1991 Directed by Joe Johnston
Young pilot Cliff Secord stumbles on a top secret rocket-pack and with the help of his mechanic/mentor, he attempts to save his girl and stop the Nazis as 'The Rocketeer'.
Billy Campbell Jennifer Connelly Alan Arkin Timothy Dalton Paul Sorvino Terry O'Quinn Ed Lauter Jon Polito James Handy William Sanderson Margo Martindale Clint Howard John Lavachielli Eddie Jones Max Grodénchik Daniel O'Shea Pat Crawford Brown Julian Barnes Charlie Stavola William Boyett William Frankfather Norbert Weisser Michael Francis Clarke Darryl Henriques Scanlon Gail Melora Hardin Rick Overton Dick Warlock David Pressman Show All…
Doug Jackson Charles L. Campbell James Beshears Fred Judkins David E. Campbell Gregg Rudloff John T. Reitz Louis L. Edemann Gary Mundheim Bernard Weiser Donald J. Malouf Randy Smith Gary Krivacek
Rocketeer, The Adventures of the Rocketeer, 火箭专家, הרפתקאות רוקטיר, 火箭人, As Aventuras de Rocketeer Português, Човекът ракета, Οι Περιπέτειες του Rocketeer, Rocketeer: El hombre cohete, Le Rocketeer, Les aventures de Rocketeer, רוקטיר, Le avventure di Rocketeer, ロケッティア, 인간 로켓티어, Žmogus raketa, Człowiek Rakieta, As Aventuras de Rocketeer, Rachetatorul, Ракетчик, Rakeťák, Raketaš, Roket Adam, Людина-ракета, 火箭手
Epic heroes High speed and special ops War and historical adventure war, wwii, combat, military or duty pilot, exciting, heroic, excitement or crashes action, villain, superhero, hero or action-packed action, explosives, exciting, action-packed or villain action, villain, humor, funny or silly Show All…
"How did it feel, strapping that thing to your back and flying like a bat out of hell?"
"Well, it's the closest I'll ever get to heaven, Mr. Hughes."
What an exciting, uncynical, legitimately fun this movie still is, 22 years after the fact.
There aren't many films out there that capture both the tone of the classic pulp comics and the sense of adventure they try to convey.
The Rocketeer does both these things and does them superbly. The infectious fun the cast has with their roles, most notably Timothy Dalton and Alan Arkin, is a joy to watch and the attention to detail in the visuals and the art direction is simply stunning.
I am still impressed by that unbelievable finale and by the unwavering entertainment value.
If you love adventure films, watch this one. It is simply one of the best.
Art Deco fans, eat your heart out.
The Rocketeer was flying just under my radar until now. I've seen this poster for a while but I didn't get around to watching the film. Super hero movies are definitely NOT my thing. It takes a lot to get my interest, especially with the dozens of movies in the genre that are being released every year. I am able to appreciate when the genre is done well. I can say without a doubt, this is one of the most fun and well put together comic book flicks I've seen.
Billy Campbell was a bad casting choice. He's definitely got the face for that part. The people at Disney surely thought they could…
So glad this movie holds up, as I loved it as a kid but always saw as a Indy Jones rip off. Today it seems to hold its own as a great old-fashioned swashbuckler in the pre-CG days and the effects still look great. Best special effect? Jennifer Connelly.
With a couple of more charismatic leads I’d probably have thought of this as a real gem.
It’s lots of fun and Timothy Dalton and Alan Arkin look to be having a great time. They bring just the right energy to the thing.
Love the period setting and the climax is fantastic when it gets going.
Honestly earnest, The Rocketeer is the kind of innocent, pristine, warm adventure that takes place in a picture-perfect, dualistic America. Out-of-work pilot Cliff Secord lives in Los Angeles, but his world rather resembles a Smallville-type of town, with diners and a friendly crowd that rallies behind him unconditionally. His girlfriend Jenny, an actress, belongs to Hollywood. When he stumbles upon a jetpack, he finds himself entering her world of fame and a conflict larger than anything he could ever imagine. Both the FBI and the Nazis are on his trail, but all Cliff wants to do is fly and be with his girl, and he becomes a hero by staying true to himself.
Likewise, The Rocketeer soars because it stays…
A decent pulpy, old fashioned comic book adventure film, good production design, excellent cast with a fun, menacing villian from Timothy dalton who seems to enjoy being the bad guy, a good score and joe Johnston as the director is great at capturing the energy and the feel of a 30s superhero radio show on film. The effects are good too. Featuring a terrific ending on a zeppelin.
Joe Johnston only made 11 movies to date. His first five films—spanning ‘89-‘99—were, respectively:
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
The Rocketeer
The Pagemaster
Jumanji
October Sky
What a lineup! All of ‘em wins. My entire childhood in a blink. Scores brought to you by instant nostalgia master James Horner save for Sky. The music’s glorious. Soon as the credits began during today’s umpteenth rewatch of The Rocketeer, I got sentimental teary-eyed warm fuzzies overload. Curated comfort food.
Incredibly, The Rocketeer flopped at the box office upon release, which Scott Tobias explains here. Quote:
“It’s clear now that an enthusiastic audience existed for this peculiar twist on superhero mythos, but the multiplex was already becoming an inhospitable place for movies without big…
A theme park of late-thirties Art Deco and neo-retro charm of something that isn’t quite period piece, but an amalgamation of the time it was made and anachronistic WWII. Simple feel-goods of growing up nineties before Disney became loud-mouthed facial reconstructed children with iPads. The wholesomeness is both nostalgic and works for the small town vibes the story takes place in. The design, aesthetics, and warm-hearted nature are as cozy as apple pie.
A little meta-Disney going on, satirically calling out the fundamentals it is known for — particularly in the movie set scene, gotta save the princess from the "castle" plot-line, and using Hughes as the Walt Disney-esque moral god of innovation. Disney can’t help putting the Disney in…
