MERCURY RISING 1998
A film review by Timothy Voon
Copyright 1998 Timothy Voon
2 :-( :-( for mercury poisoning
Cast: Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin, Miko Hughes, Chi McBride, Kim Dickens Director: Harold Becker Producers: Brian Grazer, Karen Kehela Screenplay: Lawrence Konner, Mark Rosenthal based on the novel SIMPLE SIMON by Ryne Pearson
After viewing MERCURY RISING, it may be wrongly supposed that Bruce Willis appears to be fumbling about for interesting side-kicks to fill his action flicks. This movie may be viewed as DIE HARD WITH AUTISTIC BOY, mixed in with strong psychological elements of remorse and atonement for past failures (failing to save teenagers in a foiled bank robbery). The plot attempts to pull at the viewer's heart strings, by setting up too many a situation where a handicapped child is put in harms way, only then to be rescued and hugged by the burly Willis – Oh please! Or this may be seen as a egotistical movie where Bruce gets to do all the talking, whilst his autistic co-star Simon (Miko Hugues) does little except stare into blank space, grunt and scream when touched.
MERCURY RISING is not all bad, cause I can name at least one other Willis movie that far out stinks this one – THE JACKAL. This movie speaks of the ruthlessness of the NSA (National Security Agency). When an autistic child is able to crack the American Government's toughest code, their solution to the problem is to eliminate the child and family. Naturally Bruce baby (FBI Agent) sees through their charade and goes about to right wrongs in a DIE HARD/BOY SCOUT sort of a way. One would think that perhaps after soooo many movies where disputes are settled by fists and guns, a solution to the problem would be found through mature discussion – after all, the FBI and NSA are on the same side! But noooo, Bruce and Alec have to fall into the childish routine of slugging it out in the end, like kids in a playground fight. I personally felt that instead of trying to kill the kid who can crack any code, the NSA should have utilised his abilities to break enemy nation security codes – resolving the situation peacefully, calmly and sensibly.
So I was not impressed by this movie, or by Willis' acting, attitude or action. Alec Baldwin (ruthless NSA chief) has hardly any screen time and is not seen much till the end of the movie. As for the poor kid they dragged into making this movie, I just hope he doesn't become psychologically traumatised by all of this Hollywood, BULLAHOO commotion.
The only thing that rises in this movie is your blood pressure, at having to endure such heartfelt trash.
Timothy Voon e-mail: stirling@netlink.com.au Movie Archives http://us.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Tim+Voon Hugues Bouclier's Movies in Melbourne http://www.labyrinth.net.au/~bouclier/week/movies.html
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