2008-07-09

Rocket Science

At a glance, this is a teen movie, but with much better quality. I was attracted to watching it after I've read a recommendation from the internet. After it's been idle on my shelf, finally I watched it yesterday. It could have been better, though. Fortunately, unlike other "high school movies", this one managed to set itself apart from the pack.

The acting was great, and the film was rather enjoyable. The only thing that rather confused me was whether the main plot was actually the debate competition or simply about relationship between Ginny and Hal. Either way, none of it seemed to be resolved. Hal never won Ginny, and he didn't win the competition too. It was rather surprising that Hal and Ben failed to anticipate the disqualification from the competition. They should've known whether their participation would be legit or not. If not, why bother to participate?

As for Ginny, I considered her as the antagonist. Recruiting a stuttered student for a debate competition? Come on, what's more cruel than that? Also, if she didn't like Hal at all, she should have just dodge the kiss. No need to make that bloke's life miserable because it's already miserable enough.

One more thing, I'm baffled. Do debate contests done in the way they were done in Rocket Science? If debating means talking as fast as Vicky Pollard, then how could the audience digest the matter being debated? Debates should be all about how reasonable and accurate your arguments are, not about talking faster than speeding bullet. Gosh, if only there are speeching tickets...

Overall, I give it a 7.0. Good potential, but somehow to me, it missed the point somewhere.


2 comments:

Linz McC said...

I agree with you you about the disqualification. Maybe they just expected to be able to talk their way out of it (well, for Ben to talk their way out of it). But it was so funny when Hal said, "I'm killing in there."

I didn't like Ginny at all. But I like to think something inside her liked Hal. But then again, maybe not. It seemed to be her pattern to make out with every debate partner she had.

During the actual debate scenes, I was thinking the exact same thing you were. How can the judges understand what they are saying well enough to award a winner??

E.F. said...

"Maybe they just expected to be able to talk their way out of it (well, for Ben to talk their way out of it)."

Hahaha... That's a good one!