The Rocketeer
Tags: good versus evil, mystery

Plot synopsis:
The movie takes place in Los Angeles in the year 1938. At an airfield, a flight crew is moving a new plane (the GeeBee) out onto the runway. The pilot, Cliff Secord (Bill Campbell) is discussing the plane with his mechanic and best friend, Peevy (Alan Arkin). Cliff and Peevy intend to use the GeeBee in a national air show within a year. Cliff sticks a piece of Beeman's chewing gum on the wing of the plane for good luck and takes off to test out the GeeBee.Meanwhile, a duo of gangsters are engaged in a gun fight with members of the FBI. Cliff flies overhead and the gangster (thinking Cliff may be law enforcement) shoots at the GeeBee. Cliff's engine begins to stutter as he maneuvers back towards the runway.The gangsters arrive at the same runway and hide in a hanger. The driver, Wilmer, learns that the gunman has been fatally wounded in the shootout. Wilmer hides the package the 2 of them had stolen and heads back out into the fight. Cliff's GeeBee bumps into a car on the runway, crash landing. THe mechanic crew gets Cliff out alive, but he quickly rushes back in to retrieve a photo of his girlfriend. The GeeBee is totaled, and Wilmer crashes his car into a fuel truck, causing an explosion.The FBI refuses to admit responsibility for Cliff's crash. They question Wilbur about the stolen package, who merely responds that it is "blown to Hell." They find a metal device in the wreckage of the fuel tank, and they assume this is the device in question. They report this to the owner, Howard Hughes (Terry O'Quinn) who is upset but decides not to build another device because the theft proves the technology too dangerous.Cliff and Peevy argue with the owner of the air field, Bigelow (Jon Polito) who is holding them responsible for the damage to the fuel truck. He talks them into doing a pitiful "Clown Act" at his annual air shows, which Peevy calculates would result in taking a minimum of four years to settle their debt.Cliff decides to work on the biplane they will be using for the Clown Act, putting his girlfriend's photo in the cockpit. He tries to sit down but finds something hidden under the seat. It is the package from the gangsters (hidden earlier to avoid detection). They open it to reveal a strange metal contraption. Cliff notices a switch on the side and presses it. The device roars to life and rockets round the room, finally crashing into an office. They quickly shut it off again, and Peevy wonders what such a device could be for. Cliff, noticing some straps on the metal, gets an idea. He picks up the item and attaches it to his back. Both men are shocked: the item is a rocket pack.They steal a statue of Charles Lindberg from the local flight school and test it. They confrom that a person could, theoretically, fly with such an item. Cliff wants to use it to make money, but Peevy doesn't think its a good itea (since they have technically stolen this item). Peevy relents, and Cliff suggests they make a helmet to go with it after seeing the head of the statue destroyed because of the landing.The leader of the gangsters, Eddie Valentine (Paul Sorvino) confronts the man who hired him- Neville Sinclair (Timothy Dalton)- about the job gone wrong. Neville is anxious to get the rocket package, and contacts his enforcer Lothar (Tiny Ron), ordering him to confront Wilmer in the hospital and find the package's location.Cliff then goes to pick up his girlfriend, Jenny Blake (Jennifer Connelly). Jenny is an aspiring actress who recently tried out for a part with Neville Sinclair. She then tells Cliff that she wants to see Sinclair's newest movie. Cliff is against it, until he finds out that it is an aviation movie called "Wings of Honor." En route to the theater, Cliff lies to Jenny about the GeeBee test flight, stating that it wnt fine except for "a few bumps" on the landing.At the hospital, Lothar (revealed to be a gigantic physical specimen) confronts Wilmer. Wilmer confesses that he put a fake package in the car before it blew up, concealing it from the Feds. He tells Lothar the package is in an old plane at the airfield. Lothar then proceeds to kill WIlmer by literally folding him in half.After the movie, Cliff and Jenny have dinner at a local restaurant called the Bulldog Cafe. Cliff's old friend Malcolm (Eddie Jones) reveals the truth about what happened during the test flight. Angry that Cliff lied to her, Jenny storms out.Cliff returns home to the place he rents with Peevy and finds the helmet Peevy designed for him next morning. He is not thrilled with the design.Next day, Jenny is performing in a scene as an extra on Neville Sinclair's new movie. Cliff comes by to see her (having decided to be honest with her and tell her about the rocket) and accidentally knocks down part of the set. Outraged, Neville orders Jenny fired. She is devastated and walks off. Neville overhears Cliff talking to Jenny about the rocket and decides to find out what she knows. Neville invites Jenny to be his date to the South Seas Club that night. She happily accepts.At the air field, the