Search - The Rocket on DVD

"Maurice! Maurice! Maurice! ~ I Need Players Who Hate To Los

Brian E. Erland | Brea, CA - USA | 12/24/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Note: French and English with English subtitles.

The '05 film `The Rocket' is a long overdue cinematic biography of the greatest hockey player and icon in NHL history. More than just a sports film, the story of Maurice Richard is a story exposing the corruption and brutality of the sport as it was in the "Golden Age" of hockey and the overt bias throughtout the league against the French speaking players in general and the Montreal Canadiens specifically. In the forties and fifties it was literally Montreal against the world and Maurice was the one player with the ability and fierce tenacity to take on all the inequities thrown his way and become a legend in his own time.

I found the film to be absolutely riveting. The production values and acting is excellent and the dialogue insightful and realistic. Roy Dupuis was perfect in the role of Maurice as was Lucille LeBreton as his adoring and supportive wife Lucille. Even if you're not a hockey fan the film has much to teach about the era and more than hints to the reasons as to why there is so much internal strife between French and English speaking Canada to this day.

My highest recommendation: -5 Stars-."

Rocket scores BIG

Romans 13:4 | Midwest, USA | 12/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bought this last summer through a Canadian outlet since it wasn't released in the States. Great movie if you don't mind the subtitles. The actor almost looks like Maurice too. Little cameos by Mike Ricci, Sean Avery and Ian Laperriere. If you're even a little bit of a hockey fan I would recommend this movie."

THE BABE RUTH OF HOCKEY!!

Loves To Read | Twin Cities, MN USA | 12/22/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It may be hard to imagine today but in 1937 the NHL consisted of 6 teams and was on the verge of folding. It desperately needed a hero. Working as a machinist in a factory was a young French-Canadian named Maurice Richard with dreams of playing in the NHL. When he finally earned a tryout with the Montreal Canadiens, he had already suffered one serious injury, and despite an impressive tryout, the owners did not want to take a chance. The coach took a hard line stance in favor of the young Maurice and got him on the team. He soon proved the owners right by getting injured again. It took some incredibly hard rehabilitation as well as enduring some brutal attacks by teammates who were testing him to convince the owners to give him another chance. So began the career of, arguably, the most loved and well known Montreal Canadien ever. He has been called the 'Babe Ruth of hockey'. In some ways, he was more like Jackie Robinson. French-Canadians had about the same status as African-Americans in the U.S. Although not the first F-C to play in the NHL, his success and popularity threatened the status quo. Despite scoring 50 goals in 50 games, he didn't win the scorng title because the teams conspired against him to the point of awarding assists to players not even on the ice to build up their point totals. As an aside, F-C fans even had to sit in a segregated section of the arena which was enclosed by a chain link fence. Not only is this an entertaining and inspiring hockey movie but it's a great education for someone not familiar with the history of Quebec and the fight for equality by the French Canadians. WWW.LUSREVIEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM
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Incredible Movie!

To Be Simple | 01/22/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are only a handful of sports-related movies that rank among my favorite all-time movies of any genre. The Rocket is among them. It tells the story of "The Rocket," Maurice Richard. There are a couple of levels that should interest virtually anyone, hockey fan or not.

First, the film is nicely directed. There are some angles of Richard's life that were left completely out of this film, but that is understandable since the movie clocks in at a little over two hours. Every scene in the movie has a purpose, which means the movie never drags. Also, the re-creation of some of the scenes are painstakingly faithful to what happened in reality. I have seen a good deal of actual footage from some of the games and events in the movie. It is incredible how accurate the movie version of the scenes parallel the actual footage. It also doesn't hurt that the actor who portrays Richard looks strikingly like the real deal.

Second, the story itself is just plain inspirational and uplifting. Richard transcended sport in becoming a hero to the people of Quebec that went beyond the ice. He helped instill a sense of pride at a time in which French-speaking people in Canada were not having an easy time. Persistence, toughness, patience, and courage are a few of the words that can best describe Maurice Richard. All of these characteristics are brought out well in the film.

The Rocket is the perfect movie to show a young hockey player or athlete to help them understand that a person should never give up on their dreams. It also demonstrates that people should not back down in the face of injustice. I give this movie my highest recommendation."