The Rocket (2018) User Reviews

Run-away.......

[Davey-G · 4/10 · 24 January 2018]

A tried and tested plot-line, spoiled by uttery wooden acting.

Hard to get past the bad acting

[angelesjonske · 5/10 · 15 March 2020]

I love these type of movies but was really bummed at how bad the acting was. I just couldn't get past it no matter how hard I tried. Had so much potential.

Solid premise.

[TheCarpooler · 5/10 · 31 January 2022]

The story has a lot of potential, it's sadly overshadowed by horrendous acting. I read in the Trivia the story was submitted for a contest when he was 17. This movie feels like they took that story and used it for the film. Acting aside, the characters lost me as none of them look like athletes. I would expect defined quad and calf muscles, and they way the runners throw their arms around...it's not efficient at all.

That said, I'll root for any story based on actual events.

Cringe

[JSG25 · 9 June 2020]

The message is good, but it takes sheer will-power to not turn it off due to the writing, acting, production quality, even for an independent film. For example: Kid says "my dad's the coach", Guidance Counselor responds "yeah, he's your dad right?" ... uh...

dont bother

[benkeirle · 2/10 · 1 February 2018]

I got 17 minutes in to the movie and the acting is just horrific. it literally felt like it was a soap opera shot on an old iphone. dreadful

Heartwarming but horrible acting

[moskolar-701-115693 · 2/10 · 24 March 2020]

A nice, heartwarming story of a boy who overcomes a brain injury to become a track star. However, I have never seen such horrible acting in my life. Don't water your time with this one.

Oh dear

[custard17 · 2/10 · 30 June 2018]

Shocking film with poor actors. Could have been good but nooooo

Motivating true story of rising above adversity

[wrxsti54 · 7/10 · 27 November 2023]

Based on a true story, Central High (Pleasant Bay near Kenosha, Wisconsin) football coach Robert Davis (Carl Ciske) has coached his son Josh (Bradley Tutton) since childhood to run fast and catch like a running back by firing home made rockets into fields of long grass. Josh can match the older players as only a new freshman but must carry the excess expectations of his ambitious dad. After a fundraising BBQ, Josh is riding in the back of a pickup and leaps out to retrieve his blown off hat but hits the road so hard with his head that he suffers a football ending concussion.

Father and son are equally devastated by Josh's massively changed world. Cross country coach Keith Olson persuades Josh to take up running. At first he struggles as the #7 on the team but he eventually brings his competitive intensity to cross country sufficient to defy the odds and for the team to make it to state and win state! Initially his dad is too consumed with grief of the thwarted dreams of Josh's lost football trajectory but in the end he comes to the state meet to cheer Josh on and shows he's reconciled to the situation.

The story is very touching with the only jarring aspect being the patchy quality of the acting and the distinctly B grade feel to the movie. 15 year old lead actor Tutton does an authentic and solid job. Another good feature is the movie features real teenagers not young adults pretending to be teenagers which gives it real high school authenticity. It is a motivating film that demonstrates that you can rise above adversity and succeed despite having certain sports ruled out.

Was hoping for better....

[patrickguerette · 3/10 · 10 June 2020]

What's the point of writing or directing a sports movie with zero awareness for how the sport actually works???

Well told

[fmwongmd · 6/10 · 27 July 2019]

Well portrayed story about human determination. Good acting by Bradley Tutton.

Good plot - horrible acting

[asbjoernsandgaard · 2/10 · 4 February 2018]

I liked the plot, which is the reason i decided to watch this movie in the first place. However, the acting is the absolute worst acting I have ever seen in a movie. If you, like me, are thinking "it might get better throughout the movie", you will be wronged. Please, spare yourself the nightmare they call "acting" in this one.

Surprisingly Impressive

[bradm-83313 · 10/10 · 6 February 2018]

For all the "independent" movies coming out, this one is my new favorite. Writing, directing, cinematography, score - all beat most true independent films by a long shot. Definitely worth a watch.

Runner vs Football

[denisej-72094 · 7/10 · 9 May 2020]

This is truly a sweet story of perseverance and drive...the old "One door closes another opens" scenario. The acting was subpar...but I could get past that. ...focus on the message! The Dad was pretty awful...surprised he got away with being so mean. But, what I really had difficulty with was the constant comparison of the football player bodies ...big, bulky, etc ...with the runners' bodies...wiry, smaller framed, etc. I agree that's very true in reality, but the actors in the movie didn't bring that home...That is, their bodies didn't reflect that. The kids portraying the football guys weren't big, bulky, muscular. They really looked the same as the runners. They acted tough, but the bodies weren't there to back them up. I guess that's a casting issue...but it did caused me not to completely embrace the movie.