stunt show is in process. Bigelow tells Peevy that if Cliff doesn't arrive soon and begin the Clown Act, they will both be fired. Malcolm, selling programs, overhears this and sees a way to help out his friend. Malcolm takes the costume and lifts off in the old biplane.Eddie Valentine and his gang are at the airfield. They did not find the rocket, but took the picture of Jenny that Cliff left in the plane, thinking she may know who took the package.Cliff and Peevy realize what Malcolm is doing and are worried (Malcolm hasn't flown a plane in over 20 years). The biplane begins to stutter and smoke billows from the engine. Cliff decides to take the rocket and save Malcolm. Peevy is hesitant, but lets his friend go (first grabbing a piece of Cliff's Beeman Gum and sticking it to the rocket pack for luck). Cliff blasts off in the rocket, flying over the stands and stunning the crowd. He grabs Malcolm shortly before the biplane crashes and safely drops his friend off on the ground before blasting off again.Cliff flies over the city, passing a commercial plane in the process. He waves at them, but in the process accidentally shuts off the rocket. He falls to earth but manages to turn the thrusters back on again, speeding off in a disoriented pattern. Peevy finally finds Cliff after he's crash-landed in a nearby pond. Cliff is dazed, but thrilled by the experience. They both see cars coming, thinking it is news reporters. Cliff uses the rocket pack when standing in Peevy's truck to help them make a speedy getaway. In truth, the cars belonged to Valentie's gang and they are angry that someone else has found the rocket.Reporters question Bigelow for information about the flying man, and he comes up with the name "Rocketeer" for him. The news boys love it and The Rocketeer is soon front-page news. Neville Sinclair reads the paper and is outraged. Howard Hughes also sees the paper and is upset that the FBI have failed in reclaiming his rocket.The FBI agents go to talk to Bigelow about the Rocketeer, only to find him murdered in a matter similar to Wilmer. Before he died, Bigelow wrote down something on a pad of paper. It turns out to be Cliff & Peevy's addres, which is where Lothar is heading.Lothar confronts Peevy and Cliff about the rocket, which they have hidden. The FBI arrive to question them as well and Lothar opens fire on the agents. The ensuing gunfire tears the house to shreds, but Cliff & Peevy manage to escape with the rocket.Jenny and Neville are at the South Seas Club, and Jenny is enjoying being Neville's date. She meets a number of his celebrity friends, including W.C. Fields. Neville excuses himself to have a meeting with the Clubs' owner, which turns out to be Eddie Valentine. Eddie is not happy about Wilmer's death, or about Neville "romancing some dame" while he is doing all the hard work looking for the rocket.Cliff and Peevy are hiding out above the Bulldog Cafe. Peevy finally convinces Cliff to return the rocket pack to its rightful owners. Cliff is about to call the local FBI office when 2 of Valentine's thugs come in. They demand to know where Secord is (having no idea what Cliff looks like), going so far as to torture Peevy for information. One of them recognizes a photo of Jenny on the wall as being identical to the one they recovered from the plane. They call the number associated with the photo and find out that Jenny is out with Neville Sinclair.Cliff and a few of the patrons attack the gun-wielding thug, knocking him out cold. Cliff puts on the rocket, worried about Jenny's safety and intending to rescue her. He vows to return the rocket as soon as Jenny is safe. Peevy stops him from blasting off, noticing that the rocket is leaking (probably from a ricochet bullet). Peevy pries off the chewing gum he put on the rocket earlier for luck, and makes a rudimentary patch. It appears to work, and Cliff flies off into the night.Cliff infiltrates the South Seas Club posing as a busboy, bringing some complimentary soup to Neville and Jenny. He "accidentally" spills some on her to get her away from Neville. Cliff tells Jenny that his boss Bigelow is dead and the people who killed him may also be after Jenny. He asks Jenny to leave and stay with her mother north of town for the next few days. Jenny is skeptical, but Cliff swears that he is looking out for her best interest and not motivaded by jealousy.The thugs recognize Secord and chase after him. Cliff reclaims the rocket he had kept hidden in the laundry room. The Rocketeer flies out over the main room of the club, stunning the guests. Jenny stays for a moment to watch Cliff fly. The thugs open fire, heavily damaging the club. Cliff manages to escape by flying through the glass tile roof. Neville sees Jenny still at the club and ambushes her with chloroform.Jenny wakes up at Neville's place. He claims innocence, saying that he is being blackmailed. Jenny doesn't believe him, realizing that Sinclair is merely reciting lines from his old movies in an attempt to gain her trust. Jenny knocks out Sinclair with a flower vase and runs off. She discoveres a