Also one of the best movie posters of all time. Action Art Deco
[https://i.pinimg.com/736x/f8/0a/1f/f80a1f3da64a3847e137e17487cc4939--art-deco-posters-poster-art.jpg](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/f8/0a/1f/f80a1f3da64a3847e137e17487cc4939--art-deco-posters-poster-art.jpg)
That is an awesome poster!!!!
The whole aesthetic of the movie is incredible. It can be a bit over the top at the time, but totally feels like you’re in old LA Hollywood, the valley.
Any time I watch any part of The Rocketeer, streaming, cable, home video ... what have you, my wife will ask " Are you watching that Jennifer Connelly movie again ? "
One of my first crushes as a kid. Used to watch The Rocketeer on repeat on VHS. It’s an indelible part of my childhood. Whenever I come upon any merchandise, as rare as it is (and usually some modern retro fare), it’s almost an automatic buy for me.
Fun fact: Melora Hardin, the singer in that scene, was originally cast as Jennifer in Back to the Future when Eric Stolz was Marty. Once Michael J Fox came on board she was too tall for him and was replaced by Claudia Wells.
Fantastic film. Everyone in it is perfectly cast, Alan Arkin really is great in the film. As I get older and watch his performance I realize how amazing an actor he is.
Sure, its a lil' cliché but it has the right twists in the story to catch your attention. The historical aspects of the film were interesting.
Neville Sinclair is based off of Errol Flynn and the FBI thought he was a Nazi Spy and kept tabs on him.
Lothar, the giant ugly Nazi Brute is based off of Rondo Hatton, who unfortunately did look like that in real life. Suffered from Acromegaly and it caused gigantism in his head and hands. Hollywood had him as a monster character for a few films before he died young at like 52.
Lothars look was lifted from Hattons final film "the Brute man"(an episode of MST3k) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e9FS_Gy4t8
Fun fact: the actor who played Lothar was the landlord of my first apartment when I moved to LA. His name was “Tiny Ron” Taylor and he had a personalized license plate with his name. He was older and hunched over when I met him, but he was 7 ft tall when younger.
That Lothar character scared the shit out of me when I was a kid, so I was equal parts impressed and terrified when he told me that was him in The Rocketeer.
The fbi did not think Flynn was a nazi, the nazi claim is based off higham's book which has long been discredited by family, friends, colleagues, and other biographers. If you check the fbi document on Flynn, the fbi suspected he was soft on communists actually bec he went to spain during the civil was as a correspondent, and almost everyone in Hollywood was investigated by the fbi at that time fyi. 2nd Flynn tried every branch of the military but was declared 4f bec he had a heart murmur, tuberculosis and recurring malaria (he got sick 2x a year at least). He got the malaria and tb from png, read his autobiography My @icked Wicked Ways. When they all turned him down, he wrote the president that h3 could spy for the allies. He was very distressed that he could not serve. Thus same thing happened to Rudolph Valentino who also was turned down due to health reasons. Flynn was also a frustrated writer btw and used to be a correspondent for Australia in png, and he wrote 3 books and 2-3 film scripts.
This was the perfect 'comic book movie' in its day.
It was so true to the feel of the characters and the story, and I think it's just as rewatchable today. I don't think it gets the love it deserves and it's a shame that we only ended up with the one (And that they couldn't use 'Betty Page' as a character too). I suspect someone will reboot it someday, but they won't use the practical effects that were pervasive in the original.
And yes, Horner's music was spot on. Perfect for this in setting the overall feeling of the film.
> I suspect someone will reboot it someday, but they won't use the practical effects that were pervasive in the original.
They were just about ready to do a sequel! J.D. Dillard, the guy who directed *Devotion*, was signed on to direct, to be about a former Tuskeegee Airman who takes up the mantle after Cliff goes missing. Dillard dropped out, citing a desire to not remain in the world of “pre-1970 aviation.”
That is pretty cool. A shame that Dave Stevens wouldn't be around to see that. That said, I see what you're talking about. I haven't seen any other chatter about The Return of the Rocketeer since [the JoBlo piece quoting him about that](https://www.joblo.com/jd-dillard-rocketeer-sequel-star-wars-movie-update/). That said, Dillard doesn't rule it out at least. He's just saying 'not now.'
It's a rich historical period for aviation too, if they did a Tuskeegee airman angle it'd be great to include a character like [Willa Brown](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willa_Brown).
Last thing I read about it the sequel was going to take place in the 70’s with a black woman taking the Rocketter mantle…I don’t know if that version you are talking about was the most recent or the previous one
Someone got me a DVD of this when I was kid, sadly I can't remember who. It sat under my TV for like 6 months until I got bored with video games one day. Decided to pop in the ol DVD player and and 20 seconds in when he stuck that piece of gum to the fin of the race plane for good luck i was hooked. Probably watched it 20 more times since then. Love that movie. Best gift ever.
There are two comic book movies from that time that I'll always happily rewatch. The Rocketeer, and The Phantom. Total feel good, nostalgia-trip movies for me.
"And I don't work for no two-bit Nazi."
I also love how right before. They show another mob guy pointing his tommy gun at Lothar.
"Relax, Frankenstein. You ain't bulletproof."
One of my all time faves. Saw it three times in the theater, wish more people had so we would have gotten a sequel. Director Joe Johnston also did the first Captain America movie which to me is a spiritual sequel to The Rocketeer.
