So slightly weird true story: my dad was the producer for the videogame tie in, but for the artists to animate the model, they needed someone in THE costume in various poses for photo reference. Dad was the right build/height, so the honor came to him to don the whole outfit. Not only that, he somehow got permission to bring the pieces back home. The helmet sat very widely on my 3 year old shoulders. There's photos in a box somewhere at home. So yeah, I grew up surrounded by this movie, never understanding why nobody else loved it like I did. Good, funny memories.
I did like the movie as a kid, I even had a poster for it in my room at one point ...but that game is _fucking_ awful. It's right up there with American Gladiators as one of the worst games on SNES.
Hahahahaha, god I loved this movie, my very first time I ever learned Chekhov’s gun rule for film, then looked it up and still one of my favorite rules of movies, next too Schroeder’s cat theory.
The original Rocketeer has someone flying around with Gee Bee's, and in Mike's sequel there's someone flying around to the Bee Gee's. It's like poetry.
I can't believe Mike missed 3 Star Trek references!!!!!! - James Horner wrote the music - Mob guy who did the switcheroo was Rom from DS9 - FBI guy was Star Trek guy from TNG and the Deathwish episode
It's been a while since I saw the film, but I wouldn't be surprised if James Horner even reused some of the Star Trek 2 score for this film. In one of the brief clips, I recognized a reused piece from Brainstorm, and I remember hearing reused pieces from Star Trek 2 for years afterward. James Horner wrote some amazing scores, but he repeated himself a lot.
If you're not sick of feeling old yet. Consider the time difference between now and when the Rocketeer was released (27 years) Add 27 years to the year Rocketeer was set in; 1938 and that brings you to the year 1966. So, being chronologically accurate, they could have a 1966 sequel to the Rocketeer using all the original cast.
Make this a Wolfenstein-esque film where the nazis won WWII the Rocketeer leads the resistance or have the war become this never-ending war due to increasing technology advancement and ill watch that!
Okay, the one tiny flaw for me: the helmet is meant to be a rudder. In the scene where he's flying past the airliner and all the passengers are boggling at him, he *turns his head to look at them*. Which would presumably mean he'd careen straight into the airliner.
Yeah, ACTUALLY the whole body is a rudder. When Yves Rossi looks up with his neck and body, he goes UP. If you don't know who he is, and like the Rocketeer, look him up. He made it real. The first jetpacks needed him to jump out of a plane, and then gain some speed, before gaining lift, and increasing speed. NOW, his new engines are so powerful, he can take off from the ground. Dubai let him fly through the sky scrappers.
@@ZacV47 paramount never “owned” the mcu or Marvel. They were in charge of distribution rights for marvel movies and that ended when Disney bought Marvel.
I remember when my dad bought The Rocketeer and watched it with my brother and me. It was one of my favorites. We also are big into history and aviation, so I got the Spruce Goose reference even as a kid. I'm 26 and the intro still gives me chills. Tried watching it with my girlfriend and I couldn't get her to pay attention for more than 10 minutes at a time. Maybe it's time to watch it again with my dad.
I read a couple of great biographies on Howard Hughes that I would recommend, even if you don't care much for reading. Actually, I lent the book and forgot the title. One was a "secret papers" biography, but I would first go for one with a red colored cover, as I recall; damnit.
Honestly the only change I'd make is have Cliff Secord be in it. But older and wiser. Like he's been The Rocketeer for a while, up until some event, a final mission, which caused him to hang up the rocket pack for good. Maybe he's in a wheelchair now, either way he's old. We see that final mission too at the start before it transitions to the 70's. Then he hands down the mantle of The Rocketeer perhaps, for some closure. Perhaps Jenny and him are married and she's a famous actress too.
A Pam Grier-type movie as a backdrop to a Rocketeer movie? How about Part 2: Electric Jig-guh-boo? Or Foxy Jet-Black Power? LoL, jk. Tbf though, Mike is just being tongue in cheek because unfortunately this is exactly the type of crap that HolloWood would genuinely try to push out in our media’s current “Age of ’Diversity’ “.