secret room in his house full of radio equipment. She attempts to call for help, but only heres men speaking in German. She then notices a book with a swastika symbol and Jenny realizes that Neville Sinclair is a Nazi spy. Lothar attacks Jenny and subdues her.Cliff returns to the Bulldog Cafe to find Peevy gone. He gets a phone call from Eddie Valentine saying that they are holding Jenny hostage and wish to trade her for the rocket. They tell Cliff to come to the local observatory at 4 AM to carry out the deal. Before Cliff can react, the FBI agents come in and arrest him.The FBI agents bring Cliff to Howard Hughes, which is where Peevy went. Peevy told Hughes everything about their finding the rocket, and Hughes believes they are telling the truth. Hughes tells Cliff that the rocket pack was stolen from his factory and they must get it back. Hughes shows footage of German scientists working on a similar rocket pack, but their model backfires and the test pilot is killed. He then shows everyone a Nazi propaganda film that features rocket-pack equipped soldiers flying out to other countries (including the United States) as an unstoppable airborne army.Cliff does not relent, and requests that he use the rocket once more in order to save his girlfriend. The FBI agents tell him that the Valentine Gang is merely hired muscle, working for a Nazi agent they haven't been able to identify. Cliff realizes that Neville Sinclair must be the agent, but the FBI just laughs at the thought. Cliff escapes from Howard Hughes' factory by gliding on a prototype "Spruce Goose."The Rocketeer meets up with Neville Sinclair and the Valentine gang at the observatory. They demand he take off the rocket before they let Jenny go. Cliff asks Valentine if he enjoys working for a Nazi. Valentine is shocked, but Sinclair merely laughs off the thought. Jenny supports Cliff's claim by mentioning the Germans on the radio at Sinclair's house. Valentine is disgusted by the thought of working on the side of the Nazi's, and turns on Sinclair. Sinclair has prepared for this, and by his orders a team of German Strike Commandoes emerge from the bushes. They are supported by a Zeppelin, which hovers ominously over the observatory.Searchlights flare up over the site. The FBI, having found the ransom details among Cliff's possessions, order everyone to throw down their weapons. The Germans try to evacuate, so the Feds and the gangsters unanimously open fire on the Germans. They warn each other to keep the fire away from the Zeppelin, which is full of hydrogen gas and highly explosive.Neville takes Jenny hostage aboard the Zeppelin, certain that Cliff (and the rocket) will then come right to him. Cliff grabs a weapon from a fallen German commando and blasts off towards the Zeppelin. He tears through the covering on the tail section, damaging their steering. Lothar attacks Cliff on top of the Zeppelin, held up by a suspension cord. Cliff manages to knock Lothar over the side, where he dangles like a worm on a hook.Cliff comes inside and sees Neville holding a gun to Jenny's head. Seeing no other choice, he takes off the rocket. Before he slides it over to Neville, Cliff removes the patch Peevy put over the bullet hole (which Neville doesn't notice.)Cliff and Neville struggle, and Jenny tries to assist with a gun she found in the storage compartment. Cliff warns her against it but Jenny fires- not realizing that the item was a flare gun. Fire breaks out in the cockpit, and Neville Sinclair decides to fly off in the rocket. Moments after he takes flight, the leak from the fuel line causes Sinclair to burst into flames. Screaming in pain, he crashes into the legendary "Hollywoodland" sign, destroying the last four letters. Neville and the rocket are destroyed.Cliff climbs back up to the top of the Zeppelin with Jenny, explaining that they have almost no hope for survival. Jenny proclaims that she loves Cliff, and they embrace. Lothar returns to fight Cliff again, but the explosions from the Zeppelin cause all 3 to run in fear. Lothar is still held in place from his tether and cannot escape the blast.Peevy and Howard Hughes fly up in Hughes' prototype auto-gyro, dangling a rope ladder for Clifford and Jenny. They escape shortly before the Zeppelin is engulfed in flames.Next morning, Peevy reads the newspaper. The FBI has decided to cover up Neville Sinclair's Nazi involvement, releasing a cover story that Sinclair was killed by debris from the Zepplin in a tragic accident.Cliff, Peevy and Jenny go outside to see a small plane (in similar design ot the GeeBee from the opening) landing in the street. Howard Hughes is the one flying the plane, and he takes Cliff aside and reveals that this plane is a gift hor helping him with the rocket fiasco.Cliff is so stunned that he cannot even thank Howard Hughes. Jenny s states that she also has a gift- for both of them. Jenny reveals that she stole teh schematics for the rocket pack from Neville Sinclair's house. Cliff and Jenny enjoy a romantic moment while Peevy plans to rebuild the rocket pack with a variety of improvements.

