Mercury Rising

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Mercury Rising

R

Released Apr 3, 1998

1h 52m

Mystery & Thriller

Action

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Popcornmeter

21%

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57 Reviews

40%

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50,000+ Ratings

"Mercury Rising" stars Bruce Willis as Art Jeffries, a renegade FBI agent who combats ruthless federal agents to protect Simon (Miko Hughes), a 9-year-old autistic boy who has cracked the government's new unbreakable code. He can read MERCURY, the most advanced encryption code yet created, as easily as other kids read English. This ability renders the new billion-dollar secret code vulnerable, especially if enemies of the United States should learn of Simon's abilities and capture him.

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Critics Consensus

Mercury Rising lays the action on thick, but can never find a dramatic pulse to keep viewers -- or Bruce Willis -- engaged with its maudlin story.

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Keith Phipps

AV Club

There's such a lack of vision behind Mercury Rising that the title could have it going in either direction and it would still end up in the same familiar place.

Apr 23, 2020

Full Review

Lisa Alspector

Chicago Reader

The actors' serious faces are out of place in this hopelessly silly action conspiracy.

Apr 21, 2020

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Mark Caro

Chicago Tribune

Baldwin's Kudrow is a one-dimensional, humorless variation on his corporate tyrant in Glengarry Glen Ross.

Apr 21, 2020

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Clarín Staff

Clarín

Offers the viewer a pleasant surprise. [Full review in Spanish]

Apr 23, 2020

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Margaret Pomeranz

At the Movies (Australia)

I must admit I was underwhelmed by Mercury Rising - in fact the temperature actually sank.

Rated: 2/5

Apr 23, 2020

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Total Film Staff

Total Film

This should never have been made. Avoid it and pretend it wasn't.

Rated: 1/5

Apr 21, 2020

Full Review

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Joel H

Mercury Rising wasn’t at all what I expected. I’m sure this film crossed my radar when it came out in 1998, but I just never bothered to learn more about it. The problem is that the plot is half generic action flick and half after-school special. I don’t blame Miko Hughes, because he was only doing what he was directed to do, and the kid is acting his heart out, but there were some moments with little Simon that were fairly awkward. I appreciate the fact that these filmmakers were trying to tackle the topic of autism back in the late 90s, but Mercury Rising just wasn’t the right vehicle for it.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/25/25

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Kenny K

I don't get the low reviews on this one. Classic Bruce Willis.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/25

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Jerod S

Mercury Rising is full of talent, but gets sludgy after the first 20 minutes. the 90s treatment of autism is also something to note.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

10/20/24

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Anthony C

Well, the soaring John Barry soundtrack makes up for a lot.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/13/24

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Audience Member

Couldn’t care less about anyone else’s opinion of this film I will love it forever and no one can change that

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/05/24

Full Review

Cinephemeride

a little thriller not as bad as we read it. Certainly, not the best Bruce Willis film but it still holds up. Nothing exceptional but acceptable

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

11/02/23

Full Review

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Harold Becker

Director

Bruce Willis

Arthur 'Art' Jeffries

Alec Baldwin

Nicholas Kudrow

Miko Hughes

Simon Lynch

Chi McBride

Thomas 'Bizzi' Jordan

Kim Dickens

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Synopsis

"Mercury Rising" stars Bruce Willis as Art Jeffries, a renegade FBI agent who combats ruthless federal agents to protect Simon (Miko Hughes), a 9-year-old autistic boy who has cracked the government's new unbreakable code. He can read MERCURY, the most advanced encryption code yet created, as easily as other kids read English. This ability renders the new billion-dollar secret code vulnerable, especially if enemies of the United States should learn of Simon's abilities and capture him.

Director: Harold Becker
Producer: Brian Grazer, Karen Kehela Sherwood
Screenwriter: Ryne Douglas Pearson, Lawrence Konner, Mark Rosenthal
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Imagine Entertainment, Universal Pictures
Rating: R (Violence|Language)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 3, 1998, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 18, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $32.9M
Runtime: 1h 52m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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