The Rocketeer being a legacy identity like the Phantom is interesting. Nice to think we don't have to lose Cliff's republic pictures era just for a remake
@@microchrist6122 I do wish Google was around in the day. How am I supposed to take an innocent gander at that Playboy WAY back on the top shelf of the news stand.
@@microchrist6122 Bottomless and in some deliciously graphic scenes in Requiem For a Dream, as well as a more recent Indie film directed by Paul Bettany that also saw her receiving a face full of man juice
This was one of my favorite movies as a kid and I always wondered why it wasn’t more popular! Jennifer Connelly guiding me through puberty gets extra points for this film.
@@johnnycash5858If you like her I recommend The Dark City, there's is a wonderful scene where she sings in a bar. This movie is also famous for being The Matrix of 98.
Someone needs to give these guys an unlimited budget so they can make or green-light films that only they approve of Then rename Hollywood to Red Letteropolis
NoumenalSoup Just because they have done something you do not fancy does not negate their insight and the pure glory of their commentary. ...what was the budget on Space Cop compared to Hollywood releases? I forgot. Crew size? These guys truly love all things film and that’s all I need.
Born in 82' my pops took my brother and I to see this in theaters. It left such an impression with me, I judged so many movies to its standard. Its a fucking classic. I compare it to the sandlot a lot for how American it is. Its remarkable.
@@ashesanddiamonds2692 She´s still a pretty attractive lady imho,but in that dress and with that 40´s style hair/makeup she just looks amazing. Damn,I´m so thirsty, I need a drink... ;-)
This movie really enraptured me as a kid because my thought was something along the lines of "If this is what the past could be like imagine how bright the future could be." And because jetpacks are just the coolest.
I was a kid when this film came out, saw it 2 or 3 times in the theater alone. I LOVED IT! Owned it on VHS and for years, I thought the film was a box office hit. This was my first understanding that even really good films could flop. Also, JAMES HORNER score is masterful and gives me goosebumps every time.
Mike may have corrected himself in editing when he mistakenly said “Jabba’s Palace” instead of “Jabba’s Sail Barge,” but he forgot to correct himself when he mentioned the B-52 bomber, which didn’t enter service until 1955. The bombers most commonly used by Allied forces during WW2 were the B-17 and B-24.
The Rocketeer was creator/artist Dave Stevens ode to the classic serials and adventure strips he loved. Bravo to Disney for respecting this character and its creator (who plays the rockets test pilot) . RIP Dave Stevens
It's weird how many people love this movie, but don't know about him. Dave Stevens was an excellent illustrator, I have a bunch of his sketchbooks and stuff.
If they set the reboot in 1978, they could literally have punters coming out of a showing of 'superman', the rocketeer flies past and the punters are all like "what the hell!".
I can’t believe you missed the best, most clever joke in the movie. When the villain takes the rocketpack to leave the zeppelin he says “I’ll miss ‘Hollywood’”. Then he crashes into the “land”- missing Hollywood.
Same here! Loved this movie as a kid. I rewatched it recently, and it amazes me how many scenes and characters really stuck with me for all these years.
I was obsessed with this movie as a kid. I had the toys and everything. Every time I put a back pack on it was a rocket pack in my mind. Man such a great film!
Spot on! I remember being 20 in the summer of 91 and seeing the bulldog cafe from the movie when i was in the Disney studios Florida and seeing the movie when I got home
I don't know what you're talking about, I was born in 88 and I loved this film. My uncle (who died a year later) stole this from a mom and pop video store, so my copy always had this fluorescant pink industrial strength case on it LOL... loved the cassette, the pink case, the movie, it was all perfect. Anyways I'm inspired to watch this again, I always love seeing the things I treasured as a kid through the eyes of an adult.
Well they are making a sequel now, but it's a man. And we're not sure when it takes place, but since it's a retired Tuskegee Airmen in the role, I'm thinking 50s or 60s.
Man, this was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid! I use to make jetpacks and helmets out of printer paper, lol. And I totally got the Spruce Goose reference, too. They brought it up in Tail Spin, a popular cartoon of the era, so I'm sure most kids who watched Saturday morning cartoons got it.