Review: I was also very surprised when the movie wasn't a hit, but I even sort of liked the old Flash Gordon serials, so...Another thing that is disappointing me at the moment is that I can't find any entries for the Spysmasher or Red Skull serials (the latter was the first one I know of with the Commando Cody character, although I don't recall him being referred to by that appellation -- I saw it 40 years ago, and then managed the catch the last hour or so in the middle of the night about 15 years ago one sleepless night, so it's kind of a blur)..
THE ROCKETEER Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Panavision)Sound format: 6-track Dolby Stereo SR(35mm and 70mm release prints)Based on Dave Stevens' graphic novel, this very un-Disney-like Disney movie is a joy from start to finish, a two-fisted tribute to the serials of yesteryear which combines nostalgia for the innocence of ages past with the Art deco gloss of a world on the brink of war.
Bill Campbell (from TV's "Tales of the City") plays a 1930's air ace who stumbles on a jet-propelled device that allows its wearer to fly at high speeds, a device coveted by law enforcement agencies, gangland criminals, Howard Hughes (!), and a Nazi villain (Timothy Dalton) masquerading as a Hollywood heartthrob.Handsome and talented, Campbell plays the title role with just the right amount of wide-eyed candor and boyish charm, and he's supported by a veritable who's-who of Hollywood's finest character actors, including Alan Arkin, Paul Sorvino, Terry O'Quinn, Ed Lauter, Jon Polito and Eddie Jones, alongside Tiny Ron as a hulking henchman clearly modelled after Rondo Hatton (courtesy of Rick Baker's rubbery makeup), whose speciality is - you guessed it - *snapping spines*!
That small blip aside, director Joe Johnston (HIDALGO) plays the whole thing straight, without even a hint of camp (when Campbell asks how he looks in his spiffy 'Rocketeer' outfit, Arkin deadpans: "Like a hood ornament!"), and while the characters are mere stock figures, they're played with real integrity by an enthusiastic cast, and the film's many set-pieces culminate in a showstopping finale on board an exploding zeppelin high above the Hollywood hills!
It's the fact that Campbell WASN'T a household name during filming, and that the production dares to celebrate the movies of a bygone era without simultaneously mocking its references, which makes THE ROCKETEER so special.
Meanwhile, his beloved girlfriend and aspirant actress Jenny Blake (Jennifer Connelly) succeeds in an audition to make a small part in a movie of the great actor Neville Sinclair (Timothy Dalton) that is ranked the third in box-offices.
It gives a little history lesson, too (Howard Hughes, Nazis, etc.) The acting is also wonderful- probably Billy Campbell's ("Enough") best performance, Timothy Dalton plays a great villian, and Arkin always does good.
One of their better efforts, 1991's "The Rocketeer," is one of the luckier films."The Rocketeer" soared high and mighty upon its release in 1991, from the graphic novel by Dave Stevens and onto the big screen, with Cliff Secord (Bill Campbell) dawning an experimental rocket pack that is coveted by gangsters and Nazis during World War II.The movie does remind some people of the serials of the 1930s and 1940s, some of which helped to spawn the mega-successful "Raiders of the Lost Ark" in 1981 and this year's "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.""The Rocketeer" is a great movie, and it should be viewed by everyone.10/10.
But I would hope that we would have been given stories just as good as the original film, if not better.In my humble opinion, no only is The Rocketeer is an enjoyable movie, but it's one of the best action films of 1991..
