yeah, and way too movies no one does, or very rarly, some some of my favorite childhood 2nd, 3rd tier movies almost never get done :> Wish more did some like ladyhawke.
"not enough reactors are watching this film" sorry but the fact that that sentence is even a thing makes me cringe. How about "not enough people". How about you grow your own brain and watch a full length movie for yourself instead of watching 20 different reactions so you know how to feel about it?
@@roguesoul6760 Actually, I saw The Rocketeer in theaters, and the movie is sitting on my shelf. As well as a lot of other movies I've enjoyed. Thank you for your opinion, though. I read it and I respect your point of view. I'll pray for you, my friend.
My great grandma used to show us this movie all the time. The planes in the beginning of the movie were owned by her uncle and cousins a long time ago. She used to tell us that every time we watched the movie and would show us an old photo album of her family with the airplanes. One year for Christmas she got each of us a model plane that my grandpa made by hand along with a vhs copy of the movie
I saw this in the theater when I was 10 and the audience erupted in applause when Paul Sorvino said "I may not make an honest buck, but I'm 100% American"
Also, the old guy in the diner that got hit by the spoon also played Johnathan Kent in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and absolutely nailed his role
Another underrated gem: The Phantom with Billy Zane! "The Ghost who walks!" Based on a golden comic strip series, from the same time as Mandrake The Magician, Flash Gordon Dick Tracy, Tarzan, Modesty Blaze and Brenda Starr!
The film sadly underperformed and was unable to live up to the myths and “feel” of the comics. If you read the comics as a kid, and saw the movie AS A KID, the nostalgia helps… But it’s one of those hindsight things where you can see how they could have done it SO MUCH BETTER. considering the age of the I.P. and the thousands of stories from the comics…they should really cash in and adapt the comics into a longer running series. Each 36page comic getting converted to a 45 minute Netflix episode, with some of the more classic memorable stories being multi parters “The governor and suzie” for example.
Howard Hughes is a real person he made aviation history and unfortunately is one of the 1st documented sufferers of OCD. He served as the basis of Tony Stark in the comic books and Used as the basis of Howard Stark in Captain America The first Avenger. You might want to Check out the Aviator a movie based on his life.
You did notice they put the poster up during the reaction when they commented about the character just not by name…so chances are it’s in the cards At least the editor seems to think so :)
The Rocketeer is based on the comic book series from the late Dave Stevens. As mentioned prior to the start of the film, Joe Johnston, who also directed 'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,' got the job for the first Captain America film by demonstrating that he could efficiently portray period piece films such as 'The Rocketeer' and 'October Sky,' with the former specifically showcasing that he could helm a special effects-laden superhero film. I like that you just mentioned James Bond and then didn't realize Timothy Dalton played James Bond. 🤭 (You should watch 'License to Kill' --it is one of the better Bond films). Jennifer Connelly's character Jenny Blake, was changed from "Betty" in the comics, itself based on Bettie Page. The comic had some risque content that Disney was trepidatious about the association, wanting the movie to be aimed at a younger audience. Apparently, they also didn't want to pay Bettie Page for the use of her likeness. The actor you recognized but could not place as Howard Hughes is Terry O'Quinn, from such awesome films like 'Blind Fury,' though most probably know him for his prolific role on the TV series 'Lost.' The line I recall from the movie most is "It wasn't a lie, Jenny, it was 'acting!'"
It was originally going to be made through Disney's Touchstone Pictures, but changed during production when Disney thought they could better use it as a 'Disney' title to license a bunch of merchandise and had the writers excise all the adult content from the story. Well, I dunno... a couple things might have snuck in, still. 🤫 Sadly, the movie was considered a bomb when it came out, but had had a pretty good following since. Disney Junior, crazily enough, aired a revamped cartoon version of The Rocketeer where the main character was a 7-year old girl a couple years back.
...also the creator of the Rocket Backpack was attributed to Howard Hughes in the film but in the books it was created by the Pulp era action hero/scientist Doc Savage (some of whose background influenced Superman's). There are a lot of period references in the film. Timothy Dalton's Neville Sinclair was copied after flamboyant real actor Errol Flynn who back in the day did express Nazi sympathies. The lecherous gentleman eying Jenny's cleavage in the nightclub was supposed to be famous actor/comedian and notorious womanizer W.C.Fields. The FBI and the gangsters collaborating to fight the Nazis is not a reach. During WW2 the American did reach out to American gangsters to help them fight against Nazi sabotage at the sea ports.
