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Rating:  -
The Rocketeer had a very special memory for me. It was the opening movie to first be shown at the newly refurbished El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood; CA. Disney bought the old theatre and spent about 10 million dollars refurbishing it. It is a beautiful theatre and contains the original fixtures and décor - newly repainted - and the most sophisticated digital and THX movie theatre systems around.
Now, that aside, the film was a fantasy filled adventure set in the not so distant past (30's - 40's) about a secret device invented by Mr. Howard Hughes himself which was stolen by some gangster with the intentions of steeling it Hitler himself. The special effects are great and the Rocket is very cool. Even the costumes were very unique.
The device is a jet pack that when worn with a special helmet made by the character played by Alan Arkin, will allow the person to fly through the air (and water) at great speeds. With the villainous Timothy Dalton playing a Nazi spy and world famous actor chasing him. Paul Servino plays a great Mafioso.
The film stars relatively new comers at the time Bill Campbell and Jennifer Connolly as the boyfriend-girlfriend who end up having the mafia, Nazi's and the FBI chasing them! It got a lot of heart and a lot of humor and it is a great family film. I really enjoyed this. No real extras on this DVD but maybe later. I think you'll enjoy this too.
Rating: -
Bill Campbell plays the clean-cut, aw-shucks pilot and Jennifer Connelly is his sweet, star-struck girlfriend in this comic strip tale of good vs. evil. It is set in the pre-WWII era, and only our stalwart hero can save America from Hitler; with a little spit and chewing gum applied to his rocket pack, Campbell destroys the Nazis! This is clean-cut fun told in a simpler style. The whole family can enjoy this move together!
Rating: -
This is an exceptionally well-made movie. The sets, costumes, and music give it a sense of authenticity. The casting is excellent. There's no question about who's the good guy and who's the bad guy - and the bad guy is very, very bad!
Bill Campbell plays Cliff Secord, an amateur aviator who is up to his ears in debt and going nowhere in his career. Neville Sinclair (Timothy Dalton), a swashbuckling movie star and secret Nazi agent, overhears Cliff telling his girlfriend, Jenny Blake (Jennifer Connelly) about having found a rocket pack that will help to jump-start his career. Cliff uses the rocket pack at an airshow and the flying man - "The Rocketeer" - becomes the talk of the town, but the rocket pack is a Nazi invention and the Nazis want it back. When Sinclair kidnaps Jenny and holds her for the rocket pack, it's up to Cliff Secord to save his girl AND the world!
Alan Arkin turns in a fine performance as Secord's mentor. Watch for cameo appearances by actors playing Howard Hughes, Clark Gable, and W.C. Fields!
It's great entertainment with little objectionable language or material.
Rating:  -
...Pretty good sound mix. The picture could be much better. It is shaky in some places. But Jennifer Connelly still looks great.
The movie feels like an old time serial that you used to see on Sat. mornings. It's clear who the good and bad guys are...Exciting, funny, romantic...Definitely a great movie!! I highly recommend it!!
Rating: -
In pure Disney fashion, The Rocketeer is a hearken back to traditional heroes of the old days. Based on a comic book with classic retro styling, it about a regular guy who is burdened with an extraordinary piece of equipment that gives him the ability to fly. Luckily he's a pilot. The story is solid, if not clichéd. In the late 1930's, a young pilot who is a winning hopeful for a plane race gets his hopes shot down when his plane is damaged. He and his top mechanic stumble on a jetpack. From there, things get going. Everyone seems to want this thing. The pilot soon finds himself, as well as everyone around him, in danger. Throw in The Nazis, a charming but snake like actor/villain, a large speechless bruiser, the mob and Howard Hughes (not the real man, just an actor playing him) and you have a busy movie that keeps a pace and riddles you with adventure. Joe Johnson is a great director, recently doing the 3rd Jurassic Park movie and making it a hit as well. His handling of this movie is well balanced. Bill Cambell, who plays the young pilot, is perfect as the hero in all his square jawed leather jacket glory. Jennifer Connelly, in one of her first screen appearances, is gorgeous and smart as his actress girlfriend. Alan Arkin plays his wise and brilliant mechanic. And of course you have to have a villain, in this case, it is James Bond...I mean Timothy Dalton, the former James Bond by the time this movie was made. He does a very good job of playing the villain in the traditional sense. No stretching of talent in this film, all actors are not required to strain themselves. The movie is fun to watch and never dull, good special effects lend to this as well. I recommend it although there isn't much on the DVD, but I doubt this will ever become a special edition 2 disc set, so go ahead and get it now.
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Action & Adventure