I sometimes wonder if Dalton was born in the wrong decade. A Shakespearean actor wasn't really what people wanted from an action hero in the 80's but he really feels like he could have been a swashbuckling hero of the 30's and 40's.
He also played Prince Barin in the 1980s Flash Gordon. He was really one of the only GOOD things in that film - along with Max Von Sydow's Ming the Merciless.
Excellent film and review , there's another good film worth reviewing called The Doctor and the Devils which stars Timothy Dalton and Jonathan Pryce also two Roger Moore favourites worth reviewing The Wild Geese and The Sea Wolves , hopefully you will get to review these too would be interested to know your views
In the final fight, the hero asks: "Where is your stuntman now Sinclair?" and Dalton gives him a punch and says: "I do my own stunts". I belive it's a great reference to Dalton in the Bond movies where he indeed does his own stunts.
Too bad it got overshadowed by Terminator 2 and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Seriously, people thought watching Kevin Costner's god-awful portrayal of Robin Hood was worth the ticket more than The Rocketeer?
I really liked The Rocketeer. Has a great art deco 1930s serial drama vibe. The whole style of the film is really as important as the story. And Jennifer Connelly is goddess tier beautiful as well. Having Dalton be a Nazi saboteur and Errol Flynn look a like was great.
Out of all the actors to play Bond, Dalton is definitely the one who really works wonderfully as a villain. Whether it be in The Rocketeer, Hot Fuzz or Doctor Who, he always gives us a really great performance as a bad guy.
There's a movie called The Beautician and the Beast, where he plays the typical rough-edged guy who's brought out of his shell by the right woman. It's a very mediocre movie, but he's great in it.
This is a movie that I grew up with, having seen it in the theater at age 7, and it’s still one of my favorite movies. It’s also the first movie I saw Timothy Dalton in. And it’s funny you consider Joe Johnston as a student of Steven Spielberg because he was actually an employee of George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic and served as a visual effects designer and art director on both the Star Wars trilogy and Raiders of the Lost Ark.
I remember seeing this in theatres, and loving it to bits. Unfortunately there was only a handful of people in the theatre, and it never really found its audience. Dalton was in great form here, and seemed to be having fun playing the charming villain.
"The Shadow" with Alec Baldwin is another superhero film set in the same era and with the same art deco feel worth checking out. You can definitely see Joe Johnston channeling The Rocketeer for Captain America and both films have some similar plots, characters and story beats. The movie also inspired a memorable crossover comic with Batman and Captain America too, with the Joker being the one who is horrified to find out he has been working with a Nazi all along. I'd say the film is a cult classic- it didn't do too well when it first came out, but it cast a very long shadow and is generally remembered fondly.
I remember in 1991 feeling The Rocketeer would be the closest thing to a Bond film that year because of Timothy Dalton's participation. The screenwriters, Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo, were the showrunners of a Flash TV series that ran during the 1990-91 season. It was a very good show and the Bilson-De Meo script was an added bonus.
@@TrainerCTZ The Flash was cancelled because CBS put it in the 8pm time slot against The Cosby Show. I caught re-runs and found the episodes enjoyable- especially where Mark Hamill played "The Trickster."
This was my movie as a kid. I'd share it with friends whenever possible. I even was the Rocketeer one year for Halloween, a year or so before the Original trilogy came back to theaters. It's truly an overlooked gem. Plus the score is fantastic!
This was one of my favourite films of my childhood. It was also the first time I ever saw Dalton in a film so I really struggled with him at first as Bond because I’d only seen him as a villain. It took me years to get used to the idea of Dalton as a good guy, as Bond! Now I think he was a very good Bond. Great video!
I was 7 when this came out and every comic book had ads for this, I was so hyped. I rented it so many times and love it to this day. Top 10 comic book movies for sure. Thanks for the review!!! Glad you finally saw it!!!
A truly great throwback of a film. Dalton is astounding and even though you are supposed to squirm in his wooing of Jennifer Connelly, you go with it cause he is so damn charming.
Can't wait to see the review of Lazenby's villainous turn in The Man From Hong Kong! BTW, The Rocketeer is 100% purebred Dieselpunk, rather than Steampunk.
Around this same time, "Robin Hood" with Kevin Costner also came out. One film critic made the comment that "Robin Hood" should have cast Dalton in the title role instead of Costner. I concur. (As much as I like Costner in other films, he was woefully miscast in "Robin Hood.")
It was a childhood favorite of mine and I still absolutely love it. I fully understand it's not an objectively perfect film, but it's a film that always brings a smile to my face. Also when Jenny (Jennifer Connelly) wears the white dress for her date with Sinclair, I don't think an actress has ever looked more breathtaking. Arkin and Dalton are clearly the MVPs of the picture, and I find Campbell serviceable in the role of Cliff even if he has the depth of a puddle.
Top tier superhero flick The Rocketeer. Timothy Dalton is a great mustache twirling villain and the period settings are excellent. It's very well regarded, unlike The Phantom with Billy Zane, which I also love. Very fun comic strip action and romance. Awesom period comic book film.
It is a wonderful film. Alan Arkin is always a plus. The tie-ins to Howard Hughes (The Gee Bee tace plane, the Hercules a.k.a. The Spruce Goose and the autogyro), the authenic look of the film and, speaking of looks, Connelly in that dinner dress. :-) Clean cut, wholesome good guy is the way an adventure film or television show's hero should be.
I do think it's more interesting when the hero has some flaws/shades of grey-Indiana Jones is a good example in Raiders as he's an heroic figure but is perfectly fine not fighting fair [shooting the sword guy instead of fighting him].
@@jamesatkinsonja Is shooting the guy wielding a sword, who appears quite competent with it and intends to kill you, really a shade of gray? I think of it as the bright, white light dimmed a little bit. Say, setting #9 or #8 instead of full on #10. 🙂
This is one of those I stumbled upon on tv by accident and years later I revisited it and it was a fun movie to watch and not to mention Jeniffer Conelly is just sooooo gorgeous on this movie and it was intended to have a sequel but due to underperforming in the box office it got abandoned
The henchman’s prosthetic may have also been inspired by the Dick Tracy movie that came out in 1990 and also featured a number of baddies with exaggerated facial features. An attempt to make him look obviously bad and scary, even though Dalton’s suave character was the true monster.
Thought he did 007 quite well. But he was so suited to the 'baddie' in Hot Fuzz. Such a deliciously rich smarmy character, everyone loved to hate., thoroughly bent on doing bad things and almost succeeding with his sickly charm! Loved him in that role!!