'The Rocketeer' movie reaction showed up on home page and I am extremely hyped. It is super nostalgic, and the perfect cast. This is my most watched superhero film of my childhood. More people need to experience this film. I'm excited for you Holden.💖
Since you really enjoyed The Rocketeer and also have a special appreciation for Speed Racer, I think you'd really enjoy Dick Tracy (1990). Based on the comic strip. It's set in a very stylized world like Speed Racer and has that 30s Rocketeer feel to it. Great reaction by the way. Looove this movie!
I love this movie. So glad you are watching this. Major childhood movie. One of my favorite Timothy Dalton roles. So many good actors Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin, Paul Sorvino.
GREAT choice today, lads! It's one of my all-time favourites! Got the soundtrack on my phone and a tattoo on my arm. Really hope you enjoy it, Holden 🤞
I love pulp hero movies…The Phantom with Billy Zane, The Shadow with Alec Baldwin (I know ppl hate it, but it’s one of my favorites) and this The Rocketeer…childhood classics haha
I love that this movie was a testing ground for Joe Johnston for his work later on Captain America: First Avenger. Fun Fact: the character who invented the rocket in the film is Howard Hughes and his reaction to cliffs escape is more about the model itself. The ‘Hercules’ nicknamed the Spruce Goose was his passion project, meant to serve as a troop/military transport for WW2 but never got to participate in the war. Hughes was determined to see her fly regardless which we see in the final act of the Aviator with Leo DiCaprio
In the comics the movie is based on the inventor of the rocket pack is Doc Savage - never named nor fully shown because Stevens didn't have the rights to use the character, but two of Doc's Fabulous Five, Monk and Ham (also unnamed) fill the role of the two FBI agents in the film. Hughes, being both conveniently dead and very well known (at the time, anyway) both in general and as an aviator/inventor was an obvious replacement choice. Tony Stark was, after all, inspired by Howard Hughes, with Tony's defiance of Congress in Iron Man 2 being based on Hughes' Senate testimony before the Brewster committee in 1947.
Back in 1991, I was 11. This was one of my favorite films. On top of that, it was based in an comic book series from the 1980s by the late Dave Stevens. Inspired by Saturday Matinee serials and comic strips of the era. The director, Joe Johnston also directed Captain America:The First Avenger (2011) which was the same flavor. Great cast here. Bill Campbell (Cliff) & Jennifer Connelly (Jenny) were a real offscreen couple at the time and did have that quintessential archetype of pairings similar in that era of Hollywood. The late Alan Arkin as Peevy was hilarious. Timothy Dalton as an villain certainty had a good time and I thought he was great. Terry O' Quinn as Howard Hughes was perfect casting and I learned at that time, Mr. Hughes was the inspiration for Marvel's Iron Man. A summer, popcorn flick that I saw twice in the theaters. For me, it was all about Cliff in his outfit with the Rocket pack going into action. I was into the tie-in stuff like with Pizza Hut and M&Ms. Also loved playing the NES video game. My youngest nephew watched the animated series (2019-2020) on Disney Jr. He didn't know there was a Rocketeer movie, I showed it to him and he loved it. Another great adaptation of comic-material by Disney is Dick Tracy (1990).
when you really think about it "The Rocketeer" was an early taste of what a Live Action Iron Man could be and look like...so you can say this movie was the first seed to be planted for such an action to finally happen for Iron Man to be created on the big screen.
@@jason42080 I remember critics & audiences comparing Iron Man to RoboCop back in 2008. I think Richard Roeper even refers to Tony Stark as "GlobalCop".
@@jp3813 ugh first off who flew with a jet pack first on the screen and had a helmet that was somewhat pretty close to an Iron Man design that would be The Rocketeer in 1991...we didn't see Robocop get his jetpack 2 years later in that horrible Robocop 3 movie..so the first seed planted would be who now?
@@jason42080 No one here even said that The Rocketeer didn't contribute. But there's no denying that Iron Man was often compared to RoboCop. Especially due to the villain suiting up as a giant robot. Apparently, Jon Favreau himself named RoboCop as one of the inspirations for the film. And it looks like no one involved in the production even mentioned The Rocketeer.
