RocketMan (1997)

Director:

Stuart Gillard

Writers (WGA):

Oren Aviv (story) &
Craig Mazin (story) ...

Release Date:

10 October 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Romance | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

He's just taking up space!

Plot:

Fred Z. Randall is geeky and obnoxious spacecraft designer, who gets the chance to make his dream come...

Plot Keywords:

Reference To A White Picket Fence | Title Based On Song | Flatulence | Chimpanzee

Cast

Harland Williams	...	Fred Z. Randall
Jessica Lundy	...	Julie Ford
William Sadler	...	'Wild Bill' Overbeck
Jeffrey DeMunn	...	Paul Wick
James Pickens Jr.	...	Ben Stevens
Beau Bridges	...	Bud Nesbitt
Peter Onorati	...	Gary Hackman
Don Lake	...	Flight Surgeon
Bill Jenkins	...	Mission Controller (as William Arthur Jenkins)
Ken Farmer	...	Mission Controller
Blake Boyd	...	Gordon A. Peacock
Brandon Kaplan	...	Young Fred
Paxton Whitehead	...	British Reporter
Don Armstrong	...	Anchorman
Pamela West	...	Nun

Also Known As:

Rocket Man (USA) (alternative spelling)

MPAA:

Rated PG for language, crude humor and thematic elements.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Germany:6 | Portugal:M/6 (video premiere) | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Houston, Texas, USA

Company:

Caravan Pictures

Trivia:

The filmmakers spent nine weeks at the Johnson Space Center, in Houston, Texas, shooting at the famous Rocket Park (the gargantuan Building 9 that houses all of the spacecraft mock-ups for the ongoing shuttle missions) and Building 32, which houses the world's largest thermal vacuum chamber and simulates all conditions of outer space (except zero gravity).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Fred starts braking wind in his space suit, Bill and Fred's helmets can be seen without glass, but later on you can see the reflection of the glass.

Quotes:

Fred Randall: You're alive Little Billy!
William Overbeck: Don't you ever call me little Billy!
Fred Randall: That's no way to talk to your mother!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Seeing Red (#6.19)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

Tossin' & Turnin'

Painful To Watch

I'm in the minority on this, but I really disliked this film.

I generally like to watch Harland Williams. Typically, he's a fine straight man, but sometimes, his dry wit shows through. In Rocketman, however, he has allowed himself to be reduced to sophomoric antics worthy of any SNL reject (and I say that with all due respect) and appears to belong in a Rob Schneider movie.

Quite frankly, this was too painful to watch. The character wasn't funny. He was pathetically moronic...sad...not funny. This has been heralded as awesome, and hilarious, but neither is this funny, nor is it awe inspiring. It's just stupid, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

I was not entertained, nor was I amused with this film.

It rates a a 1.2/10 from...

the Fiend :.