This was a childhood classic for me, saw it when I was about 8. Also my first introduction to Timothy Dalton, I was blown away a few years later when I found out he played James Bond!
Besides this role, Billy Campbell is perhaps best known for a notorious guest appearance in Star Trek: The Next Generation as Okona, a Han Solo ripoff with the dialogue going way overboard to sell him as a lovable rapscallion and irresistable ladies' man, which Campbell's performance just cannot back up at all.
Big fan of the Rocketeer. Personally never had a problem with Campbell, he works well with Arkin. Yes perhaps a bit low key, but that's a good counterbalance to Dalt's scenery chewing. Also one of James Horner's best scores. The feel/tone of this film is just perfect.
A fun film which pays homage to a lot of popular genres of the time - Noir, airplane films, gangster films, and medieval adventure films. There are a lot of funny scenes and some good action as well. .
I enjoyed The Rocketeer, but I felt it spent so much time as an origin story we never really got to see The Rocketeer actually be The Rocketeer. Most of the film he's going "oh, I'm going to give the rocket-pack back I promise" and figuring out how it works - the only time he truly gets to be The Rocketeer and stop baddies is the end. Which works for the film, I guess, it's just a shame we never got a sequel where he can be The Rocketeer getting shit done and stopping baddies the whole film through. But yes, Dalton is this film's MVP. He does such a good job at being charming while also being slimy, and channels that Old Hollywood energy to a T (helped by the fact that he has a proper Old Hollywood chin - I'm convinced Hollywood used to decide which actors became the big stars by what shape their chins were). I've never seen the Gone with the Wind sequel miniseries 'Scarlett', but I know he was cast in the Clark Gable role, and you can see why. And, while I only saw this film for the first time a couple of weeks ago as a 26 year old, I enjoyed its earnestness. I've never been a big superhero guy, but I prefer the superheroes who have a gadget as opposed to superpowers (I guess that's why I love Bond so much) and maybe I'm just tired of films nowadays that feel they have to be smarter than the audience (not helped by the fact a lot of the Internet feel they have to show they're smarter than the film, thus perpetuating a never-ending war) but whatever it was I had a blast with its fun energy. It has the right level of seriousness - it's still light and fun but it doesn't treat everything as a joke with a billion quips.
good point man. I think this though perhaps could have pushed it rating a little and be a 12 rating, though its fine as it is at PG and it doesn't really REEEALLY need it, but i hope you get what I mean :) and yeah get round to watching the mini series 'Scarlett'. my taxi driver who always took me to school met him in 1994 while he still had his moustache on at a hotel he was staying at :). FRAMED is excellent too, Dalton was perfect
True-it's a pet hate of mine when 'origin' films keep back the cool stuff for the sequel which never happens. It would be like Batman Begins only having Bruce Wayne becoming Batman for the climax. Spot on about the 'smarter than the audience' internet nonsense too.
Rocketeer is a lot of fun. I had read the comics so knew about Dave Stevens characters. Dalton was definitely huge fun as the evil Nazi Errol Flynn type villain. Stevens tried to capture the innocence of the 40s and Indy/Sat matinee shorts. It’s also famous for putting Betty Page back into the spotlight. His Betty was based on her and I recommend fans look up his beautiful artwork and nod to her. Definitely one of the better superhero films up until that time along with Superman the Movie of course. Great work as always, sir. Thanks for the great video.
Great video Calvin. Rocketeer is my favourite comic book movie, absolutely love it. Gorgeous period setting and quite possibly the most devastatingly beautiful lead actress of all time. Excellent stuff.
Yes, the comic is from the 80s, but it was written as a throwback to the Pulp era, with characters based on Doc Savage and The Shadow (and probably others that I don't recognize). So your expectation that it was based on an old serial isn't completely wrong, because the source material deliberately drew on those type of stories. As for the main character, I think his earnestness is the point. It's like when Steve Rogers describes himself as "just a guy from Brooklyn"- he doesn't see himself as a hero, he's just an ordinary guy who gets thrown into a bizarre situation and tries to cope.
It is also a must for Jennifer Connelly fans 😍. but seriously it has been several years since I sat down and watched this movie but it was always fun and I also love art deco and steampunk...sad that it didn't do as well in the box office or that we got more movies. There's been rumors that they will make a new Rocketeer movie eventually, but not holding my breath that it will happen, or that it will be as good.
The Rocketeer was my first exposure of Timothy Dalton. By the time I saw him as Bond, I was awe stuck, because that was Neville Sinclair! Great movie with great performances. Indeed this was a childhood favorite film.
Having watched this film as young as 3 or 4 (I was born in 1990) this was easily the first thing I knew Timothy from as well. When I realized who he was as an actor when I got older the main thing that he stuck in my head as was always Neville Sinclair.
@@Maximillian200HP He's terrific in this movie. Outside of Bond, this is my favorite performance of his. The movie holds up as a charming throwback as well.
Cliff in the comics looks like he does here, but he’s very different. He also doesn’t wear the helmet to disguise himself. Jenny doesn’t exist in the comic, he dates Betty Page the pin up. So not very Disney
I followed the Rocketeer comics feature by Dave Stevens starting in the Pacific Comics days from its first appearance as a back up. It was special because of the nostalgia and his amazing artwork. Stevens wasn’t a quick working artist so there was never a glut of material which made it really special. There were a few “Rocketman” serials by Republic in the 40s and 50s whose lead actors make Bill Campbell look like the most entertaining action star there ever was.
I love that Dalton is underpinning Errol Flynn & that the movie he is working on apes The Adventures of Robin Hood. Which parallels the time frame well. I like this movie overall particularly Arkin who puts in a great performance as the mechanic/mentor father figure to Cliff.
I've never seen The Rocketeer but I have seen King of the Rocketmen the 1949 serial. During the school holidays they showed one episode a day on BBC2, which was a bit of a pain as I had to remember switch on the TV at the exact same time every day and if I missed the beginning I missed most the episode. Each part was about twenty minutes and would always end on a cliffhanger usually a "How's he going to get out of this one?" situation. A formula which later used for Bond and Indiana Jones. Calvin, the ultimate Bond actor in a non-Bond role is The Tailor of Panama with Pierce Brosnan, few people saw it and even fewer people liked it but Brosnan is by far the thing about it and (avoiding spoilers) when you see it you'll understand why it's ideal for one of your reviews.