I like it, but there is just something missing.I love the late 1930s look to this film, which has great color and sound and a likable hero in "Cliff Secord," played by Bill Campbell.
The rest of the cast is pretty attractive with Jennifer Connelly, Timothy Dalton, Alan Arkin and Paul Sorvino - another reason this film should have been more memorable.The rocket scenes were terrific.
The excitement of then-new technology leading to a high-tech future is hinted at, but is slowed down by the plot like a sprinter wading through melting tar.Cliff Secord is a stunt pilot (played by the charisma-free Bill Campbell, who I have never heard of) who discovers a prototype jet pack designed and disowned by Howard Hughes himself.
Instead of soaring into the stratosphere by giving a thrill ride into this new invention the movie too often deviates into a sub-plot with Jennifer Connolly as the girlfriend and Timothy Dalton as the villain, and the best thing about it.What the Rocketeer should have done is establish the new-found jetpack within the first 10 minutes, given us about 20 minutes of the origins of Secord as a new superhero, and then spent the remaining 80 minutes fighting villains.
This may not be the worst of mankind's sins, but it's surely in the top-five.Lovingly made by the underrated Joe Johnston and featuring one of the late James Horner's best scores, 'The Rocketeer' really is gee-whiz fun in the absolute best sense of the word.As we await yet another reboot of comic book A-listers like Batman and Spider-Man, I should think there's room at the table for a new adventure featuring this two-fisted retro hero.
When an elderly colleague experiences trouble during a stunt show, pilot Cliff Secord (Bill Campbell) straps on the mysterious prototype jet-pack found stashed in the cockpit of his plane and unwittingly becomes the news sensation known as The Rocketeer; he also becomes the target of dashing Hollywood star/Nazi spy Neville Sinclair (Timothy Dalton), who plans to develop the amazing invention for use in a planned aerial assault on the US by German troops.Even with an undeniably fun concept, a great cast, and every tool in ILM's special effects arsenal at his disposal, Spielberg acolyte Joe Johnston fails to turn pulp-style comic-book Rocketeer into the absolutely awesome movie it could so easily have been.
With too much talk and not enough rocketeering!For a film based on a character who can blast through the sky with the aid of a jet-propelled back pack, The Rocketeer features surprisingly little aerial action, instead spending much of its time set on terra firmer.
There's plenty of intrigue and suspense as Sinclair's hired goons (which include a hulking Rondo Hatton lookalike) try to locate the pack, and Jennifer Connelly as Cliff's gorgeous girlfriend is a pleasantly diverting sight (boy, would I like to get my hands on her massive twin boosters!) but none of this is a truly satisfying substitute for lots of fast and furious, rocket powered action..
Arguably the best superhero comic book film adaptation of all-time, which may in large part be because the comic is a loving tribute to movie serials (ALA Commando Cody).
The film and the comic revolve around 1930s stunt pilot Cliff Secord finding an experimental rocket pack, which he and his trusty mechanic buddy/mentor sidekick uses to fight gangsters and Nazi's infiltrating Hollywood on the eve of WWII.
The sets, casting (which besides the always excellent Connolly, who won the role over the likes of Sherilyn Fenn [who'd have also been excellent], Kelly Preston, Diane Lane and Elizabeth McGovern, includes Billy Cambell as Secord (who is PERFECT casting and won the role over much bigger names like Kevin Costner, Matthew Modine, Emilio Estevez, Bill Paxton, Dennis Quaid, Kurt Russell, Johnny Depp, Vincent D'Onofrio, Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Robin Williams, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Ron Perlman, and Tom Hanks), Alan Arkin as Cliff's sidekick Peevy, Timothy Dalton as Neville Sinclair, a villainous Erroll Flynn analogue, Paul Sorvino as a gangster, Terry O'Quinn as Howard Hughes, and a slew of great character actors such as Ed Lauter, Jon Polito, Eddie Jones, William Sanderson, Margo Martindale, Clint Howard, Tiny Ron (in some great Rick Baker make-up, turning him into a spot-on to Rondo Hatton lookalike), Max Grodénchik, famed stuntman Dick Warlock, and more).
Coincidentally or maybe intentionally, the movie's main villain is portrayed by Timothy Dalton, who took on the role of James Bond two times and is excellent here as the charming but fanatical antagonist.While the screenplay could have been better, the great actors and especially the fantastic, action-packed and visually striking finale make up for what the plot is lacking in direction.
