Mercury Rising
Mercury Rising

Mercury Rising

1998Movie111 minEnglish

Renegade FBI agent Art Jeffries protects a nine-year-old autistic boy who has cracked the government's new "unbreakable" code.

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Insights

IMDb6.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes21%
Metacritic40/100
Google Users64%
Director: Harold BeckerGenres: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Plot Summary

A federal agent goes on the run to protect a young autistic savant who is targeted by a corrupt intelligence agency after he cracks a secret government code. The agent must overcome his own prejudices and the immense power of the agency to keep the boy alive and expose the truth. This thrilling chase tests the boundaries of trust and survival.

Critical Reception

Mercury Rising received mixed reviews from critics, with many praising its suspenseful plot and strong performances, particularly from Bruce Willis and Alec Baldwin. However, some critics found the film's storyline to be predictable and derivative of other thrillers. Audience reception was similarly divided, with its action-packed sequences appealing to some, while others were put off by its darker tone and perceived plot holes.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its tense atmosphere and lead performances.
  • Criticized for a predictable plot and reliance on action tropes.
  • The film's intricate espionage elements were noted but often overshadowed by formulaic execution.

Google audience: Google users generally found the film to be an entertaining, albeit flawed, thriller. Many appreciated the action sequences and the performances of Bruce Willis and Alec Baldwin. However, some reviewers felt that the plot was overly complicated and that the film didn't offer anything particularly new to the genre.

Fun Fact

The character of Simon Lynch, the autistic savant, was inspired by the real-life abilities of autistic individuals who exhibit extraordinary mathematical or pattern recognition skills.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

2 reviews
daniel_carr

daniel_carr

Two of my favorite actors and once again shows that if you have a great story you don't need special effects! This was an amazing movie, emotional and what movie making is all about. Great job!
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

I'd have to admit that at the start - however politically incorrect it is to say - I though that the mix of Bruce Willis as an independently minded FBI agent and Miko Hughes ("Simon") as a boy genius with very loud, and annoying, autism was...