It was an very interesting choice for Brosnan to do a John Le Carre adaption while still playing Bond. Directed by John Boorman [Zardoz], it also features Daniel Radcliffe pre-Harry Potter.
May have already been mentioned but Dave Steven's Rocketeer comic does have lineage to the past. It is a homage to a batch of popular sci-fi movie serials from the late 40s/Early 50s featuring a similar looking hero. The first and the best being 1949's King Of The Rocket Men. Republic Pictures would later retool the concept (or more honestly, cheaply reused the same costume) for other main characters. Fun and witty review as always, Calvin.
Thank you so much for getting to this! I think there's a lot to be said for this movie even beyond Dalton's great contribution. Yes, it was based on a 1982 comic book, but that book in turn took inspiration from old serial adventures like King of the Rocket Men (1949) or Commando Cody (1953). The tone of the comic book was also sexier, with the girlfriend heavily based on Bettie Page, a rather scandalous pioneer model of pinup girlie photography. I also appreciate the alternate history going on in it, the animated Nazi film of soldiers flying to America weirdly paralleling Hitler's dream of lobbing a robot bomb at New York City. Finally, I think its musical theme is simply beautiful. And let's also admit that Dalton makes a great Errol Flynn, evil or not. Cheers, Calvin.
Re: Billy Campbell. He was a secondary character in a 1980s show I liked a lot. It was titled Crime Story and ran for 2 years. Dennis Farina was the star and it was made by Michael Mann's production company.
Although the comic is from the 80s, the character was inspired by the jetpack wearing Commando Cody from the 1952 film serial "Radar Men from the Moon" and its 1955 follow-up "Commando Cody: Sky Marshall of the Universe". He had a similar streamlined helmet and flight jacket. Poor Rondo Hatton's facial features were the result of Acromegaly, which slowly deformed him. Believe it or not, he was voted Most Handsome Boy in high school, before the disease ruined his face.
Yupyupyupyupyupyupyupyupyuuuuuuuup. Friggin LOVE this movie. Liked it as a kid, appreciate it far more now. Everyone's perfect. Fix that one special effect and the film would be perfect too.
My first Bond film was The Living Daylights aged 11 so The Rocketeer for me was Timothy Daltons third Bond film for me - great film when I saw it at cinema and remains so - the music is great too and Dalton as the baddie was brilliant
I love love love this film, it’s one of my absolute favourites. And even though it deviated a bit from the comics, a lot of it (including Cliff himself and Rondo Hatton lookalike Lothar) is very much ripped from Dave Stevens’ pages. The score is rousing and typically Horner, Joe Johnston was at his best here, as he had been with Honey, I Shrunk the Kids a couple of years earlier, the 30’s movie-stylised dialogue is great, there are so many gems in there if you pay attention (your buddy’s being fitted for a pine overcoat) and Jennifer Connelly is just gorgeous and the object of my childhood affections. ILM did stellar work with the visual effects that in my opinion still holds up. But the MVP here is Dalton. He’s loving it. Of course he turned it up to 11 in Hot Fuzz and Doctor Who but he’s clearly having a ball here and to my taste he’s just brilliant, especially that German accent he slips into towards the end (all over ze cabin!) Did I mention I love this film? I do…I saw it on the bottom shelf of my local Blockbuster back in ‘92 or thereabouts and I watched it over and over again. 9 year old me was enchanted and I could watch this movie any time, in any mood.
This truly was one of 1991's hidden gems. I was keen to see it at the movies but unfortunately the poor box office meant it disappeared from my town's then new cinema very quickly. I loved the movie when I eventually saw it on VHS.
Campbell was down to the final two for 'Riker' on Star Trek The Next Generation, and lost the role to Jonathan Frakes. Amazed you didn't mention James Horner's fantastic score.
Please please please do Flash Gordon! A childhood fave to the extent that when Timothy Dalton became Bond my fam was excited because of liking him in Flash Gordon.
I remember my mom taking me to see the Rocketeer at the Drive-In when I was 13....haven't seen it since then and remember almost nothing about it, so perhaps it's time for another go! Except this time, to focus on the presence and performance of Dalton
When it first came out I loved the film as a kid. I had no idea who Timothy Dalton was at the time but his character left an impression on me. It wasn't until years later that he became my favorite Bond.
There's no way Moore could have pulled it off. Edward Fox was a better choice because he pulled off blending into the crowd and yet had that sinister edge.
Roger said he enquired about the role and was pretty much told he was wrong for the part as he couldn't blend into the crowd like the Jackal should which Roger admitted was a fair point!
Calvin, have you considered reviewing THE LION IN WINTER for your channel? One of Dalon's first movies and a fantastic cast including a brand-new Anthony Hopkins!
Rocketeer was a childhood favorite of mine, rediscovered it as an adult and can still enjoy it. I can't help but wonder what conversation took place when the role was pitched to Timothy Dalton. I picture a conversation like this taking place: Agent: "Hey, Tim, I got this picture I think you'd be perfect in!" Timothy: "Alright, let's hear it." Agent: "Okay, so you play a spy..." Timothy: "Oh god, not this again!" I've only seen Timothy Dalton in two films outside of Bond, those being Flash Gordon and Rocketeer and I loved him in both. Happy to see you show this film some love! It speaks volumes about your love of the Bond franchise when you're willing to watch a film just because it features a Bond actor.
During the third act our hero gets scared by a girl in his own house and he tells her "You scared the living... heck out of me". I could not help but think that was a reference to The Living Daylights, especially with the pause in the delivery. Overall, very fun film and excellent performance by Dalton who still has the greatest Bond smile and laugh of which we have a bunch of examples here.
Look up Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. It was probably the last time Hollywood took a chance on this kind of aesthetic. Even the director (who had the original idea) quit Hollywood after making it because of studio interferences. It was also probably the first example of using deepfakes.
I watched this years later after it came out. I absolutely love the 1930s pulp fiction era. Timothy Dalton played it really well and Jennifer Connelly looked incredible. I rather enjoyed this film.
I saw the Rocketeer at the cinema and I've enjoyed it a lot since. But how dare you criticize Jennifer Connelly in this. .... or anything, young Calvin? 😲 She's an excellent actress and especially back in the 90's she looked jaw-droppingly attractive!
Nice review Calvin I love the Rocketeer Tim Dalton is wonderful in his role If we could have gotten his third 007 film and still got Pierce in Goldeneye I would have been happy
I remember really liking the Rocketeer, but I haven't seen it since it came out. I really dislike superhero films, always have - including Tim Burton's Batman, so it must have had something going for it if I liked it. I'm sure some of the appeal was Dalton, although it was probably equal parts Jennifer Connelly. I doubt I cared about her performance, it probably got my Christmas Jones star of approval.