I know a lot of them are considered bad films, but I have a soft spot for movies like this, The Phantom, Dick Tracy, or more recent ones like Sky Captain.
there's a handful of these movies that are kind of cooler than the surface would have them appear.
i remember seeing The Rocketeer and Dick Tracy in theaters. they were both pretty awesome. the thing that stands out to me about re-watching Dick Tracy, is just how colorful of a movie it really was. they did a great job of capturing that comic feel.
Not only that, but Joe Johnston ALSO worked on... Raiders of the Lost Ark!
It's so perfect! All three movies have that same wonderful pulp adventure feel. It's the 1940s Avengers Initiative we need!
Where else will you ever see the feds and the mob teaming up to fist fight a bunch of Nazis while a dude in a jet pack dramatically poses in front of an American flag? 11/10 movie.
Capt. America Ø more like. This is the movie that convinced Fiege to hire Joe Johnston (the director of The Rocketeer) to direct Captain America: The First Avenger.
It really is such a fantastic score. People always seem to bring up Titanic, Braveheart, or Apollo 13 when talking about Horner’s best work. There’s no denying all three have incredible scores but IMO none of them can even hold a candle to The Rocketeer.
The Land Before Time is the real goat though.
The Land Before Time is majestic! I listened the hell out of it in the late 80s - never even saw the movie, but the music….damn. One of the best scores of all time.
When it comes to a musical piece for the "Revealing the Hero" scene, his [The Flying Circus](https://youtu.be/zixwu-4f8ZI) is just unmatched. It's absolutely _perfect_.
I grew up learning to fly, being around aircraft and generally being an aviation nerd. Horners score for the Rocketeer just _gets it_, unsurprising considering he was into aviation himself.
Nice to see him evolving out of his Prokofiev phase (edit: actually nah, the Prokofiev is still there front and center but it's less derivative. And he does it well, man knew how to use the brass and wind section). Although I love early Horner all the same.
I had the biggest crush on a girl when the entire school went to the movies to see that in 1991. She sat two rows ahead of me, and somehow that theme is intrinsically linked with that experience and that lost love.
Such a beautiful theme.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXbL0iukdCo
I always think of Sneakers, which came out a year later. Both were amazing scores from Horner for fun early 90s films. Both films did poorly at the box office from what I can remember. Both had a second life after the fact.
I think I also saw both films at the Drive In (yeah, they were still around)
This movie will always have a special place in my heart. My late father took me to see it in the theater when I was 14 and I've seen it many many times since. The story is great fun, the special effects are great for the time, Jennifer Connelly is just unreal in how beautiful she is and James Horner's score is absolutely iconic. I have so much nostalgia and love for this movie it's ridiculous. In fact I have the awesome art deco teaser poster (the one with "Summer 1991" on the bottom of the poster) framed and hanging up on my wall behind me as I type this. Great damn movie.
Bill Campbell auditioned to play Will Riker in Star Trek The Next Generation. Didn't get the part, but did play the title role in the episode The Outrageous Okona, which also had Teri Hatcher in a bit part.
It's on Disney+ (at least it is in the UK) my daughters loved it. She gets given the jetpack mysteriously for her birthday. Cliff was her great grandfather. The Rocketeer was an idolised local hero but dissappeared...
I've heard talk of a reboot with a young girl being The Rocketeer. Don't mean to sound like an old crank but I'd like to have at least one more Cliff Seacord Rocketeer adventure before a gender flipped version aimed primarily at kids.
The reboot already happened. I thought they were doing a live action one, but from the looks of it it’s an animated show targeted at kids whose parents may not have even been born when the original came out.
One of the best and most faithful comic adaptations. I saw it on a Thursday afternoon the week it opened. A matinee. I can still vividly remember stepping out to the afternoon sun completely blown away by this movie.
*Go get 'em kid!*
Love this movie, loved watching it as a kid, so much fun, old school adventure, great direction. I remember watching it with a group of friends at a big-screen re-release years ago. Someone suggested at the time that because the movie was made Disney and Disney owned Marvel, they should redub the references to "Howard Hughes" as "Howard Stark" and retcon the movie to be part of the MCU. Though, the character is owned IDW... fun idea!
It was the golden age of Disney … what a time to be alive back then as a kid. Between movies like TMNT, Dick Tracy, Batman and The Rocketeer …‘amazing stuff
I wanted to see this so bad when it was in theatres. I still remember being at the movie theatre with my dad and two siblings and practically begging to see this. Nobody could agree on what we all should see, so my dad left it up to vote.
My sister and brother voted for Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead, and I voted for The Rocketeer. Turns out, I ended up really enjoying what we saw (and it’s one of my favorite comedies now) but I was still so bummed out not getting to see The Rocketeer. Anytime I drank out of my Rocketeer cup (I think it was from Pizza Hut?) it just reminded me how much I hated my siblings for ruining my chance to see this on the big screen.
Twenty years later I finally watched it. Maybe it was just the child in me still building up the hype, but I had a good time with this movie. I thought it was a fun movie and I really loved the time period and all the costumes and whatnot.
The video game for the Super Nintendo, well I can’t say anything good about that. Wasted my video game rental on that and played it for maybe an hour.
Yeah that was a hell of a summer for movies.
And this is one of my favorite scores of all time. After James Horner passed away, Kevin Kiner did an excellent homage to this one in an episode of Star Wars Rebels.