Fun fact: what you mention is true, but the film is also (jokingly) "blaming" Sinclair for creating the modern form of one of the most iconic landmarks of California XD. When it was built in 1923, the sign really said "Hollywoodland" to promote a new housing development in the hills. In reality, the "Land" part of the sign was removed in 1949, when all the sign had to be repaired after years of neglect, the local Chamber of Commerce decided it could be a sign of the entire district, not just a development and thus the last portion of the word was removed for good.
IMO, not enough people watch or react to this amazing film. This is one of my all time favorite movies and I feel it's tragicaly underrated and unseen.
The character with the underbite is called Rondo. The makeup is based on the actual face of actor Rondo Houten a graduate of Hillsborough High School in Tampa.
I too get "nostalgia" when watching this movie!.......That airport hanger still exists as a Museum too!.....The BULLDOG Cafe set is supposedly still around someplace too!
I have intense nostalgia for this movie! Distinctly remember going to a specific video store and renting it several times. I was like 5 or 6 and had the biggest crush on Connelly. This movie is a great sci-fi/action/fantasy and I talk about it enough that my partner bought me a special edition pen (Retro-51 Tornado) and coin set with the licensed iconography from The Rocketeer when it released a few years ago!
The “hundred percent American” line plays cheesy today, but when I saw this movie in the theater in opening night in 1991 -just a few months after the First Gulf War when patriotism was at a fever pitch- the audience erupted in cheers. That memory elevates that line into the stratosphere to me. Beyond that, the whole showdown scene is my favorite because I like the escalation and the twists. “Relax, Frankenstein. You ain’t bulletproof.” I don’t know if you caught it, but Sinclair saying “Happy Valentine’s Day” isn’t just referring to the gangster’s name, but also to the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, when several mobsters were gunned down by a rival gang.
Great choice, right in the childhood nostalgia feels! For me the line is Lotho and his voice going. "Where is it....the rocket." Adorable foster, love the name Olive.
Of my memory is correct, Rocketeer came out the same summer as the first Michael Keaton Batman. Batman got all the press and this very good movie sort of got lost in the mix. Shame. I think this movie actually holds up better than that Batman. Very fun movie! Still laugh at Jennifer Connely’s line “the rockawho?”
Terry O'Quinn was playing aviation mogul Howard Hughes. 😂 The Hughes Aircraft prototype plane model Cliff held onto on his way out of the hangar was the infamous Spruce Goose. A large plane six times larger than any other plane of the time. It was to be used as a troop transport made primarily out of birch wood which was laminated to make it lighter than a metal plane due to its size. It only had one test flight. 😮 The Rocketeer's suit and helmet were 100% comic book accurate 👍
this was a BIG movie for me, i grew up watching Indiana jones and old time TV shows shown on daytime like the Lone Ranger so the era was fun the tech was cool, it had james bond and I knew all about the Nazis so I was the perfect audience, and as i look back the music is iconic
I had the pleasure to be at the world premiere (through a friend at Disney) at the newly refurbished El Capitan Theater in LA. The "I'm an American gangster" line got big laughs and applause. I also got to attend the post-premiere party. I thanked Bill Campbell and Jennifer Connelly for a fun and fabulous evening, but I chose not to speak to Timothy Dalton as I was afraid the only thing that would come out of my mouth was "Oh my god you're James Bond!!"
Director Joe Johnson also directed Captain America 1st Avenger, and was based off Dave Steven's graphic novel, so I wasnt surprised Holden would like this...and I love it too from childhood watching.
The aviation guy was Howard Hughes, Neville Sinclaier was supposed to be Errol Flynn a big film actor rumored to have been a Nazi spy. The big guy with big face was based on a real actor that had a pituitary gland problem that gave him that deformity. He was in a few b movie horrors back then.
If you’re into retro superheroes… try The Shadow, DicTracy, or the Phantom all from the early 90s. It was in the wave of success that Batman 89 brought. Fun Fact: the Shadow was inspiration for Batman in the 1930s! 😳
Glad you guys gave this movie a shot. It is one of my childhood favourites that I have watched on a VHS tape with hungarian dub at least a dozen times. Plenty of memorable lines and the unforgettable Jennifer Connelly, still 10/10.
