Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7261 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-06-15
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 104 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Based on a retro-styled comic book hit of the 80s, this Disney film was meant to launch a whole line of Rocketeer films--but the series began and ended with this one. That's too bad because this underrated Joe Johnston film has a certain loopy charm. The story centres on a pre-World War II stunt pilot (Bill Campbell) who accidentally comes into possession of a rocket-propelled backpack much coveted by the Nazis. With the aid of his mechanic pal (Alan Arkin), he gets it up and running, then uses it to foil a plot by a gang of vicious Nazi spies (is there any other kind?) 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. --Marshall Fine

Special Features
2.35 Wide Screen
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Dolby Digital 5.1

Synopsis
A young pilot and his mentor chance upon a rocket pack. After figuring out how to use it the pilot is able to save lives. Trouble starts when a group of Nazis decide they'd like to own it.

Customer Reviews

INDIANA JONES OF THE SKIES!
When I first saw this film back in the early nineties i was captiviated, just like the original Superman film, you really believe a man can fly but this time with a "Rocket" strapped to his back! Bill Campbell plays Cliff Seacord a daring test pilot in the 1930's who stumbles upon a experimetnal rocket, that just so happens was invented by famous aviator "Howard Hughes". Off course there is always a baddie and this takes the form of Timothy Dalton who plays a Hollywood actor. He actually plays a very nasty piece of work! And then you have the lovely Jennifer Connelly as Cliff's longtime girlfriend called "Jenny" funny enough, the writers must of been stuck for a name?

The action is breath taking especially the flying scenes as they are very fast paced and believable. There is also some humour in the film which helps. Rocketeer was actually based on a graphic novel of the same name and so has some comic book violence but nothing too graphic. Rocketeer has everything you'd want in an action film, love, good and evil, chases, and a whole load of fast and fantastic flying! as its said in the film "Rocketeer to the Rescue"

Why oh why didn't this become a franchise?!
Rocketeer Returns! Rocketeers Returns Again! These could have been great sequels but it wasn't to be. This had everything going for it. Great characters, great action, great story, great score. It has all the ingredients to make a great summer film. I do not know why it didn't do better and lead to the hoped for franchise. Having read the Dave Stevens graphic novels (comics) it is a very faithful adaptation perhaps only second (or even equal to) how faithful Sin City was. It is a proper 'Saturday Matinee' style adventure that the Indiana Jones comparison stands up to. "Rocketeer to the rescue!"

Rocketeer: Excellent 30's Period drama!
There are very few Comic movies which capture the essence of it's source (and in this case surpass it). Rocketeer is set in 1938 with the Nazi's beginning to reveal themselves as a threat to the US. Cliff Secord is not the obvious hero, rather he has heroism thrust upon him as he normally does plane stunts now he must fight abnormally large men (Lothar), gangsters and a pack of Nazi Officers led by (I wont ruin it!). The result is an action packed period epic ideal for younger audiences an older alike much like the action serials of the 50's. The atmosphere of 1930's America is captured in art as well as prose perfectly (much like The Untouchables) add an impeccable musical score from the same guy who brought us Star Trek 2: Wrath of Khan, and you've got an immensly enjoyable movie if a tad light by todays standards of violence. It's outlook is very optimistic with a few cheesy one liners. All in all an ideal Sunday movie for all the family. It was recently rated as being the most true movie based on the original comic (the suit is identical to the comic version). The poster is regularly voted as one of the best in movie history also. released in 1991 (UK) it had to contend with Terminator2 and was billed by Disney as a family movie, among over unfortunate events hence it failed to leave a mark but has a large niche following. "Rocketeer to the rescue!"