Bruce Willis' Latest Misfire: "Mercury Rising"

Bruce Willis' latest film, "Mercury Rising", is a paint-by-numbers suspense yarn that fails to deliver on its promise of an engaging storyline. When FBI agent Art Jeffries (Willis) takes on the case of a 9-year-old autistic boy, Simon Lynch (Miko Hughes), who has cracked a top-secret code, the plot descends into chaos. With a villainous national security chief (Alec Baldwin) ordering the boy's assassination, the violence escalates, and the film's attempts at humor fall flat.

Key Takeaways:

• The film's plot is a jumbled mess of cliches from other movies, including "Witness", "Rain Man", "War Games", and "The Net".
• The characters are poorly developed, with Art Jeffries being a paranoid pill-popper and Simon Lynch being a difficult-to-deal-with autistic boy.
• The film relies on over-the-top action sequences, including car and ambulance chases, and gun battles on crowded streets.
• The storyline is plagued by coincidences and plot holes, making it difficult to follow.
• The film's attempts at humor are often laughed at rather than with, with the gun battles on crowded streets drawing ridicule at the screening.
• The film's tone is inconsistent, veering wildly from suspenseful moments to laughable ones.

Statistics:

• The film's critic's rating is 1/2 star.
• The movie board rating is R, due to violence, profanity, and adult references.
• The film's running time is 109 minutes.
• The film's budget and box office earnings are not reported in the article.

Sources:

• "The Tribune" (no date)
• "Mercury Rising" movie website (http://www.mercury-rising.com/)