I'm in my late 20s and I personally love this movie. This is actually one of those few films I truly believe could be made today and could be something special. Honestly I am fine with it as it is. I put this movie in the same league as Flash Gordon for me. Its goofy, fun and entertaining. Glad too see that people are still giving this movie a chance even 30+ years after it's release.
I share Matt’s sentiment about the heavy nostalgia with this movie. The line that stuck with me the most over the years is Jenny’s “I finally did a scene with Neville Sinclair.”
The flying scenes in this movie are exhilarating. Honestly my favourite aspect of the movie. That and that the perfect design of the Rocketeer. I can't get over how beautiful the helmet looks. Great reaction as always Holden. I thought the special and visual effects were amazing and should be applauded more imo. This was made during a time when cgi was really starting to take off (Terminator 2 came out the same year) but to me, the movie is just as beautiful, if not more, than T2. There's something about ILM visual effects, James Horner and Disney that just goes hand in hand. The movie Dragonslayer (1981) had the aforemention three and is worth a watch as well.
Guys I love you guys, this movie, just like Matt, was a huge part of my childhood growing up watching VHS movies at my grandparents house. Thank you for a great trip down memory lane and finding others who love this movie too :)
My dad bought me this on VHS, after we saw it together in theaters when I was 6. To a 6 yr old, Cliff Secord is absolutely a superhero. Also, funny enough, in the recent Netflix "Troll" movie from...Norway? Bill Campbell's character in the beginning of the film is introduced as Dr. Secord. (That has to be a call back) He is also "The Amazing Ocana" on Star Trek: TNG (the episode where Star Trek mocks Laser blasters like in Star Wars), in "The Strain" and a bunch of other random spots.
I loved this movie as a kid. I have fond memories of playing the Rocketeer video game. It was super hard, but so fun. I love these throw back movies to the pulpy 1930’s comics/movies. The Shadow and The Phantom were ones I also enjoyed as a kid.
39:50 this scene is what sticks out to me from childhood memories, more so than any specific line. The mobster and the fed, firing Tommy guns, stop…look at each other at the surreal notion of them being on the same side…shrug, and go back to firing at the soldiers. It’s a commonly held belief that if Europe had fallen and the American continents were to be invaded by Germany, the criminal cartels of the mob/mafia would form the groundwork of a guerrilla organisation to undermine and fight back. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend”
Love this movie! Also, there is a "Rocketeer" boardgame published by Prospero Hall and usually available at Target that is a lot of fun. And you might recognize some of the theme music that was also used in Rebels s2 ep7 "Wings of the Master" (the one with Hera flying the prototype B-wing).
The Pulp Magazine aesthetic is really cool, but difficult to capture on film. Rocketeer and Indiana Jones captured it well, while other attempts like Remo Williams, Doc Savage, and The Shadow weren't quite as successful.
James Bond jet pack was actually a hydrogen propelled which only lasted 20 seconds of flight time. The new ones are called jet suits propelled by actual jet engines, which can last for about a half an hour flight time. Funny enough they’re starting their own races now.
This and Dick Tracy were peak "pulp" action movies of the early 90s. Add in Batman, which had a fairly similar style(I get it's a different type of movie) but I wish we had more of those. If you haven't watched Dick Tracy, please get to it soon.
I was 13 when I watched this movie at the theater, and I LOVED it! I've got the same fortunate "problem" that Matt does; I'm blessed with nostalgia bias 🙂
I used to put this on at Blockbuster Video and everyone would ask what it was, and invariably they would rent it and I would put on a different movie in the store.
Went with parents to see this in the theater. The next day @ the beach my mother said to her friend the woman in that movie was flawlessly perfect. I remember it vividly as my mother never complemented a woman like that before. May I recommend Career Opportunities.
Yes one of my fave movies! Huge fan of dave stevens the creator/artist of the original comics ,met him years ago super nice humble guy (his art work is unmatched check it out)...RIP dave ,also holden the director is the one who directed cap the first avenger and he also is a good artist and was involved in raiders of the lost ark ,rocketeer film would should have been huge in 91 but got crushed by 2 little movies called robin hood and T2
Plz keep both those dogs, they look like they absolutely love each other and you won’t regret having 2 dogs at all, but you may regret not having them both
Since you guys did this movie, I recommend checking out some other classic hero movies like "Dick Tracy", "The Shadow", "The Phantom", and "The Lone Ranger".
