Youngblood 2025 Movie Review Trailer Poster

Youngblood is an unusual choice for a remake. The 1986 hockey drama starring Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze was a box office flop, grossing little more than $15 million. Unlike other films aimed at a similar audience during that period (The Lost Boys, St. Elmo’s Fire, etc.), it hasn’t left a notable legacy on home video either. It’s one of those movies you probably forgot existed. The remake won’t be any better remembered. It falls flat rather easily without making a real impression.

Talented teenage hockey player Dean Youngblood (Ashton James) has seen his career stall before it even began, due to a temper that gets him into numerous fights. His father, Blane (Blair Underwood), taught him not to let anyone criticize him, a lesson he has deeply internalized. 

Director: Hubert Davis
Writers: Seneca Aaron, Josh Epstein, Peter Markle
Stars: Ashton James, Blair Underwood, Shawn Doyle

Dean has only one option left: to sign with the Hamilton Mustangs, a team whose coach, Murray Chadwick (Shawn Doyle), is under pressure to win a championship. Once this opportunity presents itself, he must avoid losing it by learning to control his impulsiveness. There's also a mandatory secret romance with the coach's daughter, Jessie (Alexandra McDonald).

The best parts of Youngblood are those that take place on the ice. Director Hubert Davis previously made the documentary Black Ice, which explored what it's like to be Black in the predominantly white world of ice hockey. His passion for the sport is palpable. The games are presented with the vibrancy only a serious fan could achieve. Davis's camera often zooms in to capture the small details of the game, helping non-fans better understand the skill required to play.

The script is what lets it down. One would think, given the director's previous work, that Dean would spend more time dealing with racism. It's hinted at but never fully developed. The romance between Dean and Jessie is similarly underdeveloped. She doesn't emerge as a character in her own right; her function is simply to motivate him to change. Other Mustangs are one-dimensional, lacking any real personality, so you never really get a sense of how Dean's behavior affects them.

A bit better is the focus on Dean's conflicted personality. Ashton James convincingly portrays the character's inner turmoil. He doesn't want to disappoint his father, but he realizes that paternal advice isn't necessarily compatible with what it takes to win. It's a good performance, and James's scenes with Doyle delve into the player/coach dynamic that determines a team's success or failure.

Youngblood is quite enjoyable to watch. Certain aspects of the film are engaging, and the hockey sequences are solid. However, the story doesn't seem to have a central core. Potentially interesting ideas are mostly left unexplored or only superficially explored. We're left with the lingering feeling that the film could have been so much more than just pleasant.

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