a5c7b9f00b 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.
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.
Vastly entertaining and exciting in the tradition of "Indiana Jones", "The Rocketeer" is one of Disney's greatest live-action masterpieces. Pilot Bill Campbell and best friend Alan Arkin discover a rocket pack in the late-1930s which is wanted by the Nazis. Now the chase is on as European actor Timothy Dalton and American mafia boss Paul Sorvino start trying to get the pack back. Jennifer Connelly is also along for the thrill-ride as Campbell's beautiful girlfriend. A great piece of entertainment that never feels dated. 5 stars out of 5.
Rocketeer, telling the story of a young country lad who, having found an experimental rocket pack, ends up fighting a Nazi plot and rescuing his girl, doesn't quite work.<br/><br/>Perhaps this is due to Bill Campbell in the lead. He is personable enough, but he never grabs the audience with the type of charisma you need in a leading man.<br/><br/>Or perhaps it is due to the structure and events in the film. It seems to take an awfully long time to deal with initial set up, and there doesn't seem to be that much use made of the rocket pack in putting things to rights. We came to this film to see some bloke flying around with a rocket pack so let's have some of that, please! Because, make no mistake, the flying sequences are superb. Following the Superman movies (you'll believe a man can fly with grainy back projection or a thick matte line round him), this was the first of a new generation of movies where a man flying looked like a man flying and not a special effect.<br/><br/>Alan Arkin is great. Jennifer Connelly is, sadly, not called upon to do very much beyond looking gorgeous.
A movie that looks nice and moves along efficiently, but offers little reason for anyone to watch.