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.
Average Rating: 5.8/10
Critic Reviews: 9
Fresh: 5 | Rotten: 4
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.
liked it
Average Rating: 3/5
User Ratings: 54,837
Get your friends' movie recommendations by adding Rotten Tomatoes to your Facebook Timeline.
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
PG, 1 hr. 49 min.
Action & Adventure, Kids & Family, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Jan 1, 1991 Wide
Jul 17, 2001
All Critics (57) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (37) | Rotten (22) | DVD (24)
A piece of blandly enthusiastic, B-movie pulp.
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.
Top CriticThe whole thing is good-natured enough, but increasingly mechanical.
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.
The film is awash in all kinds of surprises that are too juicy to reveal.
The Rocketeer may not be perfect, but it's an excellent example of how to adapt a comic book to the screen.
A charming adventure tale, in the spirit of 1930's serials, The Rocketeer is a fun ride.
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.
A charmer in its gee-whiz, irony-light resuscitation of the movie serials of the '30s. [Blu-ray]
While The Rocketeer never crashes, it's a bumpy ride of cartoonish characters, a flimsy plot and an overall sense of letdown.
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.
More style than substance -- but fun, if gun-heavy, action.
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.
Almost never takes thrilling flight.
More Deco-era style than substance -- but fun.
Energetic, but the script is routine.
The result is a movie that looks nice and moves along efficiently, but offers little reason for anyone to watch.
Neat idea, peachy visuals, but there ain't much else to grip the imagination.
Truer to the old school Saturday matinee spirit than any modern film this side of Indiana Jones
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
December 23, 2011Super Reviewer
High-flying fun! I knew nothing of this film prior to seeing it, so I had no idea what to expect. Not many minutes went by though, before I got completely immersed into its wonderful story. As one of the first pioneers within the comic book genre, this film blazed a great trail for future franchises. The special
May 6, 2007Super Reviewer
| 29% | The Vow |
| 94% | Mission: Impossible Ghost Protoc... |
| 87% | The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo |
| 28% | Underworld Awakening |
| 85% | Chronicle |
| 65% | The Woman in Black |
| 25% | This Means War |
| 94% | The Secret World of Arrietty |
| 36% | Red Tails |
| 88% | Certified Copy (Copie Conforme) |
Red Tails, This Means War
Pictures: Wes Anderson films
Video: Your friendly four minute preview
Trailer: The legend continues!