I loved this movie as a child and still do today - to the point that I have the advance one-sheet framed in the lounge! For a kids action film there is a lot of history in it (Hughs, airships, old movie references...) but it clips along nicely. There is also apparently a missing action sequence around Grauman's Chinese Theatre that was cut due to budgets and studio meddling. Great review Calvin!
I was 15 when this came out in the US, and I remember being thoroughly unexcited about it. I appreciate the production design far more now, but at the time it just felt like a movie that was N0T reading the cinematic landscape of the time correctly.
Apparently Disney have been attempting to get a reboot/sequel off the ground for the past 10-11 years, I'm curious if that will end up amounting to anything.
Absolutely love this movie. As a kid after seeing the movie I even got the Disney Read along book and tape. Loved that thing. I love most of Joe Johnston films
This film, always enjoyable to watch. Several quality actors, history and technology, adventure -fun! Joe J' was employed at Lucasfim for a number of years, as design artist, art director on effects. Jennifer Connelly is glorious, and suits to glamor of the time, or now! The character Wilmer, who involved in the Rocket, ends up in hospital, played by Max Grodenchik, would be more famous playing Ferengi -in ST:Next Generation, and as Rom in St:DS9. If there had been a Sequel, Timothy Dalton wouldn't have been back,...but if he had done another Bond, after this, he would have been in the public eye, and reminded his versatility.
How many villains has Billy Campbell played Billy and Jennifer had a relationship in real life there was an old black and white series called king of the rocket men in 1949 like Flash Gordon
Dalton was good as Bond because he did look just a bit evil. He never was the typical babyface hero type and Bond shouldn't be that imo. James Bond is a pulp character essentially.
This has always been one of my favourites, Calvin. since I first watched it on video in 1993. this, Dick Tracy. The Shadow & The Mask. are all great films that merge into one for me. loved your review as well. :)
If you were a comic collector in the 80's-90's and you weren't overwhelmed by the Drek that was being released, at the time, discovering Dave Stevens(R.I.P.) was a jewel. If you were an avid movie-goer/comic collector and you saw The Rocketeer on screen you were lucky. At the time it was considered the most accurate comic to screen-made production. Tim Dalton excelled. Two best lines are "Bloody amateurs" and "I do my own stunts"
I grew up watching this movie (and I'm in my 30's BTW), and even read the comic that it's based on a few years back. The films is extremely accurate in its tone (but only slightly accurate in story) to the comic, and Luther looks a lot like he does there, but Jenny in the comic is actually named Betty and is based visually on Betty Page. I'm glad you actually pointed out that it was based on a comic from the 80's, I feel like the movie is really underrated and the comic even more so. It needs more love I think. I love this movie a lot and highly recommend it and it's source material for anyone wanting to get into some pulpy stories with 90's production values.
'Framed' with Dalton is another early 90's show where Dalton played the baddie. Either a 4 part 1 hour mini TV series or 2 hour film. Dalton & David Morrisey are good. Dalton plays a villan on the run who turns supergrass when caught. Then plans his escape by using mind games against Morrisey.
I recently listened to the 'Young Bond' novel 'Shoot to Kill' on audible [as it was free to members at the time of writing] which does feel like Bond meets the Rocketeer and it puts Bond into 30's Hollywood.
I was a kid when this when this came out and liked it back then. Seeing it again as an adult, it has a certain charm to it , yet I don't love it for the reasons you pointed out. Same thing with Dick Tracy. It has a charming style to it, but doesn't really hold up for me now.
Quite possibly my all-time favorite comic book film (or at least a close second to the original Donner Superman). If you get the opportunity, please do check out the original comics by Dave Stevens. Absolute works of art by a much-missed master of the craft.
The graphic novel the film is based on itself took inspiration from an old movie serial ('King Of the Rocket Men'). There are layers of references in 'The Rocketeer'. One example is 'The Laughing Bandit' clearly being based on the Flynn 'Adventures of Robin Hood'. I saw it in the cinema and while it is well made and enjoyable (especially if someone has an interest in that time period), it also ultimately isn't focused enough to have really made an impact at the box office.
I sometimes wonder if Dalton was born in the wrong decade. A Shakespearean actor wasn't really what people wanted from an action hero in the 80's but he really feels like he could have been a swashbuckling hero of the 30's and 40's.
Was there a TV spin-off
Don't rule out Mr. Prickle Pants! 😮
He also played Prince Barin in the 1980s Flash Gordon. He was really one of the only GOOD things in that film - along with Max Von Sydow's Ming the Merciless.
Also a film called hawks
Excellent film and review , there's another good film worth reviewing called The Doctor and the Devils which stars Timothy Dalton and Jonathan Pryce also two Roger Moore favourites worth reviewing The Wild Geese and The Sea Wolves , hopefully you will get to review these too would be interested to know your views
In the final fight, the hero asks: "Where is your stuntman now Sinclair?" and Dalton gives him a punch and says: "I do my own stunts". I belive it's a great reference to Dalton in the Bond movies where he indeed does his own stunts.
Some but certainly not all
The Rocketeer it’s such an underrated film, it has so much heart, earnestness, and sense of adventure, not to mention an amazing cast.
Too bad it got overshadowed by Terminator 2 and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Seriously, people thought watching Kevin Costner's god-awful portrayal of Robin Hood was worth the ticket more than The Rocketeer?
I really liked The Rocketeer. Has a great art deco 1930s serial drama vibe. The whole style of the film is really as important as the story. And Jennifer Connelly is goddess tier beautiful as well. Having Dalton be a Nazi saboteur and Errol Flynn look a like was great.
Out of all the actors to play Bond, Dalton is definitely the one who really works wonderfully as a villain. Whether it be in The Rocketeer, Hot Fuzz or Doctor Who, he always gives us a really great performance as a bad guy.
There's a movie called The Beautician and the Beast, where he plays the typical rough-edged guy who's brought out of his shell by the right woman. It's a very mediocre movie, but he's great in it.
Even in “The Sittaford Mystery” -not quite the villain, but if you view it, you’ll see!
