Leofwine_draca THE ROCKETEER is a fun, lightly-plotted throwback to the old-fashioned serials of the 1930s, featuring a hero fighting against a Nazi plot via his jet pack and plenty of two-fisted action. It sounds like fun and it is, at least to a degree; it's also a light, insubstantial, wishy-washy piece of Hollywood filmmaking that comes across as a sub-par Indiana Jones.Certainly there's little of substance here if you're looking for proper characters or plotting. The Nazis are bad, the heroes are good, and a series of outlandish fight scenes, betrayals, and criminal plots fill up the running time. 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. I was surprised, actually, at how little in-flight action there is; 90% of the story takes place on the ground as various factions fight for possession of some super technology. 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.

rcolgan In contrast to a film like Indiana Jones which was built upon the formula of 30-40's serials, the Rocketeer is designed to recreate them. 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. But he quickly learns that there are many others who are interested in the device, with the machine being said to be capable of world domination and his girlfriend being kidnapped in an attempt to obtain the device. Thus he must now fly to the rescue fighting of gangsters, Nazi's and shady agents in order to save his girl. It's an over the top story with a plan that doesn't make sense when you think about it (how would Nazi's having jet packs lead to world domination?), but one that lives up to the adventure and excitement that the film is going for. The film also has a great cast of memorable and likable characters. Connelly plays the girlfriend to our hero, who may often be a damsel in distress but always remains likable fighting back and even saving the hero once or twice. Timothy Dalton plays Neville Sinclair, a Nazi sympathiser who's snuck into the Hollywood scene and is a straight cut villain who comes equipped with his own James Bond's Jaws kind of henchman. And Billy Campbell as the Rocketman, who is the everyman with little complexity and just the guy doing the right thing. They're all the basic archetypes we've seen before, but they're so well played and are very memorable. Plus it's nice change to see a straight up hero like the rocketeer now we're at a point where it seems that every hero must be dark and brooding. And it's always enjoyable to have a villain like Dalton who always seems like he's a short step away from twirling an evil moustache. It captures the atmosphere of 30's Hollywood in a great way. Everything from the costumes to the sets really gave a great feel of the time. The little details the filmmakers went to do have are impressive from the Hollywoodland sign to smaller things like some characters use of slang in the dialogue, it all goes a long way to make the context very believable. Plus by being in the 30's we get a great character in Howard Hughes (Terry O'Quinn), who plays a Walt Disney type imaginative character who invents the machine and lives up to the creative legend that Hughes is built up to be. Just like any great adventure film the action sequences are great. Beyond the great shoot outs and brawls, the jet-pack sequences are brilliantly imaginative with some well thought out sequences of the Rocketeer soaring on to a moving plane or speeding round a packed ballroom. Better yet this great imagination is also backed by very impressive special effects. The effects in this film are comparable to something like Christopher Reeves Superman, creating a very realistic feeling of flight which few films have seemed to be able to do. This film has everything you'd expect from a family action movie. In my opinion it's a film that never got the reception it deserved only making a small profit at the box office and sadly stopping the chances of sequels. This is really a shame because they probably would have been something impressive since this film was a great adventure and one that should not be missed.

S.R. Hunt After I saw the Nostalgia Critic's "Top 11 Under Rated Nostalgic Movies", I decided I should give this movie a shot, and he was absolutely right! It's a very fun story, with memorable characters, and a few dated effects. The movie keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout, and I was actually worried when the characters were in danger. The only problem I think is that, although the movie is called "the Rocketeer", he doesn't show up that much in the movie. It's like going to see a "Spider-Man" movie, but Peter Parker only puts on the costume two or three times. I don't really have a problem with that, because the few scenes he is in are really action packed and fun! If you love World War II movies or super hero films, definitely check this movie out.

jljacobi When it first came out, I remember enjoying the first 30 minutes of this movie, then finding it a bit slow. This time around, I found myself appreciating the tribute aspects a bit more and enjoyed it in its entirety. You'll like this movie a lot more if you know about the era and the real life counterparts of the characters that are referenced and portrayed. Without that knowledge, the movie might appear far more naive than it actually is. The acting is generally spot on for the tribute tone of the movie and both the leads are outrageously good-looking people. If memory serves I developed a slight crush on Ms. Connelly after my original viewing of this movie. I'm sure I wasn't alone. I'm not sure it didn't happen this time. This was filmed long before she joined the Hollywood cult of the anorexic.The FX are nicely done and the science is perfectly out of whack considering the genre that the film mimics. All in all, I appreciate this movie and its honoring the past without becoming a schmaltz-fest. It's an action movie done in a thoughtful manner. I Like It.