Reviews

Goal 3 has nothing at all to do with the previous two movies. It is essentially a Hollywood version of the Tony Adams story ("Addicted"), combined with footage from England's games in the 2006 World Cup.

The first few minutes are entertaining enough (apart from the obvious bluescreen shots), but the movie then quickly goes downhill and never recovers.

Goal 3 begins in a parallel universe in which England beat Mexico in the World Cup final. It's a well edited combination of shots taken from old England and Mexico games (I don't think they've actually met since England beat Mexico 4-0 at Wembley in 2001), and was probably originally supposed to be the ending. But it's clear that the producers were unable to secure the support of FIFA and the Mexican Football Federation, and without them on board, the movie was doomed from the start. (They also seem to have lost the support of Real Madrid and Beckham.)

The acting is professional, as you'd expect from people like Leo Gregory (except for Becker, who gives the impression throughout that he didn't want to be there), but beyond that the only good thing I can say about this movie is that I didn't pay to watch it.

Apart from the fact that Herzog should have hired a ghostwriter and voice talent (he doesn't know the difference between 'deduct' and 'deduce', and his accent is excruciating), his objective seems to be to focus on himself and his own opinions about Treadwell rather than simply letting Treadwell's footage speak for itself.

For example, at one point Treadwell is going on about how he doesn't have a girlfriend and how it would be easier if he was gay (which he probably was, judging by other footage), and much later we find him lovingly stroking a pile of fresh bear dung. Had Herzog juxtaposed those two scenes and simply kept his comments to himself, the result would have been far more eloquent.

Then there's the bit where Herzog films a glacier and compares it to Treadwell's tortured soul. But the glacier has no apparent connection with Treadwell at all. There's no evidence Treadwell went anywhere near it. So obviously it is included partly to make the documentary more cinematic (by breaking up the monotony of the Alaskan wilderness in Treadwell's footage), but mainly to give Herzog an opportunity to trot out his metaphors in a demonstration of how 'perceptive' he is about Treadwell. (A guy he never even met.) None of this gets us any closer to what made Treadwell tick.

Then there's the point where Herzog tells Treadwell's ex-girlfriend to destroy the tape recording of Treadwell's death, as if he is somehow protecting her - and our - dainty little ears from the contents. But this is after he himself has already listened to it! In other words, while it's okay for Herzog to hear it, heaven forbid anyone else should.

But the main problem is that, despite his 'insights', Herzog only skirts around the central issue, which is Treadwell's developing death wish. It's clear Treadwell committed suicide. He WANTED to be killed by a bear, and probably provoked it. It was no accident that the attack happened just before he and his girlfriend were due to be picked up. It's unlikely he wanted his girlfriend to be killed as well (he probably expected her to just run away), but like so much else in Treadwell's life, things didn't quite go according to plan. Herzog, unfortunately, seems to miss this entirely.

So all in all, while the subject matter itself is fascinating, Herzog's treatment of it leaves a great deal to be desired.