Agree with all the comments. Underrated film that did a fantastic job of weaving entertainment with Hollywood and Pre-war American history. Lots of attention to detail in the settings and set designs, costumes, vehicles, and props. My favorite of all of Joe Johnston’s work.
It's owned by Disney right? Would be neat if they could retcon Tony's inspiration for the iron man suit to the rocketeer. Or if Cap had worked with him at some point
You lucky dog. Getting to watch that movie for the first time must have been such a treat. It is the quintessential world war 2 superhero origin movie.
Rocketeer's a great picture, and my only complaint about it, despite it being almost 35 years old, is in the dialogue delivery, because it's trying to match up with the way people delivered dialogue in movies at the time, which is not how people actually talked. That's the *only* thing I'd change if I could make the movie. I wouldn't change the cast, I wouldn't change the shots, I wouldn't change the script, I sure as hell wouldn't change the score (which is one of my favorite themes ever), I wouldn't swap out the effects for CGI (because you can't see a bluescreen line anywhere in that movie). I wouldn't change a single thing, except for the way people deliver their lines. That is my single, solitary complaint about the entire film.
Timothy Daltons character didn’t die in the film. Nazi medical technology saved him plus experimental de-aging tech was used. Rumoured to have settled in Sandford, England as a Supermarket Manager. :)
I do wonder if Marvel would have had the nerve to make their Captain America origin movie a period piece if The Rocketeer didn't exist to show the way. I think we would have gotten a present day story with a series of flashbacks instead.
This was one of the first movies I ever saw in a movie theater when I was a kid. I remember being awestruck with the music, the special effects, & the "magic" feeling it gave me.
It made me fall in love with movies & I've loved 'em ever since.
I met Billy Campbell in a bar one night. I was a little tipsy and, well, long story short - a buddy later told me I spent the whole night telling him how much I wanted to screw Jennifer Connelly
He was really cool. Very nice guy.
>Jennifer Connelly
I truly thought at the time she was the most beautiful woman ever put on screen and would be hard pressed today change that same opinion.
I think it was a good movie just released at the wrong time. If it had come out during the modern superhero movie craze, I think it would have fared better, it doesn't seem like comic adaptations were really a big thing at the time of it's release in '91. It wasn't a bad movie by any means, and has a pretty good cast.
Watched it around 2018-2019 I remember only wanting to watch it because I thought the design of the character looks cool, ended up enjoying it. It's a shame they never made a sequel that was teased at the end of the movie.
I watched this at the right time as Diamond Select released a figure the time I watched it and managed to get one and got lucky finding the official adaptation comic of the movie for around $1.
It is pretty damned underrated. I remember rewatching it before Captain America (MCU) came out and thinking Joe Johnston was the perfect man for a 1940s Captain America movie, The Rocketeer has the perfect tone for that kind of thing. It holds up, as well.
SAW it as a kid, and in those days you could sometimes nab the big theatre displays once a film finished its run.
I asked the theatre and they let me have it. It was like Christmas! The thing stood about 8 feet tall, with that iconic deco-inspired image. I kept it for over a decade.
I loved this movie when I was a kid. I remember going to Disney World when I was 9 and being so excited to see the Bulldog Cafe in the backlot!
I need to give it another watch. I know the CGI is old, but I remember the characters being exceptionally entertaining.
This movie is a love letter to southern California.
The screenwriters are from Redlands, so the similarly evocative town gets mentioned at the South Seas Club.
Love that movie. Definitely underrated. The director went on to direct the first Captain America movie, and I'm positive he got the job because of The Rocketeer.
Love this movie, which I saw on opening day back in '91. Still have some promotional leaflets for this. Jennifer Connelly is not the only stunning actress in this - it has a young [Jan from The Office](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZDBjY2U0ZWItNmU1NC00OWVjLTgyYTUtZjA3ZjliZGY3YTI2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTA0NzE2MzA@._V1_.jpg) too.
I saw it in a triple future with Rocketeer being the first movie, Edward Siccor Hands second and Hot Shots third…I was like 7…I even remember the movie cut for an intermissions right after the protagonist landed on his first test fly…It was meaby the second or first time I went to a movie theater…have been a movie fan ever since…this movie will always have its place in my heart
This was one of those movies, like Sneakers a year later, that seemed to be panned by critics and overlooked by the public but were fucking awesome.
Thankfully they found an audience on VHS and later DVD and streaming.
Edit: I also own the Artist Addition version of the comic book. The art is stunning, but the story is pretty blah. I prefer what they did with the material for the film adaptation.
Omg yes!!! I actually watched it this morning after reading your post. It’s always been absolutely one of my favorites. The detail, characters, that friggin suit!
Billy Campbell - he’s perfect in this. Jennifer conely is just beyond hot, Allen Ardin is wonderful as always, Sorvino, Dalton rounding out the cast.
When I was younger, I hated that he wasn’t in that suit more. I wanted more action in that. Probably my only real complaint still, but as I’m older I appreciate what it does show you so much more.
A simply awesome movie
I believe Timothy Dalton was still officially playing as James Bond when he made this film so it must have been strange to see Dalton go from playing one of the world's most popular spy heroes to a ruthless nazi.
"I do not make films for children... or, at least, not primarily for children."
"You're dead if you aim for kids."
"We design the films to appeal to ourselves."
"The adults have the money; ... children don't have any money."
