Roger the poor 'latchkey kid' who has to look after himself because his mother is too busy pursuing her lifestyle choices. I think that we've all known a 'Roger' or been there ourselves so the story elicits empathy for the main character. I like the juxtaposition of the comedy mum (smoking, drinking and working out - all at the same time!) and the sad dad who leaves his baby son to his fate - a lonely life. The sharp contrast between Roger's fantasy world and his reality is what makes this short enjoyable. I was rooting for Roger and cared whether he would be able to be happy. I watched this without audio, it's a very visual piece and I followed the story without any difficulty. It was predictable in parts - but a lot of fun.
5 Reviews
A good balance between the reality of the character and the fantasy of the film
bob the moo15 September 2005
Roger tends to keep himself to himself. At home his mother is distance and he tends to look after himself, cooking etc on his own. His father has long gone, having left him as a baby. At school he reads his comics and is picked on by the sportier kids he envies their homes and parents. He dreams of escaping it all, of building himself a rocket so that he can fly far away and start a new life but can he get his ship built in time? The concept sounds strange but this is really a quite touching little story of a child that is a mix of the touching and the fanciful. The fact that it does it in that order means it works well. By getting us to feel for Roger and understand the sort of feelings he must be having, it makes the fantasy stuff with the rocket a bit easier to get into and, real or not, we support Roger and wish him only the best. The film gets this balance just right and delivers it with good humour and imagination without losing touch with the reality and the emotions of the character. The acting is surprisingly good from Hawkins, who seems so natural and the directors did well to draw it from him. Overall a simple but effective film that balances the story well and makes it better than it could have been.
an awesome little film
james-wallace14 December 2005
a really lovely little story about imagination, escapism, and your ship coming in (or in this case going up) well acted - the little boy is excellent - directed - the final scene is genuinely tense and exciting - and handled so that the recognisable moments in the boy's grim mundane existence (the feet and pavement game for example) have the audience really rooting for the impossible
and such films are few and far between
in a world where short films can be nothing more than adverts without a product, or pretentious beret waving nonsense - to find one that not only tells a story but also made me feel much better about the universe afterwards is a rare and excellent thing
and such films are few and far between
in a world where short films can be nothing more than adverts without a product, or pretentious beret waving nonsense - to find one that not only tells a story but also made me feel much better about the universe afterwards is a rare and excellent thing
A Somewhat Uninvolving Short
Theo Robertson28 August 2005
ROGER ROCKET BOY is a short film that follows the life of the title character who reads themed comic books involving rockets going to the moon . I can relate to this because the first book I ever read at school was about astronauts going to the moon though as I got slightly older I realised that rockets were outmoded and traveling by Tardis was the only way to get about !
There's little dialogue in this story and though Roger's mother ( A fitness fanatic ) speaks here dialogue is incomprehensible and the only lines the audience can understand are confined to one of Roger's schoolmates and Roger's dear departed father . The scenes which feature Roger's father are somewhat confusing and unexplained and left me scratching my head as to what the story was trying to say and this strand is probably unnecessary
Despite the upbeat ending ( Which was slightly predictable ) and a subtext featuring childhood idealism ROGER ROCKET BOY is a not very impressive short , though I hasten to add much of this might be down to the standard of short films BBC 2 has been broadcasting this month . After seeing TEN STEPS a few days previously any short film will pale beside it
There's little dialogue in this story and though Roger's mother ( A fitness fanatic ) speaks here dialogue is incomprehensible and the only lines the audience can understand are confined to one of Roger's schoolmates and Roger's dear departed father . The scenes which feature Roger's father are somewhat confusing and unexplained and left me scratching my head as to what the story was trying to say and this strand is probably unnecessary
Despite the upbeat ending ( Which was slightly predictable ) and a subtext featuring childhood idealism ROGER ROCKET BOY is a not very impressive short , though I hasten to add much of this might be down to the standard of short films BBC 2 has been broadcasting this month . After seeing TEN STEPS a few days previously any short film will pale beside it
Thoughtful, Original and Imaginative
scottbdesigns7 December 2005
In the genre of short films, normally awash with dreary black and white melodramas, Rocket Boy Roger is indeed a welcome breath of fresh air. The story is captivating, appealing to both the younger and older generations. It captures all the magic of childhood, the hopes, dreams, ideas and imagination; leaving the audience with a warm positive feeling.
Hawkins is particularly good in the lead role of Roger. The determination he has to succeed is etched on his face throughout the film and you are rooting for him all the way until the very end of the movie. The use of the speeded up footage of Roger's mother is also very effective, reminiscent of that in a Clockwork Orange. However here it is used more imaginatively to communicate the idea that his mother is obsessed with our disposable consumer society, with its mindless shopping channels. It is a world where materialism reigns supreme and the idea of the family and human relationships is a mere pipe dream. Rocket Boy Roger conveys all these messages wonderfully, without any spoken dialogue.
The imagery and direction is superb, clearly showing a real love for film. Rocket Boy Roger has the feel good factor of any Spielberg classic together with the edginess and imagery of a Kubrick masterpiece. Excellent.
Hawkins is particularly good in the lead role of Roger. The determination he has to succeed is etched on his face throughout the film and you are rooting for him all the way until the very end of the movie. The use of the speeded up footage of Roger's mother is also very effective, reminiscent of that in a Clockwork Orange. However here it is used more imaginatively to communicate the idea that his mother is obsessed with our disposable consumer society, with its mindless shopping channels. It is a world where materialism reigns supreme and the idea of the family and human relationships is a mere pipe dream. Rocket Boy Roger conveys all these messages wonderfully, without any spoken dialogue.
The imagery and direction is superb, clearly showing a real love for film. Rocket Boy Roger has the feel good factor of any Spielberg classic together with the edginess and imagery of a Kubrick masterpiece. Excellent.
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