Wednesday, 22 January 2025

The Rocketeer (1991)

The Rocketeer, directed by Joe Johnston, is a 1991 Disney science fiction-adventure movie, from the days when Disney made movies that were worth seeing.

It’s based on the popular graphic novel series of the same name created by Dave Stevens in 1982. Stevens was apparently a bit disappointed by Disney’s sanitised film adaptation. Stevens was heavily influenced by the movie serials of the 30s and 40s and that influence is also obvious in the movie.

It is Los Angeles in 1938. Young stunt pilot Cliff Secord (Billy Campbell) hopes to become national air racing champion. His aircraft is a replica of the famous real-life GeeBee racing monoplane. Cliff is test flying the aircraft while on the ground a bunch of crooks are being pursued by the F.B.I. and the crooks take a few potshots of Cliff’s plane. The plane crashes and Cliff’s dreams are in ruins.

Until he discovers something hidden in a hangar. It’s what the crooks were after. Cliff and his pal and mentor Peevy (Alan Arkin) don’t know what it is at first. Then they discover it’s a rocket backpack.


Of course they should notify the Feds immediately but Cliff figures it wouldn’t do any harm to borrow the rocket suit just for a while. He has the idea he could make a lot of money with it at air shows.

Cliff doesn’t know that the rocket suit was invented by eccentric aviation genius Howard Hughes. Hughes fears that the military will try to use his invention as a weapon (and of course he’s right). Hughes doesn’t care if the rocket pack is destroyed, he just doesn’t want it to fall into the wrong hands. The Government however wants to get the rocket pack back and the F.B.I. are determined to find it.

There is of course a nefarious villain who also wants the rocket backpack invention, for purposes of evil. He has employed a gang of hoods to get hold of it. They were the ones who stole the device in the first place.


The super-villain is in fact a famous Hollywood actor, Neville Sinclair (Timothy Dalton).

Poor Cliff has everybody after him. People keep trying to shoot him. His girlfriend Jenny (Jennifer Connelly) is also in danger - kidnapping her would be a very obvious way to force Cliff to hand over the rocket pack.

The plot is actually the sort of plot you find in those classic 1930s/40s serials. We’re not supposed to take this movie seriously. This is pure outrageous fun.

Billy Campbell is a slightly colourless hero but then he is supposed to be just a regular naïve young guy hopelessly out of his depth. Jennifer Connelly isn’t called on to do much more than look pretty and be likeable and she does both those things successfully.


Timothy Dalton clearly understood exactly what was required of him. He plays Sinclair as a melodrama villain. He doesn’t actually twirl his moustache in a sinister fashion but you know he wants to. His performance works especially well given that he’s playing a character who is supposed to be an outrageously hammy actor who specialises in melodramas. Dalton is having a lot of fun here. He’s a joy to watch.

The revelation of his evil master plan is exactly what you expect in a movie serial or a comic strip.

The effects are very well done. We get treated to air races, plane crashes, vintage aircraft, a zeppelin(!) and of course the rocket man himself. There are also car chases, fistfights and shoot-outs.


And naturally, a pretty heroine in peril.

The action climax is as spectacular and outlandish as one could hope for.

This is very much “family entertainment” but it looks great and there’s lots of breathless excitement. A fun feelgood movie and sometimes that’s just what the doctor ordered. Highly recommended.

Disney’s Blu-Ray looks very nice.

4 comments:

tom j jones said...

I haven't seen this since I watched it on VHS over 30 years ago. I remember liking it a lot, although the only thing I really remember is Dalton's superb performance.

Lawrence said...

2 Things I loved about this movie:
1. The bad guy's chief goon is a Rondo Hatton espy
2. Dalton has this great line, "Who are they going to believe? A cheap crook, or the number-three box-office star in America?"

dfordoom said...

tom j jones said...
the only thing I really remember is Dalton's superb performance.

Dalton is having an absolute blast isn't he?

dfordoom said...

Lawrence said...
2. Dalton has this great line, "Who are they going to believe? A cheap crook, or the number-three box-office star in America?"

Great line and he delivers it with style.