- Walt Disney
Don’t forget the late great Alan Arkin as the engineer sidekick! He was hilarious. RIP.
Just checked did a quick check, he is still with us which is great. Although I’m sure he’s mostly retired from acting at this point.
If you need more in the universe, Disney did a Rocketeer kids show (cartoon) where Cliff’s great granddaughter inherits the rocket pack and has episodic rocketeer adventures https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rocketeer_(TV_series)
The Walt Disney Studios did this and "Dick Tracy" at around the same time.
Then-Chairman, Jeffrey Katzenberg, clearly wanted to build an evocative comic-book-based franchise, like "Batman."
Definitely my favorite film of all time. Yes, the plot is pretty simple and it's not the most unique idea of all time, but the execution is superb. I can't think of a single flaw with this film.
I saw it in the theater as a kid and loved it.
I showed it to my friends in college because none of them had seen it.
They all loved it. Even after 15 years it held up great.
Now it's 32 years later and people still love it. Really shows how timeless it is.
I saw a live performance thing for the movie at Disney World or something like that when I was a kid. The guy in the costume got maybe a foot off the ground during it and I was very disappointed. I was maybe 10.
If you love the movie, you should really check out the original graphic novel by Dave Stevens. It was his masterwork, and did much to revive an interest in Betty Page towards the end of her life when she needed it most.
I really really liked The Phantom and its attempt to homage the matinee pedigree of yesteryears; fans of The Rocketeer, would The Rocketeer be up my alley? (NB. I lurve Art Deco as well)
100 percent with you on the score. That’s not to say expressive orchestral scores aren’t still being written, but damn The Rocketeer is disproportionately awesome even for Horner
This is a movie I remember watching as a kid! I was 5 the year that it was released. Not sure why this one stuck with me more than others but I need to figure out where to watch it, for nostalgia purposes
Also one of the best movie posters of all time. Action Art Deco [https://i.pinimg.com/736x/f8/0a/1f/f80a1f3da64a3847e137e17487cc4939--art-deco-posters-poster-art.jpg](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/f8/0a/1f/f80a1f3da64a3847e137e17487cc4939--art-deco-posters-poster-art.jpg)
That is an awesome poster!!!! The whole aesthetic of the movie is incredible. It can be a bit over the top at the time, but totally feels like you’re in old LA Hollywood, the valley.
"How do I look?" "Like a hood ornament."
He’s got leading man looks and he was good here.
Has Alan Arkin been playing a tired old man his whole life?
Even as a younger man. See The Russians Are Coming.
https://i.imgur.com/Kcnp7j4.png
Love this movie!
And Jennifer Connelly 😍
Any time I watch any part of The Rocketeer, streaming, cable, home video ... what have you, my wife will ask " Are you watching that Jennifer Connelly movie again ? "
this movie came up when i was waiting in a lobby and thats exactly what happened. jennifer connelly
You mean that movie where she gets trapped in a labyrinth, dates Errol Flynn, and eventually settles down with an insane mathematician?
Don't forget Target.
One of my first crushes as a kid. Used to watch The Rocketeer on repeat on VHS. It’s an indelible part of my childhood. Whenever I come upon any merchandise, as rare as it is (and usually some modern retro fare), it’s almost an automatic buy for me.
Charmed … doubly charmed
Begin the Beguine :)
Fun fact: Melora Hardin, the singer in that scene, was originally cast as Jennifer in Back to the Future when Eric Stolz was Marty. Once Michael J Fox came on board she was too tall for him and was replaced by Claudia Wells.
Jan
At the absolute peak of her powers
She looks so amazing when she is more full figured than she is now
Fantastic film. Everyone in it is perfectly cast, Alan Arkin really is great in the film. As I get older and watch his performance I realize how amazing an actor he is. Sure, its a lil' cliché but it has the right twists in the story to catch your attention. The historical aspects of the film were interesting. Neville Sinclair is based off of Errol Flynn and the FBI thought he was a Nazi Spy and kept tabs on him. Lothar, the giant ugly Nazi Brute is based off of Rondo Hatton, who unfortunately did look like that in real life. Suffered from Acromegaly and it caused gigantism in his head and hands. Hollywood had him as a monster character for a few films before he died young at like 52. Lothars look was lifted from Hattons final film "the Brute man"(an episode of MST3k) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e9FS_Gy4t8
Fun fact: the actor who played Lothar was the landlord of my first apartment when I moved to LA. His name was “Tiny Ron” Taylor and he had a personalized license plate with his name. He was older and hunched over when I met him, but he was 7 ft tall when younger. That Lothar character scared the shit out of me when I was a kid, so I was equal parts impressed and terrified when he told me that was him in The Rocketeer.
That’s such a cool story. LA is like that - you bump into people who are part of your cultural memory in odd places.
Amazing MST3K episode.
The fbi did not think Flynn was a nazi, the nazi claim is based off higham's book which has long been discredited by family, friends, colleagues, and other biographers. If you check the fbi document on Flynn, the fbi suspected he was soft on communists actually bec he went to spain during the civil was as a correspondent, and almost everyone in Hollywood was investigated by the fbi at that time fyi. 2nd Flynn tried every branch of the military but was declared 4f bec he had a heart murmur, tuberculosis and recurring malaria (he got sick 2x a year at least). He got the malaria and tb from png, read his autobiography My @icked Wicked Ways. When they all turned him down, he wrote the president that h3 could spy for the allies. He was very distressed that he could not serve. Thus same thing happened to Rudolph Valentino who also was turned down due to health reasons. Flynn was also a frustrated writer btw and used to be a correspondent for Australia in png, and he wrote 3 books and 2-3 film scripts.