@@robertoswald4861 It's a pretty good episode of Miss Marple
Timothy Dalton has grown on me a lot over the years. He is very engaging in many of his roles, and he plays a damn fine bastard
I always thought Daniel Craig looked more like a Bond villain than a Bond
This is a movie that I grew up with, having seen it in the theater at age 7, and it’s still one of my favorite movies. It’s also the first movie I saw Timothy Dalton in.
And it’s funny you consider Joe Johnston as a student of Steven Spielberg because he was actually an employee of George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic and served as a visual effects designer and art director on both the Star Wars trilogy and Raiders of the Lost Ark.
I remember seeing this in theatres, and loving it to bits. Unfortunately there was only a handful of people in the theatre, and it never really found its audience. Dalton was in great form here, and seemed to be having fun playing the charming villain.
"The Shadow" with Alec Baldwin is another superhero film set in the same era and with the same art deco feel worth checking out.
You can definitely see Joe Johnston channeling The Rocketeer for Captain America and both films have some similar plots, characters and story beats.
The movie also inspired a memorable crossover comic with Batman and Captain America too, with the Joker being the one who is horrified to find out he has been working with a Nazi all along.
I'd say the film is a cult classic- it didn't do too well when it first came out, but it cast a very long shadow and is generally remembered fondly.
The Shadow was directed by Russell Mulcahy of Highlander fame.
@@jamesatkinsonja Can't forget "The Phantom" w/Billy Zane and Catherine Zeta-Jones!
I remember in 1991 feeling The Rocketeer would be the closest thing to a Bond film that year because of Timothy Dalton's participation. The screenwriters, Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo, were the showrunners of a Flash TV series that ran during the 1990-91 season. It was a very good show and the Bilson-De Meo script was an added bonus.
I remember that show BLOWING CHIMPMUNKS. Then it was canceled do to shear SUCKAGE.
@@TrainerCTZ The Flash was cancelled because CBS put it in the 8pm time slot against The Cosby Show. I caught re-runs and found the episodes enjoyable- especially where Mark Hamill played "The Trickster."
This was my movie as a kid. I'd share it with friends whenever possible. I even was the Rocketeer one year for Halloween, a year or so before the Original trilogy came back to theaters. It's truly an overlooked gem. Plus the score is fantastic!
This was one of my favourite films of my childhood. It was also the first time I ever saw Dalton in a film so I really struggled with him at first as Bond because I’d only seen him as a villain. It took me years to get used to the idea of Dalton as a good guy, as Bond! Now I think he was a very good Bond. Great video!
I was 7 when this came out and every comic book had ads for this, I was so hyped. I rented it so many times and love it to this day. Top 10 comic book movies for sure. Thanks for the review!!! Glad you finally saw it!!!
Fun fact, the writers of this movie went on to write 007 Nightfire the game
A truly great throwback of a film. Dalton is astounding and even though you are supposed to squirm in his wooing of Jennifer Connelly, you go with it cause he is so damn charming.
totaly agree man :)
Can't wait to see the review of Lazenby's villainous turn in The Man From Hong Kong! BTW, The Rocketeer is 100% purebred Dieselpunk, rather than Steampunk.
Correct it's a Diesel punk superhero origin film.
Around this same time, "Robin Hood" with Kevin Costner also came out. One film critic made the comment that "Robin Hood" should have cast Dalton in the title role instead of Costner. I concur. (As much as I like Costner in other films, he was woefully miscast in "Robin Hood.")
It was a childhood favorite of mine and I still absolutely love it. I fully understand it's not an objectively perfect film, but it's a film that always brings a smile to my face. Also when Jenny (Jennifer Connelly) wears the white dress for her date with Sinclair, I don't think an actress has ever looked more breathtaking. Arkin and Dalton are clearly the MVPs of the picture, and I find Campbell serviceable in the role of Cliff even if he has the depth of a puddle.
Top tier superhero flick The Rocketeer. Timothy Dalton is a great mustache twirling villain and the period settings are excellent. It's very well regarded, unlike The Phantom with Billy Zane, which I also love. Very fun comic strip action and romance. Awesom period comic book film.
The Phantom or The Shadow with Alec Baldwin, another mid 90s starring vehicle superhero movie based on a serial from the 30s that went nowhere haha.
It is a wonderful film. Alan Arkin is always a plus. The tie-ins to Howard Hughes (The Gee Bee tace plane, the Hercules a.k.a. The Spruce Goose and the autogyro), the authenic look of the film and, speaking of looks, Connelly in that dinner dress. :-)
Clean cut, wholesome good guy is the way an adventure film or television show's hero should be.
I do think it's more interesting when the hero has some flaws/shades of grey-Indiana Jones is a good example in Raiders as he's an heroic figure but is perfectly fine not fighting fair [shooting the sword guy instead of fighting him].
@@jamesatkinsonja Is shooting the guy wielding a sword, who appears quite competent with it and intends to kill you, really a shade of gray?
I think of it as the bright, white light dimmed a little bit. Say, setting #9 or #8 instead of full on #10. 🙂
This is one of those I stumbled upon on tv by accident and years later I revisited it and it was a fun movie to watch and not to mention Jeniffer Conelly is just sooooo gorgeous on this movie and it was intended to have a sequel but due to underperforming in the box office it got abandoned
The henchman’s prosthetic may have also been inspired by the Dick Tracy movie that came out in 1990 and also featured a number of baddies with exaggerated facial features. An attempt to make him look obviously bad and scary, even though Dalton’s suave character was the true monster.
Thought he did 007 quite well. But he was so suited to the 'baddie' in Hot Fuzz. Such a deliciously rich smarmy character, everyone loved to hate., thoroughly bent on doing bad things and almost succeeding with his sickly charm! Loved him in that role!!
This was a childhood classic for me, saw it when I was about 8. Also my first introduction to Timothy Dalton, I was blown away a few years later when I found out he played James Bond!
Besides this role, Billy Campbell is perhaps best known for a notorious guest appearance in Star Trek: The Next Generation as Okona, a Han Solo ripoff with the dialogue going way overboard to sell him as a lovable rapscallion and irresistable ladies' man, which Campbell's performance just cannot back up at all.
Don't forget his glorified cameo in Bram Stoker's Dracula
Big fan of the Rocketeer. Personally never had a problem with Campbell, he works well with Arkin. Yes perhaps a bit low key, but that's a good counterbalance to Dalt's scenery chewing. Also one of James Horner's best scores. The feel/tone of this film is just perfect.
Bill Campbell was in Bram Stoker's Dracula. I actually liked him in the role. Think he could have made a good Superman
That or Cyclops
Pierce Brosnan in the Foreigner with Jackie Chan
Directed by Martin Campbell!
