The Rocket 9 – The Legend Of Rocket Richard (Palm Pictures DVD)
Picture: C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C+ Film: B-
Proving
that Disney has not cornered the market on great sports films yet, Charles
Binamé’s The Rocket 9 – The Legend Of
Rocket Richard (2005) is the amazing story of prejudice, hate and
discrimination in Canada as projected through the amazing hockey player Maurice
Richard (pronounced Rick-ard) who endured many injuries to his body, ego and
reputation as both a player and reporter on the sport he loved so much: hockey.
If you
ever wondered why Canadians are so good at the sport, passion and history are
two reasons and the trials of Richard (well played by Roy Dupuis) only cemented
the countries unbreakable connection with the sport. When he starts, the NHL (National Hockey
League) is ready to fold, but after his arrival, everything changes forever as
he literally leads the way to success at very high cost to himself.
However,
the film does not make him a saint or anything either so overgeneral or
shallow. Instead, this is a story of a
man who brought his country and this sport together in a way that is nothing
short of phenomenal. Though it had the
potential of being a formulaic biopic, especially from the first scene from
when he was a pre-teen, the Ken Scott screenplay is on both solid dramatic and
journalistic ground, getting to the point of telling this remarkable story
rarely heard of outside of Canada.
You do
not have to be a fan of hockey or any other sport to appreciate what a fine
drama this is, or how vital a story it is of the individual against backwards
thinking. He made amazing changes and
has every right to be considered a legend at a time when people respected
progress and bravery. This may be one of
the best Canadian feature films in years.
The 2.35
X 1 image was shot in Super 35mm film with style by Director of Photography
Pierre Gill, coming up with a different way to portray the past visually that
is unique from what you would get in a U.S., U.K. or foreign film, meaning
you’ll feel he hit the nail on the head capturing something quintessentially
Canadian to the film’s credit. The Dolby
Digital 5.1 mix is not bad, but not great insofar as the surrounds are
underutilized and there seems to be a conscious decision to tone down the sound
to match a quieter era. Extras include
some interesting deleted scenes, trailers for this & other Palm product and
an extensive tribute to Richard.
- Nicholas Sheffo
