Advanced Search Beta »
Basic Search Fields
Rocket Science
User Score
6.8 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 20 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 20
  3. Negative: 5 out of 20

Review this movie

  1. Your Score
    10 out of 10
    Rate this:
    out of 10
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling

  3. Characters remaining: 5000 out of 5000

view
per page
  1. ChadS.
    Jan 31, 2008
    9
    Corey Haim in "Lucas" is not the same animal as Corey Haim in "License to Drive", or Corey Haim in "Snowboard Academy". The former-child star was startingly good as a dorky fourteen-year-old misfit in the 1986 coming-of-age film. "Rocket Science" is more like "Lucas" than "Rushmore", "Welcome to the Dollhouse", and other usual suspects from indie-dom that showcases the trials and tribulations of a socially-challenged minor. Lucas didn't get the girl. Lucas didn't catch the football. "Lucas", a studio film, mind you, didn't swing for the fences; it settled for a modest single up the middle. "Rocket Science" is just like that. Like Lucas, Hal Hefner(Reece Thompson) raises his arms in celebration after a miniature victory. This is, by far, a more satisfying end-result than the more conventional ending that "Rocket Science" teases the audience with, before judiciously pulling back and allowing pragmatic deftness back into the story. You can thank the filmmaker's background in documentaries. The stutterer can't win a statewide debating tournament; the filmmaker knows this, but like any person with a handicap, the stutterer can win some self-respect by being unafraid. "Rocket Science" is...is...is...tr-...tr-...tri-..tri-...-um...-um...trium-...-um...-um...-phant.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. NoraO.
    Sep 1, 2007
    10
    Excellent film. The film made me laugh and cry. Reflecting on my my teen years as a stutterer, I am not sure how I would have responded seeing the film due to my dark denial and rage towards my stutter. However, if the cards had fallen differently and I had ended up in the theatre I would have been able to see myself on screen and not have felt so damn alone. Hal is a very likable teenager. I'd hang out with him! He's a good kid, seeking love, living in a dysfunctional family, very witty, very funny, bright and with wild, passionate, greatness waiting to burst out. This is the first MOVIE (not documentary) that portrays stuttering accurately. Unlike A Fish Called Wanda or Primal Fear and so many other films that ridicule the stutterer or the character is a murderer (Primal Fear). The same that gay characters were portrayed in movies. The movie is not just about stuttering though. Hal is so much more then his stutter. As is the movie. I'm sorry it's moved out of theatres so quickly. Probably because of poor reviews like the one in the NY Times ... clearly the reviewer did not understand the film or care to understand it.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. SeanF.
    Feb 2, 2008
    8
    Very cool high school film! Reminded me of Election or Rushmore or films of that type. A comedy, but very dramatic and dark. Lots of twists and turns, and surprises. One of the most original movies I've seen in some time.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  4. JohnS.
    Feb 5, 2008
    3
    Poor, boring.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  5. NoraL
    May 16, 2010
    10
    An unexpected little gem of a movie. didn't know what to expect but..... wow. there is much to recommend here. wonderful performances all around from a young cast and dialogue that is natural but so so funny and sharp. kudos!!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  6. PatW.
    Sep 6, 2007
    0
    Absolutely one of the worst teenage films I've seen in my life...can't believe they're still showing it here, terrible!!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  7. MichaelE.
    Aug 21, 2007
    5
    Today I saw Rocket Science, or, as I have cleverly dubbbed it, Rushless. Weird high school kid with goofy haircut and emotional problems who has a crush on an unapproachable girl? Check. Flat low angle shots of banal locations? Check. Annoying, self-consciously hip music score? Check. (I mean, "The Blob" by Bacharach+David on accordion and mini-choir? Ugh. And the Femmes on piano+cello played by old people? Even worse) Tons of irony, with just a little touch of heart at the end so we'll feel like we've seen something? Check. Bursts of stupid violence that have nothing to do with anything? Check. Juvenile angst and ennui presented as cute? Check. The director certainly has the Wes Anderson playbook down pat, but not much else.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  8. GrahamG.
    Jan 28, 2008
    0
    There is so little that is not annoying about this movie. I want my time back. Occasionally the stutterer says something witty, but seemingly can't think his way out of uber-typical situations. And at the end there's nothing satisfying at all. Just like life. And if I just wanted life, I wouldn't go to the movies. I walked out when the 'I love the unknown' single-lyric song kicked in. A grownup can only take so much.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
prev next
Page:
  • 1

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
73 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
  1. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Steven Rea
    75
    Blitz captures the melancholy, the rage, the wackiness and drama of adolescence, and he gets winning performances out of his young stars.
    Read full review
  2. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    63
    The problem with Rocket Science is that the character at the center of the drama isn't very energetic or, truth be told, interesting. This makes it difficult at times to remain engaged in the unfolding tale.
    Read full review
  3. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Duane Byrge
    70
    Catapulted by an endearing lead performance by Reece Daniel Thompson as a stuttering high-school student, Rocket Science transcends the predictable high-school yarn and arcs into usually unexplored domains of self-discovery and personal growth in a coming-of-age film.
See all critic reviews »