A fun film which pays homage to a lot of popular genres of the time - Noir, airplane films, gangster films, and medieval adventure films. There are a lot of funny scenes and some good action as well. .
I enjoyed The Rocketeer, but I felt it spent so much time as an origin story we never really got to see The Rocketeer actually be The Rocketeer. Most of the film he's going "oh, I'm going to give the rocket-pack back I promise" and figuring out how it works - the only time he truly gets to be The Rocketeer and stop baddies is the end. Which works for the film, I guess, it's just a shame we never got a sequel where he can be The Rocketeer getting shit done and stopping baddies the whole film through.
But yes, Dalton is this film's MVP. He does such a good job at being charming while also being slimy, and channels that Old Hollywood energy to a T (helped by the fact that he has a proper Old Hollywood chin - I'm convinced Hollywood used to decide which actors became the big stars by what shape their chins were). I've never seen the Gone with the Wind sequel miniseries 'Scarlett', but I know he was cast in the Clark Gable role, and you can see why.
And, while I only saw this film for the first time a couple of weeks ago as a 26 year old, I enjoyed its earnestness. I've never been a big superhero guy, but I prefer the superheroes who have a gadget as opposed to superpowers (I guess that's why I love Bond so much) and maybe I'm just tired of films nowadays that feel they have to be smarter than the audience (not helped by the fact a lot of the Internet feel they have to show they're smarter than the film, thus perpetuating a never-ending war) but whatever it was I had a blast with its fun energy. It has the right level of seriousness - it's still light and fun but it doesn't treat everything as a joke with a billion quips.
good point man. I think this though perhaps could have pushed it rating a little and be a 12 rating, though its fine as it is at PG and it doesn't really REEEALLY need it, but i hope you get what I mean :)
and yeah get round to watching the mini series 'Scarlett'. my taxi driver who always took me to school met him in 1994 while he still had his moustache on at a hotel he was staying at :). FRAMED is excellent too, Dalton was perfect
True-it's a pet hate of mine when 'origin' films keep back the cool stuff for the sequel which never happens. It would be like Batman Begins only having Bruce Wayne becoming Batman for the climax. Spot on about the 'smarter than the audience' internet nonsense too.
Rocketeer is a lot of fun. I had read the comics so knew about Dave Stevens characters. Dalton was definitely huge fun as the evil Nazi Errol Flynn type villain. Stevens tried to capture the innocence of the 40s and Indy/Sat matinee shorts. It’s also famous for putting Betty Page back into the spotlight. His Betty was based on her and I recommend fans look up his beautiful artwork and nod to her. Definitely one of the better superhero films up until that time along with Superman the Movie of course. Great work as always, sir. Thanks for the great video.
Great video Calvin. Rocketeer is my favourite comic book movie, absolutely love it. Gorgeous period setting and quite possibly the most devastatingly beautiful lead actress of all time. Excellent stuff.
Yes, the comic is from the 80s, but it was written as a throwback to the Pulp era, with characters based on Doc Savage and The Shadow (and probably others that I don't recognize). So your expectation that it was based on an old serial isn't completely wrong, because the source material deliberately drew on those type of stories. As for the main character, I think his earnestness is the point. It's like when Steve Rogers describes himself as "just a guy from Brooklyn"- he doesn't see himself as a hero, he's just an ordinary guy who gets thrown into a bizarre situation and tries to cope.
It is also a must for Jennifer Connelly fans 😍. but seriously it has been several years since I sat down and watched this movie but it was always fun and I also love art deco and steampunk...sad that it didn't do as well in the box office or that we got more movies. There's been rumors that they will make a new Rocketeer movie eventually, but not holding my breath that it will happen, or that it will be as good.
I also think Pierce Brosnan was somewhat of the "villain" in Mrs Doubtfire 😅
Loved this when It came out when I was a kid. Forgot all about it till seeing it on Disney+ a few years back
The Rocketeer was my first exposure of Timothy Dalton. By the time I saw him as Bond, I was awe stuck, because that was Neville Sinclair! Great movie with great performances. Indeed this was a childhood favorite film.
Having watched this film as young as 3 or 4 (I was born in 1990) this was easily the first thing I knew Timothy from as well. When I realized who he was as an actor when I got older the main thing that he stuck in my head as was always Neville Sinclair.
@@Maximillian200HP He's terrific in this movie. Outside of Bond, this is my favorite performance of his. The movie holds up as a charming throwback as well.
Cliff in the comics looks like he does here, but he’s very different. He also doesn’t wear the helmet to disguise himself. Jenny doesn’t exist in the comic, he dates Betty Page the pin up. So not very Disney
Allegedly they were worried Page would sue if she was included in the film!
The Rocketeer was lightened up for the Disney name. Had it been a Touchstone Picture, it would have been a little darker.
I followed the Rocketeer comics feature by Dave Stevens starting in the Pacific Comics days from its first appearance as a back up. It was special because of the nostalgia and his amazing artwork. Stevens wasn’t a quick working artist so there was never a glut of material which made it really special. There were a few “Rocketman” serials by Republic in the 40s and 50s whose lead actors make Bill Campbell look like the most entertaining action star there ever was.
I love that Dalton is underpinning Errol Flynn & that the movie he is working on apes The Adventures of Robin Hood. Which parallels the time frame well. I like this movie overall particularly Arkin who puts in a great performance as the mechanic/mentor father figure to Cliff.
I've never seen The Rocketeer but I have seen King of the Rocketmen the 1949 serial. During the school holidays they showed one episode a day on BBC2, which was a bit of a pain as I had to remember switch on the TV at the exact same time every day and if I missed the beginning I missed most the episode. Each part was about twenty minutes and would always end on a cliffhanger usually a "How's he going to get out of this one?" situation. A formula which later used for Bond and Indiana Jones.
Calvin, the ultimate Bond actor in a non-Bond role is The Tailor of Panama with Pierce Brosnan, few people saw it and even fewer people liked it but Brosnan is by far the thing about it and (avoiding spoilers) when you see it you'll understand why it's ideal for one of your reviews.
It was an very interesting choice for Brosnan to do a John Le Carre adaption while still playing Bond. Directed by John Boorman [Zardoz], it also features Daniel Radcliffe pre-Harry Potter.
I remember seeing this film in theaters when it first came out. I was 9 at the time. Don’t think I’ve seen it since since.
