Wonderful character development!

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Load of rubbish!!

Fantastic!

Went in expecting nothing but another Disney movie. Came out a huge fan of Jennifer Connelly, an appreciator of the underrated (until his Oscar-winning turn in 'Little Miss Sunshine' - and he was also fantastic in another favorite movie of mine, 'Gattaca') Alan Arkin. Came out comparing this one favorably to the Indian Jones series of movie, and not just because of the Nazi setting, but because of the genre of the movie being rooted firmly in the category of the yesteryear Errol Flynn swashbucklers.Surprised that Bill Campbell did not go on to greater fare. To be fair, he is lightweight.Came out a huge fan of Timothy Dalton (for my money, one of the most disappointing James Bonds ever to grace the screen, and though I am in a majority on that point, watching him in this, made me wonder if I was not a little too harsh on his acting skills). An aside - He's also fantastic as one of the key character in the absolutely riveting recent TV series, 'Penny Dreadful'.Well, this one has loads of adventure, quite a bit of fantasy rooted in yesteryear science, a jetpack used to much better effect that in the corny Bond movie, 'Thunderball' (later remade with an aged Connery as 'Never say never again' - how's that for another 'James Bond' reference in a convo about this movie?).However, to be fair, I did not think it came close to how much better every Indian Jones movie was, even at the time, so much that I wish they'd cast Ford (its not just to do with the casting, I'm sure), or cast Connelly and Arkin in the Indie series.The 1st Captain America movie came close to the tone of this one (and the Indie Jones series). It also had the missing element in common with this, as in, there was something missing, overall, and that made all the difference between an also-ran and a bonafide blockbuster. No surprise there, since it was the same helmer, Joe Johnston working both these movies (he has quite an illustrious career, not just with these, but also 'Jumanji' and 'Honey, I shrunk the kids' - and guess what? He's also helmed TV's 'Young Indian Jones' episodes).All in all, something worth getting nostalgic about, but something that could've been more special that what it ultimately turned out to be. The end product is lesser than the sum of its parts.

It's 1939. Howard Hughes (Terry O'Quinn) loses his rocket pack prototype and decides to abandon the project. Actor Neville Sinclair (Timothy Dalton) hired gangster Eddie Valentine (Paul Sorvino) to steal it. Sinclair's thugs are chased by government agents and leave the rocket in a plane. Pilot Cliff Secord (Billy Campbell) and mechanic Peevy (Alan Arkin) find it and start adapting it. Cliff's girlfriend Jenny Blake (Jennifer Connelly) has a bit part in Neville's latest film. After a heroic rescue, the Rocketeer becomes a media sensation. Eddie finds Jenny's picture and Neville kidnaps her. He turns out to be a secret Nazi agent.It's all very old-fashion and undeniably Disney PG. It has a certain charm and a goodness in its classic comic book style. It does need a little bit more action and less of the setups. In that way, this is also somewhat old fashion. Campbell, Connelly, Dalton, Arkin, and Sorvino are all perfectly cast. It's a fine old style action adventure.

In contrast to a film like Indiana Jones which was built upon the formula of 30-40's serials, the Rocketeer is designed to recreate them. And it succeeds, bringing the real feeling of something like Flash Gordon in every way from it's cool look to it's action packed story.This story starts when a pilot, an everyman named Cliff (Billy Campbell), comes across the strange device that allows a man to take flight without wings and soar through the skies. But he quickly learns that there are many others who are interested in the device, with the machine being said to be capable of world domination and his girlfriend being kidnapped in an attempt to obtain the device. Thus he must now fly to the rescue fighting of gangsters, Nazi's and shady agents in order to save his girl. It's an over the top story with a plan that doesn't make sense when you think about it (how would Nazi's having jet packs lead to world domination?), but one that lives up to the adventure and excitement that the film is going for. The film also has a great cast of memorable and likable characters. Connelly plays the girlfriend to our hero, who may often be a damsel in distress but always remains likable fighting back and even saving the hero once or twice. Timothy Dalton plays Neville Sinclair, a Nazi sympathiser who's snuck into the Hollywood scene and is a straight cut villain who comes equipped with his own James Bond's Jaws kind of henchman. And Billy Campbell as the Rocketman, who is the everyman with little complexity and just the guy doing the right thing. They're all the basic archetypes we've seen before, but they're so well played and are very memorable. Plus it's nice change to see a straight up hero like the rocketeer now we're at a point where it seems that every hero must be dark and brooding. And it's always enjoyable to have a villain like Dalton who always seems like he's a short step away from twirling an evil moustache. It captures the atmosphere of 30's Hollywood in a great way. Everything from the costumes to the sets really gave a great feel of the time. The little details the filmmakers went to do have are impressive from the Hollywoodland sign to smaller things like some characters use of slang in the dialogue, it all goes a long way to make the context very believable. Plus by being in the 30's we get a great character in Howard Hughes (Terry O'Quinn), who plays a Walt Disney type imaginative character who invents the machine and lives up to the creative legend that Hughes is built up to be. Just like any great adventure film the action sequences are great. Beyond the great shoot outs and brawls, the jet-pack sequences are brilliantly imaginative with some well thought out sequences of the Rocketeer soaring on to a moving plane or speeding round a packed ballroom. Better yet this great imagination is also backed by very impressive special effects. The effects in this film are comparable to something like Christopher Reeves Superman, creating a very realistic feeling of flight which few films have seemed to be able to do. This film has everything you'd expect from a family action movie. In my opinion it's a film that never got the reception it deserved only making a small profit at the box office and sadly stopping the chances of sequels. This is really a shame because they probably would have been something impressive since this film was a great adventure and one that should not be missed.

Typical Disney Fluff. If you are a Disney Fan - go for it. I - however - would much rather watch King of the Rocket Men (1949) - because despite all of these years I still find it enjoyable. Special Effects - Nazi Zeppelins and Exploding Rocket Packs - don't always make for a superior movie. The plot was not too technical - because - I suspect that if one were to use one's head as a rudder - (rudder built into helmet) - while zooming along at 100 miles an hour - one would snap one's head off. But - it is what it is and probably would be a nice film for kids. The acting was understandably restrained with the actors holding back - probably due to its PG-13 rating. A nice family film - but - give King of the Rocket Men a try some rainy Saturday Afternoon.