Boy! There are a lot of great reviews for this film and I get where people are coming from. While the idea of being a "dreamer" and wanting to fulfill that dream can be great cinematic stuff, I didn't quite connect.
To begin with, we are dropped in the middle of a pretty goofy dream. Suspension of belief is often a requirement I'll go with, but this is way too much to swallow. And I don't especially mean the rocket part. Billy Bob is an ex-almost astronaut, who had to leave and administer to his Father's ranch (sad story!!). So we have an unfulfilled dream. Building a functional Atlas rocket in his barn for $500,000 or so puts his ranch in foreclosure and family in disarray. The cheerful family dinners, rallying around Dad's dream are very heartwarming, but..... give me a break Dad!! He endangers his family, possibly the town folk, for sure the hundreds of reporters standing outside his barn and is breaking about 100 laws. None of the laws matter, because they were created by various "evil" bureaucracies, who don't understand..."its his dream, and without dreams....."!! I'm sorry, but the whole thing was too self centered for me. The writers have a hundred people "jump" out of the way of a runaway rocket, just so we don't get our hero a handful of manslaughter charges. And the pre-launch "marketing campaign", with its blantant product placement, probably helped offset the film's budget, was counterproductive to the message.
The movie looks great, the special effects are fine and I still enjoyed the performances. Virginia Madsen has transformed into a pleasure to watch (and is aging so gracefully, I look forward to years of more work), Billy Bob got to tap his less dark side and the kids are an absolute delight. A surprise visit from Bruce Willis was handled well and JK Simmons is always solid.
So, an OK try at a message movie. I'll just need my dreamers to stay away from 10,000 lbs of hi-explosive rocket fuel, in a wooden barn.
To begin with, we are dropped in the middle of a pretty goofy dream. Suspension of belief is often a requirement I'll go with, but this is way too much to swallow. And I don't especially mean the rocket part. Billy Bob is an ex-almost astronaut, who had to leave and administer to his Father's ranch (sad story!!). So we have an unfulfilled dream. Building a functional Atlas rocket in his barn for $500,000 or so puts his ranch in foreclosure and family in disarray. The cheerful family dinners, rallying around Dad's dream are very heartwarming, but..... give me a break Dad!! He endangers his family, possibly the town folk, for sure the hundreds of reporters standing outside his barn and is breaking about 100 laws. None of the laws matter, because they were created by various "evil" bureaucracies, who don't understand..."its his dream, and without dreams....."!! I'm sorry, but the whole thing was too self centered for me. The writers have a hundred people "jump" out of the way of a runaway rocket, just so we don't get our hero a handful of manslaughter charges. And the pre-launch "marketing campaign", with its blantant product placement, probably helped offset the film's budget, was counterproductive to the message.
The movie looks great, the special effects are fine and I still enjoyed the performances. Virginia Madsen has transformed into a pleasure to watch (and is aging so gracefully, I look forward to years of more work), Billy Bob got to tap his less dark side and the kids are an absolute delight. A surprise visit from Bruce Willis was handled well and JK Simmons is always solid.
So, an OK try at a message movie. I'll just need my dreamers to stay away from 10,000 lbs of hi-explosive rocket fuel, in a wooden barn.