May have already been mentioned but Dave Steven's Rocketeer comic does have lineage to the past. It is a homage to a batch of popular sci-fi movie serials from the late 40s/Early 50s featuring a similar looking hero. The first and the best being 1949's King Of The Rocket Men. Republic Pictures would later retool the concept (or more honestly, cheaply reused the same costume) for other main characters.
Fun and witty review as always, Calvin.
Thank you so much for getting to this! I think there's a lot to be said for this movie even beyond Dalton's great contribution. Yes, it was based on a 1982 comic book, but that book in turn took inspiration from old serial adventures like King of the Rocket Men (1949) or Commando Cody (1953). The tone of the comic book was also sexier, with the girlfriend heavily based on Bettie Page, a rather scandalous pioneer model of pinup girlie photography. I also appreciate the alternate history going on in it, the animated Nazi film of soldiers flying to America weirdly paralleling Hitler's dream of lobbing a robot bomb at New York City. Finally, I think its musical theme is simply beautiful. And let's also admit that Dalton makes a great Errol Flynn, evil or not. Cheers, Calvin.
This is a rare film you've covered I've neither watched or know much about it. Love hearing you talk about movies and really enjoyed your take on it.
"I'll miss Hollywood," Nevile Sinclair...and he did, hitting and destroying only the letters LAND.
Re: Billy Campbell. He was a secondary character in a 1980s show I liked a lot. It was titled Crime Story and ran for 2 years. Dennis Farina was the star and it was made by Michael Mann's production company.
JOE jOHNSON worked with Steven Spielberg on Raiders of the Lost Ark, he made the storyboard for the trucks chase
Although the comic is from the 80s, the character was inspired by the jetpack wearing Commando Cody from the 1952 film serial "Radar Men from the Moon" and its 1955 follow-up "Commando Cody: Sky Marshall of the Universe". He had a similar streamlined helmet and flight jacket.
Poor Rondo Hatton's facial features were the result of Acromegaly, which slowly deformed him. Believe it or not, he was voted Most Handsome Boy in high school, before the disease ruined his face.
timothy dalton is SO fun as a baddie, he is delightful. Additionally, he is hot XD
And Hot Fuzz: "Freezers yer bloody cops!"
Yupyupyupyupyupyupyupyupyuuuuuuuup.
Friggin LOVE this movie. Liked it as a kid, appreciate it far more now. Everyone's perfect. Fix that one special effect and the film would be perfect too.
Dalton is deliciously evil too in the current Yellowstone spinoff, 1923. He steals every scene!
Final note: Terry O'Quinn as Howard Hughes was wonderful. He'd later be a cast member of Lost.
My first Bond film was The Living Daylights aged 11 so The Rocketeer for me was Timothy Daltons third Bond film for me - great film when I saw it at cinema and remains so - the music is great too and Dalton as the baddie was brilliant
I love love love this film, it’s one of my absolute favourites. And even though it deviated a bit from the comics, a lot of it (including Cliff himself and Rondo Hatton lookalike Lothar) is very much ripped from Dave Stevens’ pages.
The score is rousing and typically Horner, Joe Johnston was at his best here, as he had been with Honey, I Shrunk the Kids a couple of years earlier, the 30’s movie-stylised dialogue is great, there are so many gems in there if you pay attention (your buddy’s being fitted for a pine overcoat) and Jennifer Connelly is just gorgeous and the object of my childhood affections.
ILM did stellar work with the visual effects that in my opinion still holds up.
But the MVP here is Dalton. He’s loving it. Of course he turned it up to 11 in Hot Fuzz and Doctor Who but he’s clearly having a ball here and to my taste he’s just brilliant, especially that German accent he slips into towards the end (all over ze cabin!)
Did I mention I love this film? I do…I saw it on the bottom shelf of my local Blockbuster back in ‘92 or thereabouts and I watched it over and over again. 9 year old me was enchanted and I could watch this movie any time, in any mood.
This truly was one of 1991's hidden gems. I was keen to see it at the movies but unfortunately the poor box office meant it disappeared from my town's then new cinema very quickly. I loved the movie when I eventually saw it on VHS.
This was such a fun movie needed a sequel. Great practical effects. Dalton kills it in the movie...."I do my own stunts"
Such a great line 😅
Campbell was down to the final two for 'Riker' on Star Trek The Next Generation, and lost the role to Jonathan Frakes. Amazed you didn't mention James Horner's fantastic score.
Please please please do Flash Gordon! A childhood fave to the extent that when Timothy Dalton became Bond my fam was excited because of liking him in Flash Gordon.
This is, no joke, one of my favourite movies of all time
I remember my mom taking me to see the Rocketeer at the Drive-In when I was 13....haven't seen it since then and remember almost nothing about it, so perhaps it's time for another go! Except this time, to focus on the presence and performance of Dalton
We need a resurgence in pulp and Westerns. Superheroes are played out.
When it first came out I loved the film as a kid. I had no idea who Timothy Dalton was at the time but his character left an impression on me. It wasn't until years later that he became my favorite Bond.
Roger Moore really wanted to play the Edward Fox role in The Day Of The Jackel
There's no way Moore could have pulled it off. Edward Fox was a better choice because he pulled off blending into the crowd and yet had that sinister edge.
Roger said he enquired about the role and was pretty much told he was wrong for the part as he couldn't blend into the crowd like the Jackal should which Roger admitted was a fair point!
Calvin, have you considered reviewing THE LION IN WINTER for your channel? One of Dalon's first movies and a fantastic cast including a brand-new Anthony Hopkins!
Yes, please!
Rocketeer was a childhood favorite of mine, rediscovered it as an adult and can still enjoy it.
I can't help but wonder what conversation took place when the role was pitched to Timothy Dalton. I picture a conversation like this taking place:
Agent: "Hey, Tim, I got this picture I think you'd be perfect in!"
Timothy: "Alright, let's hear it."
Agent: "Okay, so you play a spy..."
Timothy: "Oh god, not this again!"
I've only seen Timothy Dalton in two films outside of Bond, those being Flash Gordon and Rocketeer and I loved him in both. Happy to see you show this film some love! It speaks volumes about your love of the Bond franchise when you're willing to watch a film just because it features a Bond actor.
During the third act our hero gets scared by a girl in his own house and he tells her "You scared the living... heck out of me". I could not help but think that was a reference to The Living Daylights, especially with the pause in the delivery. Overall, very fun film and excellent performance by Dalton who still has the greatest Bond smile and laugh of which we have a bunch of examples here.
So who wants to see Calvin review Dalton’s performance in Doctor Who: The End of Time Parts 1&2?
