Straight from the pages of a pulp comic from a past era, the Rocketeer recreates 1930's Hollywood, complete with gangsters, Nazi spies, and the growth of the Age of Aviation. Young pilot Cliff Secord stumbles on a top secret rocket-pack and with the help of his mechanic/mentor, Peevy, he attempts to save his girl and stop the Nazis as The Rocketeer. In the years leading up to World War II, stunt pilot Cliff Secord takes a trial run in a Gee Bee racing aircraft to prepare for an upcoming air show. But he accidentally comes into possession of a rocket-propelled backpack much coveted by the Nazis. With the aid of his mechanic pal, he gets it up and running, then uses it to foil a plot by a gang of vicious Nazi spies led by Timothy Dalton. Jennifer Connelly is on hand as the love interest, but the real fun here is when the Rocketeer takes off. There's also a nifty battle atop an airborne blimp to defeat his foes who are anxious to use the device in an evil plan to rule the world! The dangerous mission transforms the ordinary young man into an extraordinary hero. I liken this movie to movies such as "Indiana Jones" or "The Mummy". It's one of those action-packed, adventurous movies with just enough romance, humor, and drama to make it in my top five movies of all time list. Cool special effects and happy ending. It's safe enough for kids, satisfying for parents, and teens probably enjoy it the most. Set in the 1940's, it stays true to its setting and gives a good look back at what American culture was like then. It gives a little history lesson, too (Howard Hughes, Nazis, etc.) The acting is also wonderful- probably Billy Campbell's ("Enough") best performance, Timothy Dalton plays a great villian, and Arkin always does good. Jennifer Connelly, who recently made it big in "A Beautiful Mind", looks surprisingly different, but still quite pretty. Her performance is also grade-A.<br/><br/>Who wouldn't want a jet pack? EVERYONE should see this movie. It seems like much of "The Rocketeer" was just yanked out of the Indiana Jones movies, what with the stunts and all. It's kinda fun (especially the blimp scene), but there's not much that we haven't seen before. I don't know much about Bill Campbell, but the presence of Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin, Timothy Dalton and Paul Sorvino should have improved the movie a lot more. Then again, it is a Disney movie, so we probably shouldn't expect anything really high quality.<br/><br/>So, there are much better movies out there. This is the sort of thing that you watch when there's absolutely nothing else available. Still, Jennifer Connelly is pretty hot. Take an uncharismatic leading man (Bill Campbell), an obviously pre-Oscar Jennifer Connelly, a scene-chewing Timothy Dalton and action that doesn't start until halfway through the film and what you have is one of 1991's more disappointing summer flicks.
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345 weeks ago