Director Aviral Kapoor’s “Rocket” is a pretty serene and cute short film about a father and a son that realize they’re much more alike than they’ve ever given each other credit for. In “Rocket,” director Kapoor sets down on a young boy named Kevin whose life is filled with loneliness occasionally interrupted by bullies who make a habit of beating him up every day after school. When Kevin returns home, he finds his father James doting over inventions while Kevin is forced to take to his own amusement, and figure out his own problems.
Director Aviral Kapoor sets the frames for interesting character parallels, never drawing attention to the obvious with dial0gue or goofy narration. We see through circumstance how father and son are reflections of one another. Kevin is a kid who is very much self-reliant, and his dad is reduced to being a non-entity working for more achievements in his life. One day to connect with Kevin, his dad James begins building a rocket for him, hoping to touch upon a past hobby of his.
Though Kevin refuses to partake, he finds that his dad’s failure to launch the rocket has a particular set back, and he decides to give his dad a notion of accomplishment, while building his own courage in his personal life to bring down his obstacles. Director Kapoor gives “Rocket” a subtlety and heart that’s much needed, and in the finale, he provides us with a heartfelt look at a father and son whose whole world has been connected for years. It just took a toy to show them how.