MOVIE OF THE DAY: THE ROCKETEER (1991)

Wow I rarely if ever see anyone who doesn't like this film or think it works.

I never had huge expectations I just enjoyed it for what it was and its a really good film.

It needed another huge set piece in retrospect but its still good none the less.

Also really liked Terry O'Quinn as Howard Hughes he was great.

Oddly enough I visited this film last night on DVD for the first time in my 34 years.  I could not for the life of me find what supposedly made it this great film that everyone talks up to this day.  The only thing it could have had going for it was the iconography you mention, Jeremy.  The film is mediocre at best and a non-starter several times over as the plot never evolves, just seems to reboot after every few set pieces.

I was 18 when I saw it in 1991, and I just kept thinking, "when's this movie gonna start?"  And then it ended.

When this came out, I was sick of all the summer movies trying to be the next Batman.  I was dragged to see it by some people and (lowered expectations and all) wound up loving it.  I'm hoping a proper Blu-ray will come soon.  Never got the DVD, as I read it was a crap transfer.

Oh, and one more thing... EVIL ANIMATED ROCKET PACK NAZI PROPAGANDA!

I think it helped that I saw this initially with much lower expectations, and it was just far more fun than I expected. I don't deny that nostalgia* plays a factor here, but I wasn't a 10 year old when I saw it; I was at the tail end of college, and this flick reminded me of long summers dreaming about being a hero without insulting me.

I dug, and still dig, the innocence and genuine joy that seems to be in the flick. It is very formulaic, and really doesn't have any surprises**, but it does the formula very well, IMNSHO. The corniness of patriotic mobsters ought to sink the finale, but it works.

Plus the villain who looked just like Rondo Hatten!

*I'll argue vociferously that ROCKETEER holds up much better as an adult than other 80s nostalgia favorites, such as GOONIES or MONSTER SQUAD.

**No surprises except the raging boner and jelly knees I had when I first saw Jennifer Connolly in that dress. Sweet Moses in a Volkswagen!

I find it incredibly fascinating that the people who defend this film (and I don't mean to use that term condescendingly, if that's how it comes across) - people who don't know each other at all and would never be in a position to compare notes, as it were - all have the EXACT. SAME. THINGS. to say in terms of its defense.  Like almost verbatim.  Kinda makes me wonder where I veered off the track on this one.

Well, I don't have any nostalgia for this, and I didn't go into it with low expectations that helped me like it more. The first and only time I saw it was in the early 2000s knowing next to nothing about it, and I was simply blown away. Reviews I read called it a low-rent Indiana Jones rip-off, but I liked it more than Indiana Jones. Yeah, Bill Campbell is no Harrison Ford, but Cliff and Jenny were much more endearing to me than Indiana Jones and Marion, who were so confident and tough that they lacked vulnerability, humanity, and charm. Campbell and Connolley were so sweet, good-natured, and overwhelmed by everything going on around them that I found them a more attractive and engaging couple.

Cliché as it may have been, I enjoyed Connolley's damsel in distress quality too. I'm really shocked by all the criticism this movie has got here. I still think it's the second best comic book movie after "X2: X-Men United". Its story and characters are simple, straightforward, and always a pleasure to watch. I prefer that over the more sophisticated modern superhero movies that tend to be just way too convoluted and melancholy/dour. This one was just pure fun from start to finish and I'll take that over more "urgency" or emotional resonance any day. Sure, "The Rocketeer" would have been more impressive with more menacing villains, more digging into the hero's soul/personality/mental state, and higher stakes, but I don't feel the movie's entertainment value suffered from its lacking those qualities.

I still don't think it makes sense to name as "Movie of the Day", a movie that you don't like very much. Even when CHUD writers choose movies that they admit are objectively bad, they seem to think there's something really special about the movie that makes it worth seeking out. I think it's rather strange to select as "Movie of the Day" something you believe is basically mediocre and a wasted opportunity. 

Naisu, you seem like a decent chap, but...I just don't get you.

I mean the Rocketeer being a better screen hero than Indy is real head-scratcher, but the MOD thing - the primary question the feature asks is "Is It Good?"  Why would it be necessary to limit it to one or two specific answers?

