The Rocket (2013)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

One of my all time favorites.

Fresh and Exciting

Excellent but underrated film

The screenplay combines local aspects of life and traditions of Laos, with a way of telling which makes it universal. The story opens in a very pleasant way, and continues to evolve throughout the film. Give it up for the boy Disamoe. He was chosen for this movie as a child of the street, without acting training. Excels in the paper. The work is very surprising, showing a display of acting abilities that promises much (if we ever get to see him again). The girl is also fine. These films, a priori,are great, because they let us spy places and realities unknown to us: in this case Laos, a place not only devastated by poverty, but by the legacy of war. A direction and a highly polished, at times almost poetic photograph, which embellishes the horrors being shown. The director is showing various aspects of the life of the "not favored" in this country, trying to maintain a balance between drama and very harsh situations on the one hand, and moments of laughter, or lightened on the other. I must say that it has perhaps predictable moments, commonplaces and more corny ones, but I think maybe were attempts to avoid falling into melodrama and total tragedy that could have been. The director could have opted for something more authentic, and not so standard. I think that in that difficulty lies the reason because this has not become a great movie; despite which it still is worth seeing. (Detail: amazing "James Brown" character) For an amazing blog, visit: quenometoque.wix.com/unaltodelante

A viewer would do tremendous justice to "The Rocket" by describing it as a film loaded with joyful entertainment albeit coupled with an earnest message. The film begins in a shocking manner as viewers are shown how during a delivery of twins, one of the baby dies. At a latter stage, the boy who has survived death is censured for having taken his mother's life in a freak accident. This incident points to numerous illogical acts of superstitions which continue to prevail in many countries. According to them, a person is directly or indirectly responsible for the life or the death of another person. 'The Rocket' starts as a drama but quickly transforms itself into a comedy with a message. It makes a lot of sense to viewers who want to know about the handling of serious issues in films as one gets a frank view of what happens when people are displaced due to the construction of dams. What makes "The Rocket" special for adults is that this film is able to strike a perfect chord with young children and teenage viewers.It shows them why the world of children is highly unpredictable as it cannot be fully understood by adults.

The Rocket is a movie that will make your soul weep once or twice, unless you are a rock or an iceberg. A young boy, Ahlo, sets out to build a rocket to earn the family enough money to buy some land. Being a twin, he is seen as bad luck to the family and becomes a scapegoat for all bad that happens: His mother's death, a short-circuit in the electricity in the small place they live in among other things. Having been moved from their old place (due to a reconstruction of a dam that will flood their habitat) little Ahlo is forced to move away with his father.As they find a new place, they are evicted with a short notice of two days. Coincidentally, there is a rocket festival going on – a competition about building the greater rocket that will go far enough to "hit God in the ass" and hence make it rain. Little Ahlo ceases the opportunity to redeem his scapegoat reputation and to save the family, planning to win the competition, winning the money that will buy his family the heavily needed piece of land. This is a must-see movie for those who have enough empathy to spend 90 minutes of their lives, watching a little boy and a little girl, wandering through a difficult life of laughter and tragedy, hand in hand.

"The Rocket" is a very strange film that was made in both Laos and Thailand by an Australian crew. It's an almost fairy tale-like story about a little boy, Ahlo, who is thought to be bad luck. His family is displaced from their village and then bad luck strikes several times. However, instead of feeling sorry for himself, this just makes him more determined throughout the film. Ultimately, there is a rocket contest in a village...and little Ahlo is determined to win even though he's just a kid and the rest of the entries are by adults. This is a good film because it is so very different. Also, for a kid who looks like he's only about 8 or 9, Sitthiphon Disamoe was awfully good in the lead as Ahlo. Very interesting and a decent film for the family--even with its many references to urine, testicles and the like.