Artificial Acting + Bad directoring

[ratnayakew · 3/10 · 12 February 2018]

Good motivational story has been wasted with bad acting by most + bad directing,Director should control more than this.

Worst XC Movie Ever

[skywoman-24408 · 29 January 2018]

Joggers prevail! And win state! WOW!! With only seven on the whole team to chose from? Most teams today, and this film appeared to bean attempt at current, are at least 30 kids; if not up to 100. And everyone knows a team only needs five runners to officially score as a team. Sure, a full team has seven, so what's up with the emphasis on "needing" seven runners. The sixth and seventh runners' job is to place in front of their competitor' stop five runners. And having only seven teams in state meet is a laugh. Yet to get there was only a sectional meet?? This film is a must see for the mediocre attempt of a movie succeeding a failed effort to present the great sport of cross country as it truly is. Best actor was no one. Worst high school sports film since Hoosiers. But XC can be a contact sport...especially in the woods, but it's not normal and malicious like shown in this film. I could go on and on, but please watch this film if you know cross country. Watch Netflix "1Mile to you". Good running there.

Hardly a believable movie

[robertlharveyii · 1/10 · 24 March 2020]

Ridiculous acting and not a believable movie - turned it off after 15 minutes. Movie background should be the 40s or 50s given there is only one minority on the team. Frat puke dad raising son to be the next great NFL player. Bunch of pansy white boys in the film

Good potential, but watch with caution.

[karentreadwellcollins · 3/10 · 28 April 2020]

I wanted to like the movie and kept waiting for it to get better. Clearly a low budget production, it shows in the writing, sound, and post production. The story had potential but missed the mark in a big way. The XC coach/guidance counselor was the one character with any solid redeeming qualities. Most disturbing was the abusive behavior of the father toward his wife and son and completely allowing the bullying by the football team. The topics appear to be very intentionally placed in the film but the writers never addressed them. I question the reviewers calling this a wholesome, family friendly movie on their views of abusive behavior as wholesome.

Inspiring concept ......not backed up.

[bonfigpvj · 2/10 · 15 April 2022]

I made it until the "accident". Was really excited to see the movie based on the plot. The writing was just terrible. Acting was poor,but doesn't look like there was any direction. Seemed like the actors were just reading straight from a script. Would love to see this done properly.

Great storyline.

[jtroberts-82095 · 7/10 · 15 May 2020]

The message of this story was strong. If you can get by the subpar acting and focus on overall character development and the story line, it is a good movie.

I wanted to like it!

[amberjj · 3/10 · 21 January 2019]

The movie has an awesome message, but we didn't quite finish it. The acting is forced enough to make it uncomfortable . Loved the idea and the story, but couldn't get past some of the actors and their abilities .

hanging athletic fields

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 10 May 2020]

A nice family oriented inspirational film about young Brady Tutton who sustains a severe head injury and is banned from playing football at his new high school where his father happens to be the football coach.

Tutton is not a muscular kid so he could be nothing else but a running back. But he's a jock through and through. He decides to go out for cross country running and he's just what their rather mediocre track team needed for an edge.

The Rocket was shot on a low budget, but the acting is moving and sincere. Especially from Tutton.

A fine family film.

OMG!

[mattkenville-59898 · 2/10 · 3 October 2020]

Most of the negative reviews of this movie say the acting was awful for the most part i agree but the reason this movie is so bad is the the writing the script is really bad. if a real writer tackled this story and it had ten times the budget it could be a winner.

Inspiring!

[cynthiastegner · 10/10 · 4 February 2018]

Great family movie - my kids really enjoyed it! Will encourage you to never quit, no matter where you are in life.

Really Terriffic Independant Film

[richard-60930 · 10/10 · 8 February 2018]

Wow. This is clearly a film not from the studios, primarily because there is a clear, non-agenda based storyline, that wants nothing from you other than for you to believe in yourself. Many of the young actors are very real, and my judgement of their performances pairs with the recognition that, this is for many, their first film. It's always intriguing to watch young actors in films because their particular view and response to actors around them are so colorful and organic. Brady Tutton is a star and his future is bright. The breakout performance in this film however is by supporting actor Richard Blake. I wanted to share that this is not a football movie or a cross country movie. This is a movie about relationships. With family, with everyday people, and most importantly with yourself. I was so impressed with the arc and craft of the storytelling, that when it was over, I pressed start from the beginning and watched it again. This is worth your time and contains great insight into dealing with tragedy.

Great Movie!!

[frankstegnersr · 10/10 · 4 February 2018]

My family and I loved this movie!! It's based on a true story. A must see.