When racing pilot Cliff Secord discovers a jet-pack hidden in his hangar, he straps it on to become the Rocketeer, a super knight fighting the forces of evil to save the damsel in distress. Since "The Rocketeer" first launched in 1991, it has proved itself to be a timeless adventure that continues to entertain to this day. Yet as high-flying and fun as the story is, it should have taken us much higher.
"The Rocketeer" was meant to be an "Indiana Jones" franchise for Disney. So why didn't it ever take off? It wasn't the acting. Paul Sorvino is the perfect gangster in any film. Alan Arkin makes a great sidekick. Jennifer Connelly is the girl-next-door love interest any guy would want to rescue. And let's not forget Timothy Dalton, who plays the Errol-Flynn-turned-villain with such sinister charm you can't imagine anyone else in the role. (Bonus: Look for a quick appearance by Jan from "The Office" as the singer in the club scene.)
Sometimes the subplots get too much priority, the special effects don't blend well, and the score is definitely not as memorable as Indiana's. But these things can be overlooked if the storytelling is good, and "The Rocketeer" keeps things flying. It's an adventure, it's a caper, it's a romance, it's a period piece, it's patriotic, it's suspenseful -- so much more all packaged in a single film. It just about makes it as a super hero movie, too. The Rocketeer as a character has that unique and iconic look that makes kids want to dress up and fly around the living room. Even if you barely remember the movie, you still recognize the Rocketeer as a standout character all these years later.
So why didn't this film do better than it did? The biggest weakness is the movie's lead. Billy Campbell was not the actor to carry a film like this. It really needed a Harrison-Ford-as-Indiana-Jones swashbuckler type, and Campbell didn't fit the bill. I know that director Joe Johnston fought for Campbell to be his lead, but I don't get what he saw in him. Campbell makes a good side character in "Star Trek" or "Frasier" (shows in which he appeared). God bless him, he's just not a marquee guy.
The Rocketeer just didn't take us to heights it could have. If interest in the character remains high, maybe "The Rocketeer" will become more than a by-gone film of yester-year. He seems like the perfect vehicle (rocket?) for the new Disney Plus platform. Either way, it's still a fun movie to come back to. You won't be disappointed. But you won't be wow'd either.
"The Rocketeer" was meant to be an "Indiana Jones" franchise for Disney. So why didn't it ever take off? It wasn't the acting. Paul Sorvino is the perfect gangster in any film. Alan Arkin makes a great sidekick. Jennifer Connelly is the girl-next-door love interest any guy would want to rescue. And let's not forget Timothy Dalton, who plays the Errol-Flynn-turned-villain with such sinister charm you can't imagine anyone else in the role. (Bonus: Look for a quick appearance by Jan from "The Office" as the singer in the club scene.)
Sometimes the subplots get too much priority, the special effects don't blend well, and the score is definitely not as memorable as Indiana's. But these things can be overlooked if the storytelling is good, and "The Rocketeer" keeps things flying. It's an adventure, it's a caper, it's a romance, it's a period piece, it's patriotic, it's suspenseful -- so much more all packaged in a single film. It just about makes it as a super hero movie, too. The Rocketeer as a character has that unique and iconic look that makes kids want to dress up and fly around the living room. Even if you barely remember the movie, you still recognize the Rocketeer as a standout character all these years later.
So why didn't this film do better than it did? The biggest weakness is the movie's lead. Billy Campbell was not the actor to carry a film like this. It really needed a Harrison-Ford-as-Indiana-Jones swashbuckler type, and Campbell didn't fit the bill. I know that director Joe Johnston fought for Campbell to be his lead, but I don't get what he saw in him. Campbell makes a good side character in "Star Trek" or "Frasier" (shows in which he appeared). God bless him, he's just not a marquee guy.
The Rocketeer just didn't take us to heights it could have. If interest in the character remains high, maybe "The Rocketeer" will become more than a by-gone film of yester-year. He seems like the perfect vehicle (rocket?) for the new Disney Plus platform. Either way, it's still a fun movie to come back to. You won't be disappointed. But you won't be wow'd either.
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