I LOVE this movie. I saw it when I was 29 or 30 (on Valentine's Day - by myself) It reminded me of being a kid, but I had no nostalgic warmth to it already. It's simply a great movie.
Great video. That whole late 1940s revival in the late 1980s (ROGER RABBIT, DICK TRACY, DISNEY MGM STUDIOS, ROCKETEER etc.) is a completely overlooked corner of pop culture history.
"Will'ya shut up peevy, Im scared enough as it is"-Cliff That moment when he decided to use the jetpack to get involved was the hero moment for me, last year I took my family to the Griffith Observatory an my 7 yr old son exclaimed "The made the rocketeer bare dad!" jet made me by happy ☺
FYI The replica of the bull dog diner disney made for this film now sits in the back patio of the Idle Hour bar in North Hollywood. The bar is also shaped like a giant barrel so its hard to miss...
"Ahh charmed my dear..." *camera pans down to Jennifer Connelly's breasts* "Doubly charmed ;)" Wow the language of cinema is truly intricate and complex in ways I could never hope to understand.
Can't believe you hack frauds didn't mention that Rocketeer was based on the comic by Dave Stevens. Specially since so many of the scenes and visual style you liked were taken directly from the comic. Great stuff as usual. Keep up the good work .
That Rocketeer comic was amazingly beautiful. I collected it and loved it. (I still own them.) When I heard a movie was being made, I was thrilled... I saw the movie... and am still thrilled today. Screw the masses! That movie is gold! R.I.P. Dave Stevens
The shot of the Rocketeer standing in front of the American flag holding the Mauser pistol (prominently featured here) is taken from a promotional drawing by Stevens used to advertise the comic.
@Mohammed Jamma i totally agree. i cant believe we let marvel get away with that in the 1st avengers movie lol. it had a portal AND a blue beam aimed at the sky. only thing missing was a gas that turned nyc citizens into mindless servants of loki.....oh. wait. lol. i really like the pam grier homage idea too. the younger generation has been deprived of a foxy heroine like her :)
I know this ain’t the best movie ever made, but when I saw this in the theater as a kid I was mesmerized. I have always loved aviation and aircraft from the 1930 through WW2. I also loved Indiana Jones. This movie was so in my wheelhouse it’s nuts. It’s basically Indiana Jones the pilot superhero. I can’t say enough good things about it. Thank you for sparking my memory of one of my all time favorites.
"But sir, thats just a model" -Hammer cocked "I said, hop in..." and by the way, guys...Thank you so much for covering this movie! I was all of like 10 or 11 when it came out and I definitely enjoyed the crap out of this one
Directed by the legendary Joe Johnston, the artist responsible for some of the most iconic designs in the original Star Wars trilogy which helps explains why so much of the design work and visuals in The Rocketeer are so awesome (and of course based on Dave Stevens fantastic original art).
From what I have read/heard, Dave Stevens was a huge resource for the art direction and set builders. He obviously knew everything about the Rocketeer's universe, but was essentially an expert on anything from the time period and could make sure all the elements fit perfectly. But it takes an individual like Johnston at the helm to understand why that was so important and use his own, great design sensibility to pull it all together. I think the film's design of the rocket pack, by Edward Eyth, is one of the few things that exceeds Stevens' original design. It's frickin' perfect!
The minimal thought these guys put into a hypothetical sequel is far more than any Hollywood studio would give to an actual sequel. I liked the original enough when I first saw it in my teens, but I've come to appreciate it more now that I have kids of my own, both of whom really enjoyed it!
The soundtrack for this film is so beautiful. I still remember the "hero theme" from this movie, and it's what I judge all other superhero compositions around. This, and the original Superman theme.
I love the Rocketeer and own every single one of the Rocketeer comics. The aesthetic of his suit, the helmet, the rocket, it's just perfect and never changed.
One of my father’s favorite films. He was a actor/writer/director, so saw many pieces that were very well done, if not perfect. Introduced many of his students to it too.
I loved the Rocketeer as a little girl. It reminds me of Indiana Jones, which I also loved. I found the adventure and the time period exciting. I'm 30 now, but i would love to revisit this movie.