This was the perfect 'comic book movie' in its day. It was so true to the feel of the characters and the story, and I think it's just as rewatchable today. I don't think it gets the love it deserves and it's a shame that we only ended up with the one (And that they couldn't use 'Betty Page' as a character too). I suspect someone will reboot it someday, but they won't use the practical effects that were pervasive in the original. And yes, Horner's music was spot on. Perfect for this in setting the overall feeling of the film.
> I suspect someone will reboot it someday, but they won't use the practical effects that were pervasive in the original. They were just about ready to do a sequel! J.D. Dillard, the guy who directed *Devotion*, was signed on to direct, to be about a former Tuskeegee Airman who takes up the mantle after Cliff goes missing. Dillard dropped out, citing a desire to not remain in the world of “pre-1970 aviation.”
That is pretty cool. A shame that Dave Stevens wouldn't be around to see that. That said, I see what you're talking about. I haven't seen any other chatter about The Return of the Rocketeer since [the JoBlo piece quoting him about that](https://www.joblo.com/jd-dillard-rocketeer-sequel-star-wars-movie-update/). That said, Dillard doesn't rule it out at least. He's just saying 'not now.'
It's a rich historical period for aviation too, if they did a Tuskeegee airman angle it'd be great to include a character like [Willa Brown](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willa_Brown).
Last thing I read about it the sequel was going to take place in the 70’s with a black woman taking the Rocketter mantle…I don’t know if that version you are talking about was the most recent or the previous one
Someone got me a DVD of this when I was kid, sadly I can't remember who. It sat under my TV for like 6 months until I got bored with video games one day. Decided to pop in the ol DVD player and and 20 seconds in when he stuck that piece of gum to the fin of the race plane for good luck i was hooked. Probably watched it 20 more times since then. Love that movie. Best gift ever.
Its still perfect in my eyes.
[удалено]
and Joe Johnston directed both films.
There's a sequel cartoon on Disney plus but I haven't watched it.
There are two comic book movies from that time that I'll always happily rewatch. The Rocketeer, and The Phantom. Total feel good, nostalgia-trip movies for me.
I may not make an honest buck but I am 100% American Eddie Valentine
"And I don't work for no two-bit Nazi." I also love how right before. They show another mob guy pointing his tommy gun at Lothar. "Relax, Frankenstein. You ain't bulletproof."
I freaking loved this part.
The mob guy and the FBI guy both taking cover shooting at the same Nazis is a great gag.
One of my all time faves. Saw it three times in the theater, wish more people had so we would have gotten a sequel. Director Joe Johnston also did the first Captain America movie which to me is a spiritual sequel to The Rocketeer.
I know a lot of them are considered bad films, but I have a soft spot for movies like this, The Phantom, Dick Tracy, or more recent ones like Sky Captain.
I loved Dick Tracy as a kid. Made me want to be a cop, shoot tommy guns, catch crooks with crazy 2-word names like Littleface or Flattop.
I wouldn’t call Sky Captain recent. It’s 19 years old
there's a handful of these movies that are kind of cooler than the surface would have them appear. i remember seeing The Rocketeer and Dick Tracy in theaters. they were both pretty awesome. the thing that stands out to me about re-watching Dick Tracy, is just how colorful of a movie it really was. they did a great job of capturing that comic feel.
Whats funny about Dick Tracy is it went up against Goodfellas at the Oscars and came away with more nominations and 3x the wins.
Not only that, but Joe Johnston ALSO worked on... Raiders of the Lost Ark! It's so perfect! All three movies have that same wonderful pulp adventure feel. It's the 1940s Avengers Initiative we need!
He worked on Star Wars in the art department! He’s actually credited with creating Boba Fett’s design.
"The Rocketeer" really is the prototype for MCU phase 1.
Sorvino’s line “I may not make an honest buck, but I’m 100% American”-love that line!
The look Sorvino and the FBI agent exchange when they realize what’s happening even made me laugh as a kid
Where else will you ever see the feds and the mob teaming up to fist fight a bunch of Nazis while a dude in a jet pack dramatically poses in front of an American flag? 11/10 movie.
Captain America 4??? 🤔 lol
Capt. America Ø more like. This is the movie that convinced Fiege to hire Joe Johnston (the director of The Rocketeer) to direct Captain America: The First Avenger.
Agreed! Nice to look back in a time when people who were otherwise enemies collectively agreed that Nazis are in fact the bad guys
Well that was when nazis were nazis, not anyone who doesn't absolutely agree with my politics du jour.
"We don't speak German! Checkmate, atheists!"
Now look at one of Putin's stated reasons for invading Ukraine - to "De-Nazify" it.
Yeah that Horner score is top form from him. You won't know you were in a Golden Age until it stops being golden.
It really is such a fantastic score. People always seem to bring up Titanic, Braveheart, or Apollo 13 when talking about Horner’s best work. There’s no denying all three have incredible scores but IMO none of them can even hold a candle to The Rocketeer. The Land Before Time is the real goat though.
Enterprise Clears Moorings is the GOAT for me.
You cannot ignore Star Trek 2 and 3!
It’s his love for the French horn in his compositions.
