The Rocketeer (1991)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Joe Johnston

Writers (WGA):

Dave Stevens (graphic novel "The Rocketeer")
Danny Bilson (story) ...

Release Date:

21 June 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Family | Sci-Fi

Plot:

A young pilot stumbles onto a prototype jetpack that allows him to become a high flying masked hero.

Plot Keywords:

Nazi | Gangster | Aviation | Blimp | 1930s

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Bill Campbell	...	Cliff Secord
Jennifer Connelly	...	Jenny Blake
Alan Arkin	...	A. 'Peevy' Peabody
Timothy Dalton	...	Neville Sinclair
Paul Sorvino	...	Eddie Valentine
Terry O'Quinn	...	Howard Hughes
Ed Lauter	...	Agent Fitch
James Handy	...	Agent 'Wooly' Wolinski
Tiny Ron	...	Lothar / Good Old Boy
Robert Miranda	...	Spanish Johnny (as Robert Guy Miranda)
John Lavachielli	...	Rusty, Valentine Hood
Jon Polito	...	Otis Bigelow
Eddie Jones	...	Malcolm the Mechanic
William Sanderson	...	Skeets
Don Pugsley	...	Goose

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:10 (original rating) | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-12/9 | France:U | Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Ennis-Brown House - 2655 Glendower Avenue, Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Walt Disney Pictures

Trivia:

The reproduction of the Gee Bee racer flown by Cliff Secord is currently on display at the Museum Of Flight in Seattle, WA. The original Gee Bee this aircraft was based on was painted in the same color scheme as the one used in the movie, however the original was named the "City of Springfield" and was flown by pilot Lowell Bayles. Bayles flew barefoot, as he said it gave him a better feel of the rudder. He was killed flying this airplane while making a record speed attempt in December 1931.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The movie makes a reference to the "Spruce Goose". The concept of the plane did not occur until 1942, not 1938 as seems stated in the movie.

Quotes:

Cliff Secord: Jenny, prepare yourself for a shock: I'm the Rocketeer.
Jenny: The Rocke-who?
Cliff Secord: [frustrated] Oh for crying out loud, haven't you read the papers?
Jenny: [beat] No, I've been working all day.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Fanboys (2008)

Soundtrack:

DRUM MAJORETTE

Two-fisted tribute to the serials of yesteryear

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*! Sadly, Jennifer Connelly is unable to make much of an impression as Campbell's eye-candy girlfriend, an old-fashioned heroine who lacks autonomy and is almost entirely dependent on her co-star's strength and bravery. 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! Yep, this is one movie where you *definitely* get your money's worth!!

Produced today, the script (by Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo) might have been co-opted by some overpriced 'star' whose off-screen notoriety could sap the magic out of every frame. 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. It carries none of the baggage that a major celebrity would have brought to it, and is simply a thrill-ride, no more or less, packaged and presented as a widescreen spectacle for audiences young and old (and DO try to see the film in its original Panavision dimensions). Incredibly, the movie underperformed at the American box-office, despite playing in 70mm (blown up from the original 35mm) at selected venues, though it has since found an appreciative audience on TV and home video. Originally released in the UK as ROCKETEER, an unnecessary abbreviation.