Save your money for something good and enjoyable

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

The Rocketeer is a great action movie and fun to watch. Since it is set in the 1930s, the movie doesn't fail to effectively give it a nice '30s throwback look and feel to it. Bill Campbell did a good job as Cliff, aka the Rocketeer. Timothy Dalton's performance as the villainous Neville Sinclair, a Nazi in disguise, was a far cry from his role as James Bond, but effective nonetheless.I read that there had been plans to make The Rocketeer a trilogy. It's too bad it never happened. It's hard not to wonder what might have been if the film had successfully spawned any sequels. But I would hope that we would have been given stories just as good as the original film, if not better.In my humble opinion, no only is The Rocketeer is an enjoyable movie, but it's one of the best action films of 1991.

Despite being produced by Walt Disney Pictures, this is not really a movie for kids. It is actually quite violent for a Disney movie and primarily aimed at a male audience. Presumably, the Disney tag was one of the reasons why the movie failed to become a box office success back in 1991 as people mistook it for a kids' movie.'The Rocketeer' is far from that! In fact, it is a very entertaining and fun adventure movie reminiscent of the Indiana Jones trilogy with its Nazi themes, the television spin off 'The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones'—in which this movie's director, Joe Johnston, was involved, too—and also of the old James Bond movies from the 1960s and 1970s with their exaggeratedly quirky villains. Coincidentally or maybe intentionally, the movie's main villain is portrayed by Timothy Dalton, who took on the role of James Bond two times and is excellent here as the charming but fanatical antagonist.While the screenplay could have been better, the great actors and especially the fantastic, action-packed and visually striking finale make up for what the plot is lacking in direction. Joe Johnston is a capable director with a distinct style that is present in virtually all of the movies he has directed, including 'Captain America: The First Avenger' (2011), which is similar to this movie in a number of aspects.The cast of 'The Rocketeer' is simply superb and includes a number of very fine character actors and some big names, too. I mean, look at that excellent cast list: Alan Arkin, Paul Sorvino, Terry O'Quinn, Jon Polito, Ed Lauter, William Sanderson, Margo Martindale... These actors have been in like every movie ever made! Billy Campbell is decent in the lead role, even though he is not the greatest actor around, but he carries this movie quite well. It makes you wonder why his film career never really took off afterward. He is familiar of course, mostly from television, but he is not a big name. The beautiful and classy Jennifer Connelly is the icing on the cake of the cast. She is a very good actress and an absolute delight to watch. What a mighty fine lady!

As a fan of classic Hollywood cinema, how can I not love The Rocketeer? I delight in all those old Hollywood references, from lines such as "You stood behind Myrna Loy with a bowl of grapes", to a movie set very similar to the castle interior from The Adventures of Robin Hood. I even find myself thinking this film's protagonist has pretty sweet life going for him; he gets to fly planes all day, has a hot aspiring actress girlfriend and lives in 1930's Hollywood. The cast of The Rocketeer have that cartoony look which stars of the 1930's possessed; even one of the film's villains is modelled after Rondo Hatton, a not well known b-movie player with a uniquely disfigured face. The film also provides a nostalgic look at the golden age of aviation; ah for the days when aviation was a gentleman's pursuit, back before every Joe Sweatsock could wedge himself behind a lunch try and jet off to Raleigh-Durham.Why do these pulp serial adventures keep failing at the box office (The Shadow, The Phantom, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow). Of course The Rocketeer's lack of box office success cancelled plans for an intended trilogy. Are audiences just not interested in these kinds of films, or do they just keep getting poorly marketed. Either way, this is why we can't have nice things.Timothy Dalton is the one of who steals the show as the Errol Flynn- esque Neville Sinclair. Dalton really is one of the last of his kind, as a Shakespearean trained actor who can play these types debonair, hammy villains, both here and his role in Hot Fuzz. Interestingly Errol Flynn himself has had (hopefully untrue) posthumous accusations of being Nazi sympathiser. What's scarier than Nazis? The Rocketeer has the answer: Rocket propelled Nazis who can travel across the Atlantic on their jet packs.My only complaint with The Rocketeer and the only aspect which prevents me from awarding the movie with the mighty 10, is the lead protagonist Cliff Secord played by Billy Campbell, whom I find not to be terribly interesting. While it could be argued he's supposed to be dull in keeping with the tradition of B-movie serials having bland leading men. Still I would rather have a more charismatic screen presence but when a movie still manages to be this much fun despite this nor do I ever care in the slightest as why the rocket blasts to not burn of the back of Cliff's legs, it's defiantly doing something right.

Its a real shame this film bombed so much at the box office, I really can't understand why it did so badly as its one of the best comicbook adaptations around. It captures the all American spirit of the time and harnesses that glorious 30's feel with every frame. Johnston really did superbly well with this film and capturing the very essence of that classic early comicbook/serial type hero and integrating it with that all American WWII wartime effort vibe.Just seeing the old movie poster shows you how much care and attention to detail went into this film. The poster has a fantastic art deco design (from the era) of our heroic lead character, its simple and minimal but does the job a thousand times over, I love it, one of the best posters created. Even the font for the text is absolutely perfect looking.Although the character was created in 82 its an obvious homage to pulp comicbooks and matinée/serial hero characters of the 30's/40's, the idea is simple but it works so so well. The whole film has that Indy feel to it and completes a trilogy of classic pulp comicbook superheroes alongside 'The Shadow' and 'The Phantom'...in my opinion. All characters of the era and all similar in design, typical manly and dashing in smart outfits, saving poor damsels in distress for breakfast.The film is nothing but fun and doesn't pretend to be serious or shy away from the ham n cheese. Dalton is the dastardly caddish villain who is clearly suppose to be Errol Flynn, Connelly is the soppy damsel in distress, Sorvino is the classic American gangster in a tubby Al Capone style ('Eddie Valentine'? perfect American mobster name methinks), O'Quinn plays Howard Hughes amazingly well and Tiny Ron is a character straight out of 'Dick Tracy'. New boy Campbell also does really well as the lead character giving the role a fresh feel and no ego problems which tend to come with big names.The film looks great and has some terrific design work, the rocket pack looks cool and practical with more nice art deco touches...as does the helmet with its rudder fin on the top. Effects were considered very good at the time with lots of high flying thrills and aerial stunts, bluescreen heavily used of course. Nowadays the effects do look rather iffy and obvious but that tends to add to the charm really, it doesn't detract from the excitement in any way. The plot is straight forward but it does get a bit beyond itself towards the finale, like how on earth does a huge Nazi Zeppelin fly into the US undetected? I guess its suppose to be the 30's so who knows, radar not at its best back then huh (well it was in its early days I believe). I must also mention the brilliant animated black n white short in the middle of the flick which shows the Nazi's intentions with the rocket pack. Truly awesome animation that is sharp as a knife to this day, it could easily have been a separate film (or series) in itself.I really can't fault this film in any way, sure its silly but its well worked escapism and an affectionate tribute to the era, anyone of any age would have fun watching this. Without taking anything away from the creators you could almost say its like an adventure from a young Indiana Jones, an early tale from his younger years, a prequel even. I love how they didn't shy away from using the Nazi's as the bad guys despite it being a family film, an important requirement. The Indiana Jones of the skies, fighting the dastardly Nazi's and their incredible machines of war, hell this is really what 'Captain America' should have been like.9/10