earlier today, opening day across the UK. I must say that it was a solid sequel to the first, which I enjoyed thoroughly. Anyone who liked the first Goal movie should enjoy this. It continues the story of Santiago who gets transferred to mega-team Real Madrid in the opening sequences and follows his new life in Spain. Massive paychecks and beautiful women begin to get to Santi's head and we see a darker, perhaps weaker side of our hero in this chapter. All the main characters from the first Goal have roles in the sequel as well as cameos by superstars like Zidane, Ronaldo, Raul and Beckham. Solid sequel that is recommended to all fans of the original! If you haven't seen Goal yet, you should catch that before seeing part 2.

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29 out of 35 people found the following comment useful :-
Not What I Would Have Liked To Happen ........ Predictable, 16 February 2007
Author: mfmacken from Birmingham, UK

Firstly I would like to say that I have given this film a 7 out of 10 due to its try hard effort.

The film itself is quite stunning, the effects that they use to integrate Santiago Munez and Gavin Harris into the Real Madrid team would almost have you thinking that they were receiving passes from Raul and Zidane. Some of the sequences where the players have the ball at their feet though are totally un-realistic. I mean for example at certain times Santiago pulls off runs and tricks that just wouldn't happen in football. After around 3 step overs and a Cruyff turn followed by dribbling around two more defenders would just result in you being hacked to the ground. They seem to have made Santiago invincible with the ball at his feet, if they were to ask Cristiano Ronaldo what happens when he runs at defenders he would tell you that 99% of the time it would result in him being kicked! The film has an interesting storyline though, which is cleverly left with a lot of questions to be answered in the third film. A surprising twist at the end before the Champions League final certainly caught me out. However the story lines seemed to get tangled up and at times seemed a bit silly. Santiago seems to have too much going on too quickly, and you only have to look at the likes of Paul Gascoigne, Sol Campbell and even David Beckham, to realise that with all of the things going on off the field does not mean you are going to be scoring goals from 30 yards every match. Gavin Harris for me in this film has a far better storyline than that of Santiago. The football side of things in terms of the film got too predictable very quickly. I mean I don't want to spoil the film but at times I was left sat watching thinking, OK that was so blatantly obvious that it was going to happen it was unrealistic. The Champions League final will be a prime example of this.

I think that the acting in this film though was all around better in the sequel than the original. I think that Kuno Becker does a good job again as Santiago, making sure that the audience feel what is going on in his head is portrayed on the screen. Alessandro Nivola is superb as the ever arrogant/soft Gavin Harris, I think that Nivola does well to express what Gavino is going through in his time at Madrid, he almost makes the film feel as if it is about the pair of them, not just about Santiago. Anna Friel is stunning as ever as Roz and I think she did well in the role of Girlfriend to the superstar.

The cameo's in the film were a bit limited and to tell the truth I am quite glad. The film so easily could have ended up as Real Madrid the movie. I think that only Guti and Illker Casillas have speaking parts and even then it is whilst winding up Gavino. The Casillas part actually had me laughing.

All in all I thoroughly liked the film, as a football fanatic it seems only logical to love the film. However with some silly story lines and un realistic action they nearly spoiled the film.

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12 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
Big step back, 21 March 2007
6/10
Author: markokristic (markokristic@net.hr) from Croatia

I loved the first Goal!. I found it to be the best football movie since Victory,and was glad to know that it would be followed by 2 sequels that will take our Mexican Pele to Real Madrid to play Champion's league final and then to the world cup. Sorry to say,or write,and sorry for myself,this one is a step back,a big one.The only part that isn't worse in this one is Alessandro Nivola,the guy knows what he is doing and does it good.For everything else...hmmm.. First-the script is rather clumsy,making our "hero" deal with such problems as meeting his mother that left him when he was a kid,dealing with a jealous girlfriend,an injury,loss of a friend and an agent....and in a mix of all this he does actually play for Real Madrid and meets Becks,Raul,Roberto Carlos....almost like that isn't the most important thing here and the reason why me and lot of other people want to see this in a first place. The chosen director wasn't the happiest choice because the guy has serious problems with pacing and working with actors like he has already showed in his debut,the 2005 remake of Hause of Wax.I saw that a third Goal! will be directed by Michael Apted and that is a good news,at least I hope so. Well it's not all bad,after all there are so few football movies these days(unlike boxing or American football)that I cherish even a flawed one like this and will definitely check out the third Goal! once it's out.

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14 out of 22 people found the following comment useful :-
Better than the first one!, 6 August 2007
7/10
Author: westrangehumans from Philippines

Not a classic by any means, but at least, in comparison to the first one (Goal!), a more accomplished film.