The music by James Horner is fantastic, this film has one of my favorite theme songs of all time which of course is the Rocketeer theme, it fits so well as it has an adventurous tune to it.I really like the story which is a stretch but that's what I love about it and it's true to the pulps most of those stories always had colorful simple outlandish plots.
Jennifer Connelly Plays "Bettie Page" the Rocketeer's Girlfriend (although the name was changed) and Curvacious Pin-Up Queen.The rest of the Cast is Highlighted by some Good Actors like Timothy Dalton as an Errol Flynn Type, Paul Sorvino as a Patriotic Gangster, and Alan Arkin as the Titular Character's Mentor and Friend.
Maybe not the Mood of the Real World of the Late Thirties but certainly the Mood of Hollywood Films at the Time.There are Nazis, Hydrogen Blimps, spitting Machine Guns, Cool and Sleek Little Airplanes Zipping about, and of course the Rocket Pack that was on the Minds of Inventors and Pulp Sci-Fi Fanatics of the Era. There are other Details thrown in for Fun, like a Rondo Hatton (The Creeper) Lookalike, the Hollywoodland, OOOPS, Hollywood Sign, and More for the discovering Movie Goer.
And it succeeds, bringing the real feeling of something like Flash Gordon in every way from it's cool look to it's action packed story.This story starts when a pilot, an everyman named Cliff (Billy Campbell), comes across the strange device that allows a man to take flight without wings and soar through the skies.
And although it wasn't made the exact way he wanted it to be, Dave Stevens, the creator of The Rocketeer character, which was derived from a popular comic book, was happily satisfied with the majority of the movie.In this film, because Disney sponsored it, the story not only will appeal to adults but to teenagers as well.
Rocketeer is a lovingly crafted adventure film, nodding towards the serials of the 1930s, it's awash with period Hollywood delights, Art Deco imagery, has a damsel in distress, square jawed heroics, Nazi villains, wonderful effects and a blunderbuss Zeppelin finale.
Meanwhile some gangsters steal a rocket powered jet backpack from the government but it ends up with Secord and his scientist friend (Alan Arkin)...but the government and gangsters want it...and the evil Neville Sinclair (Timothy Dalton) will do anything to get it.This film has a lot going for it.
The movie never takes itself too seriously (when Campbell sees the helmet he's supposed to wear he says, "He's got to be kidding"), the special effects are good and I got a kick out of the bad guy made out to look like Rondo Hatton.
What I really appreciated were wonderful little homages to the 1930s and 1940s--such as showing Campbell flying a Gee Bee Racer (how they did this scene I don't know), extensive Art Deco styling in the movie, the zeppelin and the villain on the zeppelin that was made to look exactly like Rondo Hatton--a very seldom talked about actor who starred in just a handful of horror-suspense movies of that era.
Beautifully & Stylishly directed by Johnson (who later went on to direct Captain America...I knew he was a super director)The 1930's details are beautifully realised here, Dalton is a great swashbuckling baddie, Campbell a good hero & Ms Connelly simply is Betty Page (just a shame they had to tone the picture down from the comics but then again it wouldn't have been a GREAT family film but rather a GREAT R Rated Movie)YES IT'S ONE OF MY FAVOURITE MOVIES...WITH A GREAT SOUNDTRACK TOO.Rocketeer Flyer says...Up Up and Away..
Indiana Jones meets Iron Man. The Rocketeer is a surprisingly good action/adventure film with wonderful pulp nostalgia.
The man leaves very small impression and isn't quite identifiable or unique enough to stand apart from other adventure stock characters just like him.But luckily the rest of the cast and the rest of the movie as a whole are more than capable to keep your interests raised and to provide you with a charming adventure with surprisingly decent special effects for their time, some great action sequences and that whole early 20th century charisma.
Later, it did and I think I agree to those who still love it that this is in fact of the better superhero movies of the decade beyond the early and late 2000s.The story is pretty interesting and I heard that the users loved it for reminding the adults about the pulp film serials from the 1930s and that it also captured that same feel which was the reason why it received a cult following over the years.
Bruce Campbell played the role of Cliff Secord really well, Alan Arkin is terrific as Peabody, and Jennifer Connelly is a lovely Jenny Blake while Timothy Dalton did a fantastic job as Neville Sinclair, whose charm will soon seduce all of the girls in the world.
