Rockaway (2007) User Reviews (9)

Uneven and Underwhelming Revenge Flick

[Stovepipe99 · 5/10 · 19 January 2019]

I checked this movie out because I was a HUGE fan of the directors' horror film Salvage (if you have not seen Salvage, check it out, because it's one of the best low-budget horrors I've ever seen and just a good movie, period).

This film, though, just didn't have that same magic. The story follows a veteran who returns from war to discover his wife and baby murdered and his neighborhood under the control of ruthless drug dealers. Realizing the police are complicit, the veteran sets out to take revenge.

I guess that my problem with this film just comes down to tone. It tries to have serious moments and funny moments, and in between all of that there's not enough character development. The lead actor is fine (as are most of the actors), but most of the secondary characters are too thinly drawn. The main characters seem to have a lot of contempt for women, and the film itself often treats them as punchlines or sex objects. There's a "funny" conversation between two of the bad guys about how to hit a prostitute to punish her. So, okay, I'm supposed to care about violence towards the veteran's wife and sister, but laugh about the abuse of the prostitutes?

There is a decent stretch of plotting in the middle as the veteran infiltrates the drug organization and begins to play the different bad guys against each other. This was the strongest part of the film and had the best action. But the third act felt sloppy and even confusing. Without revealing any spoilers, I got to the last moments and I was like "What?".

If I hadn't had so much faith in these directors from their previous film, I probably would not have stuck with it. There were strengths to the film, but not enough to overcome the tonal inconsistency and disrespectful treatment of female characters.

Everyone In This Movie Went On To Be No One

[lwmswm · 3/10 · 4 December 2019]

The one & only really interesting thing about this movie is that the directors did not hold back even a little bit in showing graphic blood & gore. Other than that it was another movie driven forward by the ridiculous stupidity of all of its characters.

Cheesy garbage revenge flick

[alr126 · 2/10 · 15 August 2009]

I can't believe I watched the whole thing. Characterization-stiff, standard veteran returns home, family murdered, standard very clichéd villains. Have seen similar characters in the bottom of a box of cereal. Action sequences-standard. No big action explosions, etc. Although that isn't really needed int his film. Friend of the good guy-standard, stiff, shallow character. Not like old days man, etc. I would have to say that this film is worth a miss. Even the lead character was somewhat unbelievable, he is hurt by the villains, does what is not expected. Don't want to say to much so as not to put any spoilers. I simply cannot believe I wasted an hour and a half.

Latin American and Russian mobsters and an army guy

[delorean-8 · 7/10 · 6 January 2008]

I saw this flick on a screening ready to be put on straight to video and i must say i was really surprised by this one , I'm no fan of straight to video movies,but sometimes one pops up as entertaining and this was surely on of those. with a budget of 2 million and at first a simple story i was really surprised by the events in this flick , the acting was so so but not as bad as i expected but the special effects compared to other straight to videos was surprisingly good and i actually grinned here and there.The baddies are stereotypes but that really fits for this one.So if your tired of the forever hero one man army righteous movies , try this one because this one has a bit of an edge to it.

straight to video gold

[cuevasf71 · 10/10 · 16 February 2009]

Rockaway straight to video was GREAT! Nicholas Gonzalez is Trane a battle proved war veteran from a tough tour in Afghanistan back home in Queens the neighborhood that took out his family becomes his center of rage. He becomes hell bent on taking out anyone involved in crime. Crook brothers turn it up with no slow boring parts. Oleg Taktarov sets things off as a "redfella" leading a Russian crime family. The action looked good as any movie. I could be talking crazy but Nicholas Gonzalez was way more better than hot shot actor from Harsh Times.

What it came down to me was how real the Crooks brothers kept it. They showed what Queens hard living is. Rent it or buy it you cant lose people.

We found it very enjoyable

[co6779 · 7/10 · 20 March 2020]

Both the wife & I just turned off another unbearable movie, I spotted Rockaway and was look love I grew up there lets check this out what a nice surprise this little gem was for us.

Granted this is not a big dollar movie but it had a good storyline, plenty of action, some humorous scenes, it had a nice breakup to keep it interesting.

The acting was all excellent in our opinion very watchable REVENGE type movie.

Riveting Movie with a great Oleg Taktarov performance.

[wgg-1 · 10/10 · 10 February 2008]

"Rockaway" is not always an easy movie to watch. The brutality keeps coming, as the movie tells the story of a returning vet from Afghanistan who faces as much personal chaos in the States as he encountered at war. Nicholas Gonzalez plays Trane, the homecoming vet, whose wife and child were murdered in Rockaway when they got in the way of the local mob. The brutality is necessary, because the story (said to be truth based) can not take it easy on either the facts or its themes to be effective. Trane comes home to neighborhood warfare and economic desolation in an often overlooked pocket of America. One of his adversaries is a Russian mob enforcer played masterfully by Oleg Taktarov, depicting another Afghan vet who served in the Soviet Army. Taktarov's character Ivan is menacing, but the actor also makes him sympathetic as Ivan, like Trane, was psychologically and morally exhausted by war in the Middle East. Taktarov gets better with every role, and when he's on the screen, "Rockaway" delivers its messages with breathless impact.

Filled with humor -- POSSIBLE SPOILERS INCLUDED

[CI_riv · 10/10 · 16 June 2008]

I loved this movie! Having been a telenovela fan for a few years, it was certainly a treat to see Mario Cimarro (Juju) speaking English, not to mention his knack for delivery! His was the best character.

Overall, however, this movie was pretty decent.

Trane's ability to come back from Afghanistan, knowing his family were gone, and then his systematic picking off of those responsible for ruining his neighborhood and, finally, his family's murderer was exceptional.

Oleg Taktarov's performance was also quite well-done. One almost feels sorry for him.

Manny Perez' Antwan was hilarious!

Also, being a fan of splatter movies, this one did not disappoint.

Best movie

[jcwjcw · 10/10 · 10 September 2011]

People do not understand cinema. I see the movie The Fighter with top stars and sure it gets Oscars or The Godfather oh ya great movie. This movie here the main actor is just a normal man. And, yes, he acts normal and looks normal. But the power that can come from a normal man explodes in this movie. The people who rated this movie low or complained about it are people with a low IQ. They probably don't like it cuz they like crime, like the Godfather. The godfather is trash. This little dude in this movie mostly uses intelligence to take down the mob and its godfather. I cannot stand the movie the godfather because America is praising crime and gangsters. This movie shows how one mans determination to stop a gang of thugs is expelled mostly with intelligence training determination and more. I cannot stand the Oscar and academy award panel- they do not know how to judge films. Where do the academy award panel judges get educated? Or are they rich people using money to make mistakes?