The game scenes were not as contrived as in the first movie, hardly surprising since some of the clips were straight off real matches.

Becker did not look out of his depth in the company of the likes of Zidane, Roberto Carlos and David Beckham -- as long as he did not have the ball, that is. In a dressing room scene inside the Bernabeu, for instance, Becker's time on the ball in a jolly juggling scene was thankfully limited to one touch.

I guess it's too much to ask for an actor who had real football skills, and I guess that realization kept the cameras more focused on the 'real' football players in game situations. This added more to a sense of realism, as compared to the first movie when Becker was scene doing all sorts of fantastic things -- corny to a trained eye.

This movie's real merit comes from the way it handled the human element: Santi's head getting a tad too big from all the media attention and from being in the company of Real Madrid's galacticos; the lover's tiff with Roz, doubtless echoed in many a professional football player's life; and the surprise of finding he has a half-brother living in Spain along with the painful reunion with a long-lost Mother.

Dramatic without going overboard, and without losing touch with the primary plot that this is a professional footballer's story.

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18 out of 30 people found the following comment useful :-
Disappointing, 18 February 2007
6/10
Author: James Walpole from United Kingdom

Although I was biased towards the first movie as I am a Newcastle United fan, I felt let down by Goal! 2, not just that Munez had the audacity to leave the Toon for Real Madrid, but due to the poor direction, plot and screenplay of the sequel.

The first movie, although far from perfect, had its moments, a lively screenplay, absorbing direction and a fairly tidy plot, Goal!2 on the other hand, was found wanting in all of these areas.

The plot felt far-fetched and desperate, and the cinematography amateurish, I found the film entertaining but not absorbing, I'm sure I will watch Goal! 3 pure for a sense of personal closure rather than because of excited anticipation.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Focuses more on Santiago's life. Soccer can wait..., 29 April 2007
8/10
Author: insomniac_rod from Noctropolis

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I have mixed feelings for this movie. I truly liked the original "Goal" mainly because I'm a huge soccer fan. Not that the sequel is a bad movie but in my opinion, it lacked of reality moments. Let me explain myself...

Sure, the movie is very well done because it has good acting, an interesting romantic plot, and tries to display the ups and downs of being a famous soccer player. The transfer negotiations and trainings were also a nice addition to help understand how it works. Also, it was great to see Real Madrid's starts in small cameos. So, "Goal 2" succeeds because it's a blockbuster movie and probably a favorite among young audiences. The events of the movie are truly over the top but it works. I really hope that Santiago's half brother plot will be important in the next "Goal"!

On the other side, I expected more interaction with Real player's. Also I expected more seriousness on the UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE sub-plot. I mean, it's the most important soccer event in the world after the FIFA WORLD CUP. The director and producer made it look like just another tournament. But on the bright side, I liked that some real matches were displayed with the occasional CGI help. Also, it isn't that easy to score in these kind of games! But oh well, I understand it's only a movie :)and a good one.

Watching Zidane (the last soccer genius) and Ronald wearing the Real Madrid outfit was great and powerful.

The direction and visuals are spectacular. The soccer matches looked great with the aid of CGI and brilliant cinematography. I expected more soccer related scenes though. Kuno Becker delivers a good performance again. I'm glad for him. Alessandro Nivola steals the show as Gavin Harris, overrated soccer superstar. Anna Friel looked mature but sexy as hell and delivered a good performance (love her accent). Stephen Dillane also delivers a fine performance as Santiago's former assistant. Rutger Hauer also delivers a good performance; he's always the man.

So give it a chance for "Goal 2" if you are a huge soccer fan. Otherwise, you might enjoy it for it's dramatic plot and romantic situations.

Hopefully, in "Goal 3" we will get to see Santiago leading Mèxico to win the FIFA WORLD CUP. That could only happen in a movie :(

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12 out of 21 people found the following comment useful :-
Good though bit like a soap opera, 13 February 2007
7/10
Author: damo1971 from United Kingdom

What makes football great is that it is a game of opinions. It is obvious from reading some of the postings on here that some people have judged the film on whether or not they like David Beckham. Yes, he does appear in the film, but then so do a lot of the other players. Like it or not David Beckham is one of the most bankable stars in football, so it inevitable. Lets face it anyone from Arsenal (as one of the postings is from) is not going to be a Beckham fan. Anyway, as for the film, I think the makers of the film are so intent on steering the film away from the predictability of most sports films, ie player/team starts off badly, then ends up winning an hour and a half later (well you all know what happens) that it leaves out any real moments of drama or tension. What we have left is a bit of footballers soap opera. Saying that though, I thought it was good entertainment.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
A predictable movie that was more about glamour and lifestyle than soccer., 3 September 2008
3/10
Author: micky1701 from Europe

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I have to say that, for a long time, I didn't even bother watching any of the two "Goal!" movies because of my bad experiences with a few other soccer movies I've seen in the past. However, last week I happened to stumble upon the first movie while it was shown on TV and I kinda liked it, giving it an IMDb rating of 8 out of 10 stars. Although it was definitely not an excellent movie, having a few plot holes and a quite predictable ending, it was still a surprisingly good soccer movie with an otherwise decent plot. Logically, I wanted to see the sequel and therefore decided to rent it on DVD a few days later.

