The Rocket (2013)
Average Rating: 8/10
Reviews Counted: 12
Fresh: 12 | Rotten: 0
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 1
Fresh: 1 | Rotten: 0
liked it
Average Rating: 4/5
User Ratings: 155
Movie Info
ADVERTISEMENT
All Critics (12) | Top Critics (1) | Fresh (12) | Rotten (0)
If you aren't moved by the "The Rocket" your heart is defective
Top CriticAustralian writer/director Kim Mordaunt was inspired to make this wistful, often lyrical film after his 2007 documentary Bomb Harvest...Thankfully he layers the unavoidable political notes with real warmth, humour and character.
Working with an untested cast, Mordaunt uses all the tools at his command to engineer a film that has won major awards at TriBeca, including Best Actor for the young Disamoe. He relies on plenty of coverage and the skills of talented editor Nick Meyers
With its themes of loss and redemption, The Rocket is effective, simple storytelling with many layers and a film that tells more stories than its narrative suggests
An extremely rewarding and entertaining film made all the stronger for the integrity and cultural details that underpin it.
A true original, depicting a culture rarely filmed, observed with a respectful but never overly reverential eye.
It has a great story to tell and subtly mixes the comedic and dramatic genres. Some moments will leave you smiling. Other moments will leave you on the edge of your seat.
A hugely enjoyable, thoroughly infectious feature debut.
The director moves the incident-packed story line at an energetic pace; there's never a dull moment. You're bound to hear applause as the final credits roll.
Recalling the captivating essence of Niki Caro's Whale Rider (2002) in its telling of a life with fate and faith in its corner, this Australian/Laotian/Thai co-production could find similar breakout success once (inevitably warm) word of mouth spreads.
Crowd-pleasers come in many mysterious packages, and there might not be a bigger crowd-pleaser this year than The Rocket; a disarming fable about a makeshift family desperately seeking a place to live in a ravaged Laos.
Endearing, gripping and heartwarming, The Rocket recently won the "World Narrative Competition" prize at Tribeca, and it's easy to see why. The picture is crowd pleasing and enjoyable, but admiringly respectful and carefully considered.
Audience Reviews for The Rocket
Super Reviewer
More about the cinematography, Kim Mordaunt does a great job of establishing them. There are a few long shots that are a bit blurry, but other than that, she does a great job of creating mood by simply choosing the right cinematography options. A clear example for people who have seen the film is the bat cave scene, wherein the woman professes Ahlo is a bad spirit. The close up, and focus on the shots was phenomenal, really capturing the raw emotion from both the actors. Along with that, the choice of lighting was great. In the last scene, I'm not sure whether or not it was intended, but there is a clear example of pathetic fallacy. I can't say anymore about the ending, or I may ruin the film people who haven't seen it. The script is magnificent, and hilarious. Mordaunt, who also wrote the film, does an excellent job in capturing the traditions and diligence in which they pursue their native traditions. The film switches from tears to laughs, without having the audience question the scenes they're laughing at.
Overall, the film is really about an underdog, but rather than taking to the basketball court, or the football field, the director takes us into the mountains of Laos. It's a classic twist to a rather overdone story. The director is able to capture the cultural background of the Laos people, and make a realistic situation out of it. Jordan Hoffman of Film.com stated "If you aren't moved by the "The Rocket" your heart is defective," and I completely agree with that. Rather, I would change "your heart is defective" to "you have no heart." It is a compassionate movie for the protagonist, but by no means is it a cliche story. One of the best movies I saw at CIFF by far, this and "Blue is the Warmest Color."
Super Reviewer
Discussion Forum
What's Hot On RT
New Desolation of Smaug trailer!
Naomi Watts is Princess Di
The Hangover 3, The Purge, and More
Trailer for a squirrely heist flick
See what's on TV tonight
Fresh Links
Featured
Halloween Movies For Wimps
Scary movies too scary for you? Here are some alternatives for October 31st.
10 Best Superhero TV Shows
HitFix combs through TV history to compile a superpowered list.
Ridiculous Movie Mistakes
RollingStone proves even the best movies miss a details here and there.
Deadly Movie Kids
Moviefone lists 11 Movie Kids Who Could Kick Our Asses.
50 States, 50 Movies
For July 4th, TimeOut has compiled 50 state-specific movie choices.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter!
Spice up your feed with hourly Tomatometer updates!
Featured on RT
- Primetime Preview: Supernatural, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and More 0
- RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: The Hangover Part III, The Purge, and More 11
- Primetime Preview: Beauty and the Beast, Sleepy Hollow and More 0
- NYFF: Joaquin Phoenix and James Gray talk The Immigrant 2
- Box Office Guru Wrapup: Gravity Stuns with Record $55M Launch 80
- Primetime Preview: Witches of East End, Once Upon a Time and More 4
- Weekly Ketchup: Disney Plans Live Action Cruella de Vil Movie 37
Top Headlines
-
Fox Animated Series, ABC Comedies Tumble in Sunday Ratings
0
-
Bong Joon-ho Reportedly "Furious" About Snowpiercer Cuts
0
-
Record-Setting Number of Films Competing in Foreign-Language Oscar Race
0
-
Woody Allen Cancels Blue Jasmine's India Premiere
1
-
Lionsgate Wants Gary Ross and Jennifer Lawrence's Burial Rites
1
-
ABC Plans Kevin Hart-Inspired Series
0
-
The Shining's Danny Torrance Is All Grown Up
1
More about the cinematography, Kim Mordaunt does a great job of establishing them. There are a few long shots that are a bit blurry, but other than that, she does a great job of creating mood by simply choosing the right cinematography options. A clear example for people who have seen the film is the bat cave scene, wherein the woman professes Ahlo is a bad spirit. The close up, and focus on the shots was phenomenal, really capturing the raw emotion from both the actors. Along with that, the choice of lighting was great. In the last scene, I'm not sure whether or not it was intended, but there is a clear example of pathetic fallacy. I can't say anymore about the ending, or I may ruin the film people who haven't seen it. The script is magnificent, and hilarious. Mordaunt, who also wrote the film, does an excellent job in capturing the traditions and diligence in which they pursue their native traditions. The film switches from tears to laughs, without having the audience question the scenes they're laughing at.
Overall, the film is really about an underdog, but rather than taking to the basketball court, or the football field, the director takes us into the mountains of Laos. It's a classic twist to a rather overdone story. The director is able to capture the cultural background of the Laos people, and make a realistic situation out of it. Jordan Hoffman of Film.com stated "If you aren't moved by the "The Rocket" your heart is defective," and I completely agree with that. Rather, I would change "your heart is defective" to "you have no heart." It is a compassionate movie for the protagonist, but by no means is it a cliche story. One of the best movies I saw at CIFF by far, this and "Blue is the Warmest Color."