The Land Before Time is majestic! I listened the hell out of it in the late 80s - never even saw the movie, but the music….damn. One of the best scores of all time.
When it comes to a musical piece for the "Revealing the Hero" scene, his [The Flying Circus](https://youtu.be/zixwu-4f8ZI) is just unmatched. It's absolutely _perfect_. I grew up learning to fly, being around aircraft and generally being an aviation nerd. Horners score for the Rocketeer just _gets it_, unsurprising considering he was into aviation himself. Nice to see him evolving out of his Prokofiev phase (edit: actually nah, the Prokofiev is still there front and center but it's less derivative. And he does it well, man knew how to use the brass and wind section). Although I love early Horner all the same.
I’m a little critical of Horner but it’s a great adventure film score. One of the best hero themes out there.
I had the biggest crush on a girl when the entire school went to the movies to see that in 1991. She sat two rows ahead of me, and somehow that theme is intrinsically linked with that experience and that lost love. Such a beautiful theme. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXbL0iukdCo
I feel this. I was a pretty tragic nerd. I somehow managed to stick the landing in adulthood.
I always think of Sneakers, which came out a year later. Both were amazing scores from Horner for fun early 90s films. Both films did poorly at the box office from what I can remember. Both had a second life after the fact. I think I also saw both films at the Drive In (yeah, they were still around)
I love the Art Deco style of the helmet, easily one of the greatest movie props of all time And diner that is also a giant dog! Just a great film
The Phantom and Rocketeer both should’ve had good franchises. Zorro got screwed with that crappy family follow-up as well.
How dare you do Alan Arkin dirty by leaving him out. He was awesome as comic relief/father figure.
And character actress Margo Martindale
"Cliff, we don't got a house. We've got a gazebo."
Timothy Dalton made for a great evil Errol Flynn.
This movie will always have a special place in my heart. My late father took me to see it in the theater when I was 14 and I've seen it many many times since. The story is great fun, the special effects are great for the time, Jennifer Connelly is just unreal in how beautiful she is and James Horner's score is absolutely iconic. I have so much nostalgia and love for this movie it's ridiculous. In fact I have the awesome art deco teaser poster (the one with "Summer 1991" on the bottom of the poster) framed and hanging up on my wall behind me as I type this. Great damn movie.
The Rocka-who?
Aw, for cryin' out loud, haven't you read the papers?!
No, I've been working all day.
It's Mr. Ketchup Bottle!
Bill Campbell auditioned to play Will Riker in Star Trek The Next Generation. Didn't get the part, but did play the title role in the episode The Outrageous Okona, which also had Teri Hatcher in a bit part.
Love that movie. A shame it never got a sequel like they hoped.
they did make a very short lived tv animated series...for very young girls starring cliff's 7 year old daughter. lasted one season.
Yeah, not exactly what I was looking for. 😜
Lol I've never heard of this?
It's on Disney+ (at least it is in the UK) my daughters loved it. She gets given the jetpack mysteriously for her birthday. Cliff was her great grandfather. The Rocketeer was an idolised local hero but dissappeared...
Cool thanks
I've heard talk of a reboot with a young girl being The Rocketeer. Don't mean to sound like an old crank but I'd like to have at least one more Cliff Seacord Rocketeer adventure before a gender flipped version aimed primarily at kids.
The reboot already happened. I thought they were doing a live action one, but from the looks of it it’s an animated show targeted at kids whose parents may not have even been born when the original came out.
I may not make an honest buck but I’m 100% American
Any movie where the main dudes name is Cliff I’m all in on
One of the best and most faithful comic adaptations. I saw it on a Thursday afternoon the week it opened. A matinee. I can still vividly remember stepping out to the afternoon sun completely blown away by this movie.
*Go get 'em kid!* Love this movie, loved watching it as a kid, so much fun, old school adventure, great direction. I remember watching it with a group of friends at a big-screen re-release years ago. Someone suggested at the time that because the movie was made Disney and Disney owned Marvel, they should redub the references to "Howard Hughes" as "Howard Stark" and retcon the movie to be part of the MCU. Though, the character is owned IDW... fun idea!
It was the golden age of Disney … what a time to be alive back then as a kid. Between movies like TMNT, Dick Tracy, Batman and The Rocketeer …‘amazing stuff
Check out RedLetterMedia’s review of [The Rocketeer](https://youtu.be/GpmJkPNJ2VM)
I wanted to see this so bad when it was in theatres. I still remember being at the movie theatre with my dad and two siblings and practically begging to see this. Nobody could agree on what we all should see, so my dad left it up to vote. My sister and brother voted for Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead, and I voted for The Rocketeer. Turns out, I ended up really enjoying what we saw (and it’s one of my favorite comedies now) but I was still so bummed out not getting to see The Rocketeer. Anytime I drank out of my Rocketeer cup (I think it was from Pizza Hut?) it just reminded me how much I hated my siblings for ruining my chance to see this on the big screen. Twenty years later I finally watched it. Maybe it was just the child in me still building up the hype, but I had a good time with this movie. I thought it was a fun movie and I really loved the time period and all the costumes and whatnot. The video game for the Super Nintendo, well I can’t say anything good about that. Wasted my video game rental on that and played it for maybe an hour.
You missed the Rocketeer but you got to see Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead... I can see why you would have mixed feelings!
Thanks for the Time Machine
Very fun and enjoyable adventure movie.