However, the second "Goal!" movie was a huge disappointment. It was nothing but another below-average soccer movie with a boring and predictable plot. While the beginning was more or less promising, the rest of the movie was just a bunch of nonsense. It wasn't even about soccer anymore. Throughout the movie, the scenes of a soccer match would only occasionally appear on screen for a few minutes, while the rest was about disco clubs, parties, expensive cars, love affairs, family problems, paparazzi, filming of TV commercials... All in all, a bunch of more or less uninteresting situations already seen in numerous movies about famous musicians or film stars.

The ending was also as predictable as it gets, with the main character's new club, Real Madrid, winning the Champions League in a similar fashion as his previous club, Newcastle United, qualified for the Champions League in the first movie, coming back from 2-0 down to win the game 3-2 in the final few minutes. I rated this movie 3 out of 10 stars, but the rating could have easily been lower. It is undoubtedly one of the worst movies I've seen in the last few months. One more thing, it was quite unusual to see another sequel being announced at the end of such a terrible movie. I'm not sure if I'm going to give it a try, it surely can't be much better than this.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Absolute Rubbish, 20 September 2007
Author: hurst395 from United Kingdom

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This is the worst film I've ever seen. I've never seen a less believable storyline. In the first film Santiago was part of a poor Mexican immigrant family, yet by the end of the film he's miraculously playing premier league football.

Then in the 2nd film it gets even less believable. He suddenly finds himself playing for Real Madrid and winning the champions league.

So to get this straight, in what's meant to be little over a year he goes from being an immigrant with hardly any cash, to champions league winner.

Also, this film is obviously a marketing tool for David Beckham (as if he needs help becoming even more famous.) Beckham has already proved that he shouldn't ever speak in public, now he's proved that he can't act.

If you are a real football fan, don't go anywhere near this film.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
One big, product placing, non-speaking-cameo-filled film. Great Football Action, Poor Screenplay, Rubbish Movie., 25 July 2007
5/10
Author: Lertad Supadhiloke from Thailand

First of all, I have to say I quite enjoyed the first Goal! movie. However, while Goal! II improves upon the great football action portrayed in the movie, all elements of storytelling are lost.

In this installation, Santiago Munez gets his big break when Real Madrid are interested in signing him from Newcastle. His imminent decision to move to Spain causes problems which reflects the real life of a professional footballer, for example; Santiago plays in the same position as his friend, Gavin Harris, who has already settled in Real Madrid,and therefore his competitor is his own best buddy; the allures of coming with living in a posh celebrity lifestyle (there's probably about a hundred chicks included in the film, 90% of them quite hot); plus a few other points the movie brings out such as his family ties. In fact, the movie tries to focus more on the emotional and personal impacts so much they never really give any importance to winning football matches at all.

Moreover, despite the attempts at focusing on the changes to his personal life and the emotional impact he must endure, the movie never follows throughly with these subplots and we're left out in the cold. You never get to see the tension build between Gavin and Santiago and even feels like a non-issue sometimes, yet it's conveniently resolved at the end. In fact, everything gets so conveniently solved or left to forget it's often irritating. The only real issue the movie tries to explore is between Santi and his fiancée, and that is left to be resolved in Goal 3 when he goes to the World Cup with Mexico.

But despite these minuses, Goal II can probably be ranked amongst the best football films, not just because of a dire lack of them, but also because of its great football action and intelligent improvisation of real life situations. The swap-transfer of Santi is humorous, and the on-field action sequences are great. Yet the movie's strength can also lead to its downfall. While it contains a vast number of football stars, it gets irritating how none of them ever really talk, and how Beckham is somehow suddenly forced into the film as a major character without him ever needing to act or open his mouth. In fact, I got irritated at being forced to look at Beckham doing nothing so much I grew to dislike him more from this film alone than from anything else (personally, I admire his footballing skills and especially his professionalism).

Overall, it's one big high-end product-placing film with sub-par acting, bad character development, horrible screenplay, but great football action and beautiful camera work at times.

It could be a pretty good watch during the off-season, but if you're not a football fan, I highly recommend you to avoid it.

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