The Rocketeer (1991)
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: 5.4/10
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.
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
Jan 1, 1991 Wide
Jul 17, 2001
Watch It Now
Cast
-
Bill Campbell
Cliff Secord -
Jennifer Connelly
Jenny Blake -
Alan Arkin
Peevy -
Timothy Dalton
Neville Sinclair -
Paul Sorvino
Eddie Valentine -
Ed Lauter
Fitch -
Terry O'Quinn
Howard Hughes -
James Handy
Wooly -
Tiny Ron
Lothar/Good Old Boy -
Robert Miranda
Spanish Johnny -
John LavachieIIi
Rusty -
Eddie Jones
Malcolm -
Julian Barnes
Charlie -
Danielle Bedau
Girl at Newsstand -
William Boyett
Government Liaison -
Richard T. Brickert
Airshow Pilot -
Peter Bromilow
Nobleman -
Pat Crawford Brown
Mrs. Pye -
Michael Francis Clarke
G-Man -
Perry Cook
Good Old Boy -
Chance Michael Corbitt
Newspaper Kid -
Joseph D'Angelo
Stevie -
Gene Daily
Clark Gable -
Paul De Souza
Pauly -
Nada Despotovich
Irma -
Lila Finn
Clothesline Lady -
Mike Finneran
Reporter -
Paul Forsyth
Nazi Commando -
William Frankfather
Government Liaison -
Peter Frankland
Nazi Commando -
Scanlon Gail
G-Man at Chaplin Field -
Taylor Gilbert
Stewardess -
Max Grodénchik
Wilmer -
Melora Hardin
South Seas Singer -
Darryl Henriques
G-Man -
Steve Hinton
Airshow Pilot -
Craig Hosking
Airshow Pilot -
Clint Howard
Monk -
Thomas Huff
Lenny -
Heinrich James
Nazi Agent -
Ele Keats
Girl at Newsstand -
Tom Kindle
Clapperboy -
Bob Leeman
W.C. Fields -
Kristopher Logan
Nazi Commando -
America Martin
Patsy -
Margo Martindale
Millie -
Doug McGrath
Reporter -
Kathleen Michaels
South Seas Camera Girl -
Michael Milhoan
Jeff -
Daniel O'Shea
Mike -
Rick Overton
South Seas Patron -
Lisa Pedersen
Noblewoman -
Jon Polito
Bigelow -
Herman Poppe
Zeppelin Captain -
David Pressman
Hospital Guard -
Arlee Reed
Cameraman -
Lori Lynn Ross
South Seas Mermaid -
William Sanderson
Skeets -
Bob Sandman
South Seas Bandleader -
Kim Sebastian
Nurse -
Charlie Stavola
Assistant Director -
Bill Turner
Airshow Pilot -
Sam Vincent
Filmstage Director -
Norbert Weisser
Zeppelin Pilot -
Chuck Wentworth
Airshow Pilot -
Merritt Yohnka
Nazi Crewman -
Jim Franklin
Airshow Pilot -
Don Pugsley
Goose -
Richard Warlock
FBI Agent -
Dave Adams
Reporter -
Tom Tully
Reporter -
ADVERTISEMENT
All Critics (57) | Top Critics (10) | 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.
Neat idea, peachy visuals, but there ain't much else to grip the imagination.
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.
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.
Truer to the old school Saturday matinee spirit than any modern film this side of Indiana Jones
Audience Reviews for The Rocketeer
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.
Super Reviewer
-
- Cliff Secord: What was that line again? 'Oh my prince'.
- Jenny Blake: Would that you drink of my lips.
- Cliff Secord: Thanks, don't mind if I do!
-
- Howard Hughes: How did it feel, strapping that thing to your back and flying like a bat out of hell?
- Cliff Secord: Well it's the closest I'll ever get to heaven, Mr. Hughes.
Discussion Forum
There are no discussion threads for The Rocketeer yet.
Latest News on The Rocketeer
August 22, 2012:
Disney Reportedly Wants a Rocketeer RemakeTaking another shot at the 1991 cult favorite.
June 29, 2011:
Joe Johnston Would Gladly Do a Rocketeer SequelWe wonder if Disney feels the same way.
What's Hot On RT
The Last Stand, Side Effects
Trailer for new Coen Bros movie
Fast & Furious cars gallery
Blockbusters ranked!
Featured on RT
- In Pictures: The Cars of Fast & Furious 0
- Digital Multiplex: Warm Bodies and Aftershock 2
- Discover the Best-Reviewed Films in Summer Movie Scorecard 2013 0
- RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: The Last Stand and Side Effects 14
- Box Office Guru Wrapup: Star Trek Softer Than Expected at #1 85
- Weekly Ketchup: Will Smith to Star in Wild Bunch Remake? 39
- Critics Consensus: Star Trek Into Darkness is Certified Fresh 107
Top Headlines
-
Which Film Franchise Has Been the Best for Female Characters?
0
-
Damon Lindelof Talks Tomorrowland
0
-
10 Movies About Really Fast Cars
0
-
Poltergeist Remake Synopsis Hints at Plot Differences
3
-
Kristen Wiig Says Welcome to Me
1
-
David Fincher's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Gets Bumped
0
-
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance Remake in the Works
0
Fresh Links
Featured
Star Trek Movies Ranked
HitFix offers their own take on the worst-to-best of the Enterprise crew's cinematic adventures.
Top 10 Star Trek Villains
Rolling Stone unveils the Enterprise's most irksome adversaries.
Celebrity Yearkbook Flashback
We'll bet you never realized how many stars were cheerleaders and high school athletes!
50 Most Classic Movie Moms
In celebration of Mother's Day, TimeOut offers up 50 iconic matriarchs from the big screen.
Weirdest Movie Siblings
From Twins to The Royal Tenenbaums, Moviefone explores cinema's oddest siblings.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter!
Spice up your feed with hourly Tomatometer updates!
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.