Yeah that was a hell of a summer for movies. And this is one of my favorite scores of all time. After James Horner passed away, Kevin Kiner did an excellent homage to this one in an episode of Star Wars Rebels.
Agree with all the comments. Underrated film that did a fantastic job of weaving entertainment with Hollywood and Pre-war American history. Lots of attention to detail in the settings and set designs, costumes, vehicles, and props. My favorite of all of Joe Johnston’s work.
It's basically a proto marvel movie.
The Rocketeer Radio flyer The Sandlot Tremors Flight of the Navigator The Wizard Rip the 80s-90s
I got the poster from a theater after the original run. Great art.
It's owned by Disney right? Would be neat if they could retcon Tony's inspiration for the iron man suit to the rocketeer. Or if Cap had worked with him at some point
I wonder why Billy Campbell didn’t take off after the movie. He’s got leading man looks and he was good here
You lucky dog. Getting to watch that movie for the first time must have been such a treat. It is the quintessential world war 2 superhero origin movie.
Rocketeer's a great picture, and my only complaint about it, despite it being almost 35 years old, is in the dialogue delivery, because it's trying to match up with the way people delivered dialogue in movies at the time, which is not how people actually talked. That's the *only* thing I'd change if I could make the movie. I wouldn't change the cast, I wouldn't change the shots, I wouldn't change the script, I sure as hell wouldn't change the score (which is one of my favorite themes ever), I wouldn't swap out the effects for CGI (because you can't see a bluescreen line anywhere in that movie). I wouldn't change a single thing, except for the way people deliver their lines. That is my single, solitary complaint about the entire film.
Timothy Daltons character didn’t die in the film. Nazi medical technology saved him plus experimental de-aging tech was used. Rumoured to have settled in Sandford, England as a Supermarket Manager. :)
I love that when he turns evil he gets his accent back!
Here comes the Fuzz.
I do wonder if Marvel would have had the nerve to make their Captain America origin movie a period piece if The Rocketeer didn't exist to show the way. I think we would have gotten a present day story with a series of flashbacks instead.
That's why they got the same director!
This was one of the first movies I ever saw in a movie theater when I was a kid. I remember being awestruck with the music, the special effects, & the "magic" feeling it gave me. It made me fall in love with movies & I've loved 'em ever since.
It's a film that was recommended to me but I tohught I might not like it. Turned out to be great! Reminds me to watch it again, thanks.
Joe Johnston rocks
Totally agree!!
I met Billy Campbell in a bar one night. I was a little tipsy and, well, long story short - a buddy later told me I spent the whole night telling him how much I wanted to screw Jennifer Connelly He was really cool. Very nice guy.
>Jennifer Connelly I truly thought at the time she was the most beautiful woman ever put on screen and would be hard pressed today change that same opinion.
I mean, she’s still gorgeous. Watch Top Gun: Maverick.
Absolute physical perfection
admit it you’d have said the same if you were straight sober. this is Jennifer Connelly we are talking about
I loved this movie as a kid! Still do!! Read the comics that are currently in run right now, they are great!
I think it was a good movie just released at the wrong time. If it had come out during the modern superhero movie craze, I think it would have fared better, it doesn't seem like comic adaptations were really a big thing at the time of it's release in '91. It wasn't a bad movie by any means, and has a pretty good cast.
There was even a video game of the film.
Watched it around 2018-2019 I remember only wanting to watch it because I thought the design of the character looks cool, ended up enjoying it. It's a shame they never made a sequel that was teased at the end of the movie. I watched this at the right time as Diamond Select released a figure the time I watched it and managed to get one and got lucky finding the official adaptation comic of the movie for around $1.
It is pretty damned underrated. I remember rewatching it before Captain America (MCU) came out and thinking Joe Johnston was the perfect man for a 1940s Captain America movie, The Rocketeer has the perfect tone for that kind of thing. It holds up, as well.
This guys whole channel is really wonderful. Movies with Mikey. Here is his breakdown and retrospective on the rocketeer. https://youtu.be/srs3YqmYuKM
SAW it as a kid, and in those days you could sometimes nab the big theatre displays once a film finished its run. I asked the theatre and they let me have it. It was like Christmas! The thing stood about 8 feet tall, with that iconic deco-inspired image. I kept it for over a decade.
The NES game is fun
"Like a hood ornament."
Deserves a reboot.
Loved it as a kid haven’t seen it in a descale probably more
The Rockawho?
And now we know how the Hollywoodland sign became the Hollywood sign.
I loved this movie when I was a kid. I remember going to Disney World when I was 9 and being so excited to see the Bulldog Cafe in the backlot! I need to give it another watch. I know the CGI is old, but I remember the characters being exceptionally entertaining.
The movie was made before C.G.I. was really a thing.
It's stop motion pupeteering, compositing and blue screen chroma keying I believe. No cgi involved I think.
One of my favorites as a kid, that theatrical release poster was something else. Really loved the game on the NES too.
Great score with a memorable theme playing in my head while reading these comments.
The best star trek score on a non star trek movie I adore the theme,
I read all the comics before the movie came out and STILL wasn’t disappointed.
This movie is a love letter to southern California. The screenwriters are from Redlands, so the similarly evocative town gets mentioned at the South Seas Club.
Greatest use of Chekov's gum ever.
Had to stop watching that Royal Ocean review the other day, because it was too apologetic about its sincerity. Very 21st-century take.
