The Rocket: A DVD Review

I recently wrote a review of the hockey film The Rocket for Greencine.com that has been posted here. An excerpt of the review is below:

Directed by Charles Binamé (Seraphin: Heart of Stone), The Rocket stars popular Canadian actor Roy Dupuis, who had already portrayed Richard for two previous projects (including a two-part French-Canadian miniseries). Dupuis reportedly did his own skating in the film, and the hockey scenes—which depict the NHL in the 1940s and 1950s before players wore helmets—have an admirable gritty quality of verisimilitude. Binamé has said of his inspiration for the hockey scenes, "I really wanted to capture hockey the way (Martin) Scorsese had captured boxing with Raging Bull."

One of the more memorable scenes in the film comes when Richard is being threatened at Madison Square Garden by Bob "Killer" Dill, a New York Rangers player known mainly for his dirty and near-deadly fights (played by current New York Ranger Sean Avery). Rather than try to stay away from Dill as everyone expects, Richard confronts him violently with a wicked punch in the face that establishes his domination as the real force to be reckoned with out on the ice. Dupuis is able to carry this off and remain sympathetic as the hero of the day.

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