Well "better" is a little more general than what I'm saying.  The main point of my comparison was that I found The Rocketeer more likable. He wasn't as cool as Indiana Jones and as I mentioned, Bill Campbell wasn't nearly as charismatic as Harrison Ford. I understand why Indy is an icon now and The Rocketeer's mostly forgotten, I'm just saying for me personally The Rocketeer was a more endearing character.  This is what made his movie more satisfying to me than the Indiana Jones movies. 

My point about the Movie of the Day is I've always interpreted it (here and on other sites) as a column designed so writers can recommend movies they think are flawed, but have significant merits, or movies that are great, but obscure and/or overlooked. It just feels weird for me to read a "Movie of the Day" column spent mostly criticizing a movie with just a little bit of mild, backhanded praise sprinkled in. 

I absolutely love The Rocketeer, The Goonies, and The Monster Squad.

Nostalgia can taint anyone's view of things, but while other childhood favorites have fallen by the wayside, those three and a few others still hold up for me today.  I feel no shame declaring them to be some of my absolute favorite films.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Naisu Baddi 

My point about the Movie of the Day is I've always interpreted it (here and on other sites) as a column designed so writers can recommend movies they think are flawed, but have significant merits, or movies that are great, but obscure and/or overlooked. It just feels weird for me to read a "Movie of the Day" column spent mostly criticizing a movie with just a little bit of mild, backhanded praise sprinkled in. 

I can dig that, but what I've always seen as the point behind Movie of the Day (and I don't really know if my colleagues here in the sewer would agree as we all sort of do our own thing with it) is just to spend a little bit of time writing about a movie that rarely gets talked about anymore, isn't widely known or, what have you.  Typically, when I write an MOD it's because I watched a movie that compelled me in one way or another to write about it (good or bad) and hasn't already been covered to death on the site.  I could talk for hours about SCOTT PILGRIM but I'd NEVER write an MOD over that, ya know?

Okay, that makes sense. I appreciate the explanation. I was just a bit dumbstruck as I'm so used to "Movie of the Day" columns either championing a deeply flawed/heavily criticized film, or trying to draw attention to something the writer considers brilliant, but underseen. This was a whole other story. One more point I want to make about comparing Indiana Jones and The Rocketeer. I don't like The Rocketeer being compared to Indiana Jones because I think it's an unfair comparison...sort of an "apple vs. oranges" case.

Just because both guys star in movies with rather 'retro' looks and feels (and Nazi enemies), I don't think The Rocketeer should be considered a rip-off. I think of Indiana Jones as a very tough, resourceful, clever, and admirably confident hero, whose knowledge and skill set are remarkable. The much younger Rocketeer was more like a kid with a good heart but limited experience who will try his best anyway to help the the forces of good. He's more of an underdog (even though Nazis are much more powerful than both men), and I've always had a soft spot for the underdog. It's like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. Bugs is way cooler, wittier, and understandably a bigger star, but I've got more affection for the guy who has to try a little harder because he's just not as gifted.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JGButler 

I find it incredibly fascinating that the people who defend this film (and I don't mean to use that term condescendingly, if that's how it comes across) - people who don't know each other at all and would never be in a position to compare notes, as it were - all have the EXACT. SAME. THINGS. to say in terms of its defense.  Like almost verbatim.  Kinda makes me wonder where I veered off the track on this one.

To some degree, this is how I feel about SCOTT PILGRIM and a couple other CHUD favorites.

My guess is that you've come to it too late, with higher expectations than the film warrants. It ain't perfect, and it ain't the greatest thing since sliced bread. I first saw the film on cable, with the expectation of switching channels within 20 minutes...only to find myself enjoying it, and watching the whole thing. To some degree, I'd compare it to 1999's THE MUMMY, another wholly unoriginal yet ridiculously satisfying movie. Both are pure formula, contain almost zero surprises, and yet manage to entertain the hell out of you from the fun that everyone seems to be having as well as having respect (or finding joy) in the type of story they're telling.

I loved reading this. I was twelve when this came out and I managed to see it at the cinema.

