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The Rocketeer

The Rocketeer (1991)

tomatometer

61

Average Rating: 5.9/10
Reviews Counted: 57
Fresh: 35 | Rotten: 22

An action-packed, if anachronistic, look back at pulp matinee serials, The Rocketeer may ring hollow with viewers expecting more than simple fun and gee-whiz special effects.

50

Average Rating: 5.4/10
Critic Reviews: 10
Fresh: 5 | Rotten: 5

An action-packed, if anachronistic, look back at pulp matinee serials, The Rocketeer may ring hollow with viewers expecting more than simple fun and gee-whiz special effects.

audience

54

liked it
Average Rating: 3/5
User Ratings: 56,149

My Rating

Movie Info

After getting his start as a visual effects artist on the original Star Wars trilogy, Spielberg protege Joe Johnston found success as a director with his debut film, the blockbuster family adventure Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. For his sophomore outing, Johnston helmed this action-adventurer, set in 1930s Hollywood and in the spirit of old pulp comics and adventure serials, and co-adapted from the David Stevens graphic novel by Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo. Bill Campbell stars as Cliff Secord, an

Jul 17, 2001

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All Critics (57) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (37) | Rotten (22) | DVD (24)

A piece of blandly enthusiastic, B-movie pulp.

July 6, 2010 Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Top Critic IconTop Critic

This $40 million adventure fantasy puts a shiny polish on familiar elements: airborne hero, damsel in distress, Nazi villains, 1930s Hollywood glamor, and dazzling special effects.

April 18, 2007 Full Review Source: Variety
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The whole thing is good-natured enough, but increasingly mechanical.

April 18, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader
Chicago Reader
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Neat idea, peachy visuals, but there ain't much else to grip the imagination.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out
Time Out
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Plenty of energy has gone into making this a bustling, visually clever film with an amusing late-1930's stylishness, but the purpose of such effort is uncertain.

August 30, 2004 Full Review Source: New York Times
New York Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The film is awash in all kinds of surprises that are too juicy to reveal.

May 12, 2001
Rolling Stone
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A charming adventure tale, in the spirit of 1930's serials, The Rocketeer is a fun ride.

January 29, 2012 Full Review Source: IGN DVD
IGN DVD

One of Disney's most underrated films, and I can't for the life of me figure out why, unless it's the absence of a big-name star.

December 29, 2011 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis
Movie Metropolis

A charmer in its gee-whiz, irony-light resuscitation of the movie serials of the '30s. [Blu-ray]

December 29, 2011 Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews
Groucho Reviews

While The Rocketeer never crashes, it's a bumpy ride of cartoonish characters, a flimsy plot and an overall sense of letdown.

December 27, 2011 Full Review Source: Movie Views

It's not as dark or as edgy as Tim Burton's Batman films, but it's still cleaner and more digestible. It's not a deep story, but it's full of fun nostalgia and action.

December 20, 2011 Full Review Source: 7M Pictures
7M Pictures

More style than substance -- but fun, if gun-heavy, action.

September 6, 2011 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media

A beautifully directed, high-flyin' production, teeming with all sorts of classic Hollywood encounters and bizarre comic book touches...Connelly is mesmerizing -- a stupendous act of casting that elevates the room temperature of the picture.

June 20, 2011 Full Review Source: BrianOrndorf.com
BrianOrndorf.com

Almost never takes thrilling flight.

June 1, 2011 Full Review Source: Lessons of Darkness
Lessons of Darkness

More Deco-era style than substance -- but fun.

January 1, 2011 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media

Energetic, but the script is routine.

July 16, 2010 Full Review Source: Film4
Film4

The result is a movie that looks nice and moves along efficiently, but offers little reason for anyone to watch.

April 18, 2007 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Truer to the old school Saturday matinee spirit than any modern film this side of Indiana Jones

September 10, 2005
Zap2it.com

Audience Reviews for The Rocketeer

"It wasn't lies, Jenny. It was acting."

The Rocketeer, seen in 2012, is understandably a little cheesy and a little old-fashioned. But, in a good way. In 1991, something as simple as a small-town guy with a jet-pack still sounded like an idea exciting enough to make a movie about, and a pretty enjoyable one, at that.

Billy Campbell (Cliff) is likable as a young pilot, desperate to make his mark on the world and show his girl (Jennifer Connelly, at the height of her amazing beauty), that he's a man who's going places. He stumbles onto a rocket-pack that's being pursued by all sorts unsavory characters, and the entire town and his girlfriend end up getting caught between the FBI, gangsters, shady actors, and even more unsavory characters as Cliff tries to save the day and get his girl back.

The Rocketeer is basically a moderately fun action-adventure family movie that won't blow any minds or drop any jaws these days, but it's definitely good for a viewing. Especially for Jennifer Connelly fans, because wow, she's impossibly lovely in this one.

It's nice to be reminded that once, all you needed to be a hero was a jet-pack, a solid right punch, a girl you loved, and a desire to do the right thing.
January 3, 2010
lewiskendell

Super Reviewer

Our story takes place in Hollywood in 1938 and concerns a test pilot named Cliff who stumbles upon a rocket powered jetpack designed by Howard Hughes that is desperately wanted by the Nazis. Along the way, there's plenty of intrigue with G Men, gangsters, and a rather shady Hollywood film icon.

This movie has classic old Hollywood nostalgia and fantasy all over it. As a kid I watched this film many times and dug it wuite a lot. Over time I slowly forgot about it, but then I happened to see that it was on tv this morning, so I gave it a watch for old time's sake.

I'm happy to say that it's still a good movie. It hasn't aged great, and my nostalgia has a fair bearing on it, but the movie is just supposed to be good old fashioned fun that taps into youthful fantasy and adventure. It's very much in love with the past, and the tone has a "golly gee" and "shucks" type of innocence that you just don't really get too often anymore.

Joe Johnston did a decent job here as director, the score by James Horner is very fitting, and the performances, though nothing excellent are a lot of fun. Something I was able to appreciate now that I didn't before were the art direction and set design. The art deco inspiration for the helmet is just cool. I've seen other films do a better job of bringing the late 30s to life, but they do okay here.

All in all, this isn't something to be taken too seriously, but it's a harmless piece of well meaning fun, so go on and give it a chance.
December 23, 2011
cosmo313
Chris Weber

Super Reviewer

    1. Cliff Secord: What was that line again? 'Oh my prince'.
    2. Jenny Blake: Would that you drink of my lips.
    3. Cliff Secord: Thanks, don't mind if I do!
    – Submitted by Nick S (11 months ago)
    1. Howard Hughes: How did it feel, strapping that thing to your back and flying like a bat out of hell?
    2. Cliff Secord: Well it's the closest I'll ever get to heaven, Mr. Hughes.
    – Submitted by Adrian G (19 months ago)

Discussion Forum

There are no discussion threads for The Rocketeer yet.

Latest News on The Rocketeer

August 22, 2012:
Disney Reportedly Wants a Rocketeer Remake
Taking another shot at the 1991 cult favorite.

June 29, 2011:
Joe Johnston Would Gladly Do a Rocketeer Sequel
We wonder if Disney feels the same way.

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