Also the anti-hero in Flash Gordon: 'Freeze yer bloody basterds!"
Also the anti-hero in Dr Who: "Freeze yer bloody timelord!"
Look up Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.
It was probably the last time Hollywood took a chance on this kind of aesthetic.
Even the director (who had the original idea) quit Hollywood after making it because of studio interferences. It was also probably the first example of using deepfakes.
Would love to see a wild geese review or discussion with you Calvin its an underrated classic
Dalton might be one of my favourite actors of the past 50 years
(I know he isn’t 50, i just mean his best roles have been in that time period)
This!
I absolutely loved this film as a child. It still holds up.
Was a favorite of mine as a kid too, I still enjoy it as an adult.
I watched this years later after it came out. I absolutely love the 1930s pulp fiction era. Timothy Dalton played it really well and Jennifer Connelly looked incredible. I rather enjoyed this film.
I saw the Rocketeer at the cinema and I've enjoyed it a lot since. But how dare you criticize Jennifer Connelly in this. .... or anything, young Calvin? 😲
She's an excellent actress and especially back in the 90's she looked jaw-droppingly attractive!
Nice review Calvin I love the Rocketeer
Tim Dalton is wonderful in his role
If we could have gotten his third 007 film and still got
Pierce in Goldeneye I would have been happy
The protagonist didn’t get a lot of time to be the Rocketeer, thinking about it. But as usual, Dalton steals every scene he’s in.
I remember really liking the Rocketeer, but I haven't seen it since it came out. I really dislike superhero films, always have - including Tim Burton's Batman, so it must have had something going for it if I liked it. I'm sure some of the appeal was Dalton, although it was probably equal parts Jennifer Connelly. I doubt I cared about her performance, it probably got my Christmas Jones star of approval.
I loved this movie as a child and still do today - to the point that I have the advance one-sheet framed in the lounge!
For a kids action film there is a lot of history in it (Hughs, airships, old movie references...) but it clips along nicely. There is also apparently a missing action sequence around Grauman's Chinese Theatre that was cut due to budgets and studio meddling.
Great review Calvin!
I was 15 when this came out in the US, and I remember being thoroughly unexcited about it. I appreciate the production design far more now, but at the time it just felt like a movie that was N0T reading the cinematic landscape of the time correctly.
Apparently Disney have been attempting to get a reboot/sequel off the ground for the past 10-11 years, I'm curious if that will end up amounting to anything.
was hoping you would review this!
Absolutely love this movie. As a kid after seeing the movie I even got the Disney Read along book and tape. Loved that thing. I love most of Joe Johnston films
Fun fact, the makers of this gem went on to make, Captain America (not that 1990s one).
I like that you review movies that starred former James Bond actors. What about Bond villains actors?
If you've missed it he's done in the last year 'The Wicker Man' [Christopher Lee] and 'Taken' [Famka Jenssen]
@@jamesatkinsonja I'm quite out of the loop these days lol.
This film, always enjoyable to watch. Several quality actors, history and technology, adventure -fun! Joe J' was employed at Lucasfim for a number of years, as design artist, art director on effects.
Jennifer Connelly is glorious, and suits to glamor of the time, or now! The character Wilmer, who involved in the Rocket, ends up in hospital, played by Max Grodenchik, would be more famous playing Ferengi -in ST:Next Generation, and as Rom in St:DS9. If there had been a Sequel, Timothy Dalton wouldn't have been back,...but if he had done another Bond, after this, he would have been in the public eye, and reminded his versatility.
How many villains has Billy Campbell played Billy and Jennifer had a relationship in real life there was an old black and white series called king of the rocket men in 1949 like Flash Gordon
Greatly underrated throwback pulp superhero flick. I miss these 'out of nowhere' summer movies.
Grew up watching this movie. One of my family friendly favorites.
Dalton was good as Bond because he did look just a bit evil. He never was the typical babyface hero type and Bond shouldn't be that imo. James Bond is a pulp character essentially.
This has always been one of my favourites, Calvin. since I first watched it on video in 1993. this, Dick Tracy. The Shadow & The Mask. are all great films that merge into one for me. loved your review as well. :)
If you were a comic collector in the 80's-90's and you weren't overwhelmed by the Drek that was being released, at the time, discovering Dave Stevens(R.I.P.) was a jewel.
If you were an avid movie-goer/comic collector and you saw The Rocketeer on screen you were lucky. At the time it was considered the most accurate comic to screen-made production. Tim Dalton excelled. Two best lines are "Bloody amateurs" and "I do my own stunts"
I grew up watching this movie (and I'm in my 30's BTW), and even read the comic that it's based on a few years back. The films is extremely accurate in its tone (but only slightly accurate in story) to the comic, and Luther looks a lot like he does there, but Jenny in the comic is actually named Betty and is based visually on Betty Page. I'm glad you actually pointed out that it was based on a comic from the 80's, I feel like the movie is really underrated and the comic even more so. It needs more love I think.
I love this movie a lot and highly recommend it and it's source material for anyone wanting to get into some pulpy stories with 90's production values.
'Framed' with Dalton is another early 90's show where Dalton played the baddie.
Either a 4 part 1 hour mini TV series or 2 hour film.
Dalton & David Morrisey are good.
Dalton plays a villan on the run who turns supergrass when caught. Then plans his escape by using mind games against Morrisey.
I recently listened to the 'Young Bond' novel 'Shoot to Kill' on audible [as it was free to members at the time of writing] which does feel like Bond meets the Rocketeer and it puts Bond into 30's Hollywood.
I think Pierce Brosnan makes a great villain too, and they should cast him as more of them.
I was a kid when this when this came out and liked it back then. Seeing it again as an adult, it has a certain charm to it , yet I don't love it for the reasons you pointed out. Same thing with Dick Tracy. It has a charming style to it, but doesn't really hold up for me now.
Quite possibly my all-time favorite comic book film (or at least a close second to the original Donner Superman). If you get the opportunity, please do check out the original comics by Dave Stevens. Absolute works of art by a much-missed master of the craft.
The graphic novel the film is based on itself took inspiration from an old movie serial ('King Of the Rocket Men'). There are layers of references in 'The Rocketeer'. One example is 'The Laughing Bandit' clearly being based on the Flynn 'Adventures of Robin Hood'. I saw it in the cinema and while it is well made and enjoyable (especially if someone has an interest in that time period), it also ultimately isn't focused enough to have really made an impact at the box office.