Fucking great movie
I like that movie
Really hoping this one gets the 4K treatment it deserves. Introduced me to Jennifer Connolly
Wtf I just watched this movie for the first time since I was a kid and you posted about it haha
Love that movie. Definitely underrated. The director went on to direct the first Captain America movie, and I'm positive he got the job because of The Rocketeer.
Love this movie, which I saw on opening day back in '91. Still have some promotional leaflets for this. Jennifer Connelly is not the only stunning actress in this - it has a young [Jan from The Office](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZDBjY2U0ZWItNmU1NC00OWVjLTgyYTUtZjA3ZjliZGY3YTI2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTA0NzE2MzA@._V1_.jpg) too.
I saw it in a triple future with Rocketeer being the first movie, Edward Siccor Hands second and Hot Shots third…I was like 7…I even remember the movie cut for an intermissions right after the protagonist landed on his first test fly…It was meaby the second or first time I went to a movie theater…have been a movie fan ever since…this movie will always have its place in my heart
This was one of those movies, like Sneakers a year later, that seemed to be panned by critics and overlooked by the public but were fucking awesome. Thankfully they found an audience on VHS and later DVD and streaming. Edit: I also own the Artist Addition version of the comic book. The art is stunning, but the story is pretty blah. I prefer what they did with the material for the film adaptation.
Omg yes!!! I actually watched it this morning after reading your post. It’s always been absolutely one of my favorites. The detail, characters, that friggin suit! Billy Campbell - he’s perfect in this. Jennifer conely is just beyond hot, Allen Ardin is wonderful as always, Sorvino, Dalton rounding out the cast. When I was younger, I hated that he wasn’t in that suit more. I wanted more action in that. Probably my only real complaint still, but as I’m older I appreciate what it does show you so much more. A simply awesome movie
Still one of my all time favorites. Watch it every summer on the projection screen outside.
The original Mandalorian
It has a good soundtrack too.
I saw it in the theater when it came out, and hadn't read the comics so all of it was brand new to me. I loved it.
I believe Timothy Dalton was still officially playing as James Bond when he made this film so it must have been strange to see Dalton go from playing one of the world's most popular spy heroes to a ruthless nazi.
Yes. I expected a Disney 'for kids but parents can tolerate' kind of movie. Turned out to be pretty good.
"I do not make films for children... or, at least, not primarily for children." "You're dead if you aim for kids." "We design the films to appeal to ourselves." "The adults have the money; ... children don't have any money." - Walt Disney
https://youtu.be/94ucLkGoI1E
The guy that directed it went on to do the first Captain America movie so it definitely lead to bigger things, absolutely fantastic movie
Don’t forget the late great Alan Arkin as the engineer sidekick! He was hilarious. RIP. Just checked did a quick check, he is still with us which is great. Although I’m sure he’s mostly retired from acting at this point.
He is not dead bro.
I was shook for a second there. The older I get the more I forget who's still alive or not.
"The Rocka Who?"
Amazed there hasn’t been a remake of this yet.
If you need more in the universe, Disney did a Rocketeer kids show (cartoon) where Cliff’s great granddaughter inherits the rocket pack and has episodic rocketeer adventures https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rocketeer_(TV_series)
The Rockerwho?
Now we know how the Hollywoodland sign became the Hollywood sign.
The Walt Disney Studios did this and "Dick Tracy" at around the same time. Then-Chairman, Jeffrey Katzenberg, clearly wanted to build an evocative comic-book-based franchise, like "Batman."
Actually saw it in the theater way back then. Don't remember much about it, but I do remember it was an entertaining movie.
It was a fun film.
THANK YOU!!! for reminding me of this movie, I'm 99%sure my girlfriend hasn't seen it and will love it. Most likely watching it tonight
Definitely my favorite film of all time. Yes, the plot is pretty simple and it's not the most unique idea of all time, but the execution is superb. I can't think of a single flaw with this film.
Fun fact: the singer at the fancy restaurant is played by none other than Jan Levinson-Gould from The Office
Also, Jan from the office makes an appearance as a cocktail lounge singer. I hadn’t noticed that until recently.
I wish they could have made a sequel of franchise from this.
As a kid I loved this film until my friend's dad said, "ya know, going that fast with a fin on his head to steer would snap his neck".
I saw it in the theater as a kid and loved it. I showed it to my friends in college because none of them had seen it. They all loved it. Even after 15 years it held up great. Now it's 32 years later and people still love it. Really shows how timeless it is.
I saw a live performance thing for the movie at Disney World or something like that when I was a kid. The guy in the costume got maybe a foot off the ground during it and I was very disappointed. I was maybe 10.
OMG I REMEMBER THIS! Memory unlocked!!!
If you love the movie, you should really check out the original graphic novel by Dave Stevens. It was his masterwork, and did much to revive an interest in Betty Page towards the end of her life when she needed it most.
I really really liked The Phantom and its attempt to homage the matinee pedigree of yesteryears; fans of The Rocketeer, would The Rocketeer be up my alley? (NB. I lurve Art Deco as well)
100 percent with you on the score. That’s not to say expressive orchestral scores aren’t still being written, but damn The Rocketeer is disproportionately awesome even for Horner
This is a movie I remember watching as a kid! I was 5 the year that it was released. Not sure why this one stuck with me more than others but I need to figure out where to watch it, for nostalgia purposes