Incidentally, I'll be watching presently the former James Bond's other appearance in a film sourced from comics  the maligned BRENDA STARR (1989).While lead Bill Campbell as a flying ace is somewhat anonymous if still likable, he's surrounded by pros  Alan Arkin, marvelous as his mentor/mechanic; the delectable Jennifer Connelly at her loveliest (with prominent cleavage to boot) as his star-struck girl  who becomes a pawn in the subsequent powerplay; Ed Lauter as a hard-boiled yet incompetent Fed; and, of course, Dalton himself  who gleefully lampoons matinée idols and Errol Flynn in particular (since the film he's currently working on faithfully reproduces part of the climax of THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD [1938], but replacing the witty dialogue of the original with hilariously stilted lines!).
With this in mind, the film features 'guest appearances' by the likes of Clark Gable, W.C. Fields and Howard Hughes (who, given the central aviation theme of the narrative gets a sizeable part  though, obviously, no mention is made of the notorious OCD complex which plagued him throughout his entire life).Despite its generous length (108 minutes), as I said, the film is tremendously entertaining and looks handsome into the bargain  providing wonderful characterizations (including a thug/hit-man rendered even more sinister and imposing by the effects of acromegaly!), effortless charm, tongue-in-cheek humor (the design of the Rocketeer's helmet itself being delightfully wacky) and, naturally, plenty of rousing action (capped by a climax set aboard a Zeppelin)..
Joe Johnston does almost exactly the same job as director as he did with HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS, creating an effects-heavy adventure in which he's more focused on stylistics and visuals than he is on real 'meat'.Inevitably comparisons can be made to the modern-day superhero likes of IRON-MAN, although inevitably the special effects of THE ROCKETEER aren't so great, although they're still pretty good for their era.
The movie suffers a fair bit from Bill Campbell's ultra-bland lead - bad guy Timothy Dalton would have been much better - although there's fun to be had from the Rondo Hatton tribute and a still-gorgeous Jennifer Connelly as the love interest..
If you like to watch movies about a hero with small town American values who beats up foreigners who hate us for our freedom, then "The Rocketeer" is the film for you.
Covered in a near spaceman-like helmet and riding jacket(a look that has Peevy thinking Cliff looks like "a hood element"),he becomes the title character,and will need his speed and bravery to rescue(among others)his starry-eyed up-and-comer of a actress girlfriend Jenny(Jennifer Connelly,stunningly beautiful as usual but not asked to flex much range here as she's been known to).Some very good turns here by freshly un-Bonded Timothy Dalton(As the Errol Flynn-like Neville Sinclair,a screen idol with nefarious designs),Paul Sorvino(as a truly Edward G.Robinson/James Cagney-like gangster),Tiny Ron(as a monstrous Nazi thug)and Jon Polito(as a sleazy promoter)add to the kind of brash,retro charm of this film.
Billy Campbell was actually extremely believable in this and, honestly, I don't think that they could have found anyone better to play the evil Nazi Erroll Flynn styled actor than James Bond's Timothy Dalton.But, also, I always kind of feel that Campbell has gotten the short end of the acting stick.In all honesty, it's really a horribly fin superhero movie, right down to that amazing retro 1930s serial feel.The entire thing was great and warranted far more fan fare than it received..
This in case is a young Jennifer Connelly, sorrily underused as DID (damsel-in-distress) Jenny Blake.Like RAIDERS and the other Indiana Jones films behind it, THE ROCKETEER is a festive of stunts, action scenes and special effects.
Alan Arkin is great as the mechanic/best friend/conscience of good and evil, Timothy Dalton plays an over-the-top Errol Flynn-esque film hero/Nazi spy.
The movie is exciting fresh and thats in 2001.ten years after it was made.only now is Joe Johnston getting the praise he deserves thanks to his brill jurassic park 3.bill campbell is likable as the rocketeer.jennifer connelly is absolutely beautiful.and timothy dalton steals the show proving he could do humour.i loved him as bond but if he had played it with the same twinkle in his eye.even moore didnt get it right until the third.this is a must see.disney should make another one of these where the rocketeer has to battle a army of nazi rocketeers.come on we want another.one of the best music scores ever.a classic movie that wont date like terminator 2.
I don't know much about Bill Campbell, but the presence of Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin, Timothy Dalton and Paul Sorvino should have improved the movie a lot more.