Before it came out the poster and artwork amazed me and I really thought I was in for a classic then I saw it, thought it was okay and didnt watch it again until about 5 years ago. The criticisms you have levelled at the film are all valid. Its no classic its fun and diverting but not a classic and its a possibility this is looked at through rose coloured glasses and a haze of nostalgia . Having said that of all the comic book adaptations that were greenlit due to the success of Burton's Batman, this is the best. It is something that really wasted its potential, it glides instead of soars and dare I say it? I actually enjoyed Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow more......don't kill me.....

I’m with Jeremy on this. I found it horribly underwhelming and one of the reasons I’m a little cautious about the upcoming Captain America movie. The film has got a myriad of things that work, but they never coalesce into anything with thrust (ironically) or momentum. As someone up-thread said, this is a film where I was literally waiting for the film to start the entire time. Then the zeppelin explodes and everything’s resolved.

I also loathe the ‘I may be a crook, but I’m AMERICAN’ moment. But this is probably because I was in the middle of an assignment on Lucky Luciano and the Mafia’s actions during World War Two. It shouldn’t stick out, but it just felt like the biggest ‘American Exceptionialism’ moment in a film filled with moments like that.

I actually saw this movie for the first time a couple of months ago, too.  I was pretty young when I was released and, like some of you, I remember being entranced by the imagery of the movie.  My biggest memory attached with this movie, though, is watching the show on TLC or whatever that explained how special effects worked and what techniques were used to make particular scenes in movies.  There was a breakdown on The Rocketeer and the stop motion animation that was used for the scenes when the Rocketeer was in flight.  They had a pretty massive recreation of the character (in stop motion terms, anyway) and I was intrigued by stop motion even as a lad...  So, yeah, it was fun finally seeing those scenes in context.  As far as the movie went, I was fairly underwhelmed. 

This is an overrated underrated movie.  There's lots to like, and I do remember this movie being a big deal to me when I was younger.  But I've never really been able to revisit it.  Cute is a good word for it.  It's affable.  It's friendly.  It's warm and it feels nice for most of its running time. 

But for a movie called The Rocketeer?

I'm really hoping that Captain America is more like October Sky than The Rocketeer, honestly.  Ideally, I would love it if it were a mix of the two.  Because I love October Sky.

Even in 1991, the movie kinda didn't work. It's got a solid first act & climax but it's desperately missing an action beat in Act 2. Everything in the restaurant scenes feel flabby & poorly executed. That said, the Howard Hughes "Nazi strip" scene is so well done that it adds a genuine pathos & weight that actually lifts the whole enterprise to level that can't be matched by any other scene in the movie.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcnooj82 

This is an overrated underrated movie. 
 

That's very apt.

I was a huge fan of the comics (as one might guess), and psyched as hell for the movie (arranged a big viewing party with friends the day it came out), but while there were things I liked, it never really took off for me.

I mostly agree with Jeremy's points save two: I can't stand Paul Sorvino at the best of times, and since at least one subplot needed cutting, I'd have dumped his. The other is that I did like Campbell's performance: he's not as much of a selfish, sexually frustrated  hothead as Cliff is in the comic, but he gets as much of that as any Disney hero's going to be allowed. And while I agree that Dalton's not as threatening as he might have been, the use of the stories of Errol Flynn being a Nazi collaborator was just the sort of touch that Stevens might have come up with himself.

I also was impressed with the way the writers approached some of the knotty problems of adaptation: obviously, Cliff's girlfriend can't be Bettie Page, and the rocket pack's inventor can't be a never-named Doc Savage, and the decision to shift that role to Hughes (which, in the comics, is Peevy's wrong guess as to the inventor's identity) worked really well. And the Nazi film was just great.

By the way, for Father's Day the year before, my wife had given me a t-shirt with the graphic I use in my avatar, and I wore it to Disneyland the summer the movie came out. Got a few interesting looks...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeb 
I can't stand Paul Sorvino at the best of times...

Uh oh.  Now you done it.  You made Paulie mad.

This is one of those films I get the feeling people like the idea of, rather than liking the actual film as its presented.