D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996)

Great Film overall

A lot of fun.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

This was an OK sequel to the Mighty Ducks trilogy, as the team gets sent to an exclusive prep school, loaded with scholarships, and winds up with a new coach as Bombay gets a "promotion" of sorts. The new one starts off like Bombay did, and it will remind you a bit of they way they did in the first movie, except this guy is tougher. I will admit that this movie is not quite as good as the other Mighty Ducks movies, but it does has its moments, like the restaurant scene, the pranks scenes, and the hockey scenes. It is passable and harmless entertainment. You might like it.** 1/2 out of ****

I fully understand that D3: Mighty Ducks is a kids movie, but still, this could be the worst film I have ever seen. The premise is absolutely ridiculous and downright bizarre. I am confused as to how a screenplay can be approved that calls for such a plot line. I'm not going to get too far into it, but the SOLD OUT exhibition contest between the freshman team (the Ducks) and the varsity will go down in cinematic history as one of the most dubious acts ever put on film. You'll have to see it to believe it. The school, which is supposed to foster fair play and excellence, encourages the varsity to resent the freshman to the point that only a hateful exhibition between the two teams can settle the matter. And oh yeah, the freshman (our heroes) somehow raise enough money in time to purchase brand new uniforms for the meaningless game. And after they win, the school instantly changes its official mascot to...you guessed it...the Ducks!!!Here is an overview of some of the aspects that irritate me about this film:-The meaningless scrimmage between the varsity and freshman is 100 percent sold out and broadcasted on the radio with an NHL superstar as a between period guest. -There are too many blatant hockey infractions during the scrimmage to count. -One of the varsity players is flipped over the boards and falls into the crowd as the glass shatters, which is completely impossible. -The varsity hates the freshman even though they are all part of the same hockey program. Why would you resent a team that will someday carry on the rich hockey tradition that you helped establish? -The new uniforms! Again, what is the logic in raising THOUSANDS of dollars to purchase uniforms for a game that doesn't even count. OK, maybe they are from a previous season. Still, why not show a little school pride and wear the uniforms assigned to you? For a group desperately trying to fit in, refusing to wear the institution's uniforms is a slap in the face. -The school apparently was planning on the freshman winning because after the game (scrimmage), a large Mighty Ducks banner is unveiled displaying the academy's new mascot...the Ducks. Wow! I don't think I need to elaborate on that one. -Why are the scholarships being pulled? The only hint we are given is because the kids don't quite fit in. Are you serious? -The over-the-top cheesiness of the ending. There is way too much making out and kissing. Not to mention the dumb scene where coach slaps the captain's "C" on one of the two players that had previously abandoned the team.

I have to say that I believe all three of the Mighty Ducks movies are fantastic, and the third one is especially great. Although I am no critic, I can honestly say as an average person who grew up in the 90's that this movie is a lot of fun.It starts out with the same team from the second movie (excluding Jesse Hall) receiving scholarships to a hockey-championship-winning high school. The school's varsity team immediately shows their disdain for the Ducks, and the varsity and the ducks continue their rivalry throughout the movie with outrageous pranks that finally ends with the big showdown hockey game. The rivalry between the two teams is what makes the movie most memorable, with pranks that make you laugh (although they seem incredibly unbelievable and over-the-top).The return of the actors from the second movie is wonderful, it is the exact same team, except for Hall which was mentioned above. Also, Emilio Estevez returns as Gordon Bombay although in a much smaller and less-involved role. Still, less of Bombay is better than no Bombay. The new coach, Orien, is an interesting character who clashes with Charlie Conway, again played by Joshua Jackson. Another great factor in the third movie is the return of Hans from the first movie, and his death leads to possibly the most touching moment in all three Ducks movies. And of course, it wouldn't be a great Ducks movie without the return of characters like the Bash Brothers. Portman returning at the end made the entire movie for me, personally.While many people may think that this movie was a poor sequel that had none of the charm of the first two movies, I have to strongly disagree. I first saw the movie as a kid when it came out and I loved it for its goofiness and memorable characters. Now, as a young adult, I own all three of the movies and still enjoy watching them with my friends. I'd recommend them to anyone and everyone.

All three movie are very close to each other in quality but D3 is probably the best by 1/2 a star or 0.1%.The thing that makes this movie stand out from the rest is how Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez) became the true mentor Charlie because he has finally become wise after the end of D2 and now that Hans has passed away. Charlie is now the loose canon Gordon was at his age and along with his poor attitude towards his new coach Charlie starts to go downhill fast. Emilio is a gun in this movie and he is my favorite character and Coach Orion (Jeffrey Nordling) is my second favorite and they both put in stellar performances. The great speech about Defence by Coach Orion is a classic quote and is very true even in my sport Soccer and life. It's one of my favorite quotes of all time from any movie. The Minnesota Miracle Man scene is a highlight and Emilio is just class. The music choreography in D3 is excellent. It was so well done and example is when the Varsity team starts picking up the hitting and the music behind the scene starts saying "Beat em" in a opera like voice. The music complements the situation well throughout the whole movie and is one of its major pluses.D3 definitely has it's dull parts and some poor acting at times but at other times the acting is pretty good. However, the Hans in this movie doesn't rate well against the previous actors who played Hans.The plot follows the usual pattern of, pranks against the "bad" or rival team and the initial, I hate the coach attitude and then the coming together and uniting as a team and as friends once more to for fill the aim of defeating the rival team. Will team spirit get them over the line this time? Watch and see.