“The Rocketeer” (1991)
In 2021, “The Rocketeer” celebrated its 30th anniversary. There wasn’t much in the way of acknowledgement from the company, aside from a few pieces of commemorative merchandise (mostly pins), but that’s okay. “The Rocketeer” has always been an underdog. When it was released theatrically, the tale of a stunt pilot (Billy Campbell) who takes control of an experimental jetpack and becomes a hero in 1938 Los Angeles, “The Rocketeer” got clobbered by “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.” In the years since, though, more and more have come around to appreciate the Joe Johnston-directed adventure. And there really is a lot to cherish here, from the art deco production design to the introduction of real-life history (Terry O’Quinn plays a terrific Howard Hughes) to the very knowing performances by Jennifer Connolly, Alan Arkin, and Timothy Dalton as an Errol Flynn-style Nazi sleeper agent. There’s even an animated sequence, by Walt Disney Feature Animation (as it was then known), depicting a Nazi invasion of the United States. Chances are if you’ve seen “The Rocketeer,” you love it. And if you haven’t seen it yet, get ready – it’s one of the best and least heralded action movies of the 1990s.