This film will always have a place in my heart as I had my first holiday in Los Angeles the same year and went to the Griffith observatory and the Hollywood hills sign. It's such a feel good movie that will always puzzle me as to why it underperformed at the box office. I'm sadly old enough to remember seeing on tv ( by repeats I hasted to add) an old B&W series called " King of the Rocketmen" and from what my fuzzy memory can still remember is there are a lot and I mean a LOT of similarities. Anyhow thanks to you both for this nostalgia moment. P.s ......I had Spider-man (civil war) vibes when Holden referred to this film as an "Old film" 😂
It's weird that Matt doesn't like Superhero films but likes this, because this is essentially Disney attempt at a superhero origin film before they bought Marvel. Based on old movie serials (especially King Of The Rocketmen) it has all the ingredients of a Marvel film.
This and Dick Tracy were great at showing the 1930s and sticking closely to the source material. Other films in this era are The Shadow with Alec Baldwin and The Phantom with Billy Zane.
As far as I'm concerned, until something makes it incompatible, The Rocketeer is 100% part of the MCU It works INSANELY well. Howard Stark is based on Howard Hughes. You can reframe both men as rivals in the aviation industry - with Howard Hughes here working on jet propulsion, while Howard Stark (as we same in Captain America The First Avenger) was working on the repulsor technology that Iron Man eventually uses for everything. Here we see Howard Hughes working with the FBI to secure his jetpack. Howard Stark of course worked with the SSR - the Strategic Science Reserve, creating weapons, armor, tech, etc, and Captain America himself, and eventually going on to take over the SSR and turn it into SHIELD with SSR Agent Peggy Carter as one of his co-founders. Pre-Captain America, the USA needs superheroes, so when Cliff Secord becomes The Rocketeer he becomes the US's first superhero, and he's already battling Nazis. So this branch of the FBI that teams up with Howard Hughes and Cliff Secord you could say will very soon go on to evolve into the SSR, and recruit Howard Stark, Peggy Carter, Dr. Erskein, Major Phillips, etc - becoming an Allied wartime agency to counter HYDRA. So you can go on to say that Howard Stark and Cliff Secord obviously knew each other and became friends. And that growing up a young Tony Stark met Cliff and Jenny, and saw footage/news reels of The Rocketeer, and heard stories of his adventures, and became a huge fan. So then when Tony later becomes Iron Man, what does he do? He becomes a flying rocketman of his own. Red armor based on Cliff's red jacket. Golden noseless helmet. The modern Rocketeer. He basis his house's/suit's JARVIS AI on his old family butler, Edwin Jarvis. EVENTUALLY he creates a Spidersuit for Spider-Man, and includes an AI in it too. The KAREN is based on Tony's childhood memories of meeting Jenny, who he's had a crush on ever since (because who WOULDN'T have a crush on Jennifer Connelly at literally any age?). And that's why KAREN sounds EXACTLY like and has the personality of Jennifer Connelly. You can also imagine that after Captain America went into the ice, the SSR/SHIELD turned back to Cliff Secord, and recruited him as part of their first team of superhero agents. Perhaps The Rocketeer was part of SHIELD's early hero team alongside Ant-Man and Wasp (Hank and Jan). This movie is like a PERFECT 50:50 blend of Captain America and Iron Man.
I saw this in the movies! You know, this was an homage to the Commando Cody serials from the 40s? I LOVED those as a kid. One of them was Leonard Nimoy's first acting gig! (Zombies of the Stratosphere)
40:34 it’s funny that you are thinking of Iron Man when you see this cause Howard Hughes who made the rocket pack is who they based Tony Stark off of. Hughes built the Spruce Goose that was supposed to be used to transport troops overseas and was made from wood since steel and aluminum use was restricted by the government during WWII. It weighed around 300,000lbs with around a 320’ wing span. 47:21 one thing I didn’t like about the reaction was that Holden overplayed the 1930s joke. It was funny a couple times then it got to the point where joking about the era was more important than watching the movie (wonder how many negative comments I’ll get for my opinion).
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The one wordless scene where the FBI agent and the gangster finds themselves as allies and just smile. That is iconic to me.
"I may not make an honest buck, but I'm 100% American, and I don't take no orders from no two-bit Nazi."
BEST. LINE. EVER.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend
More than any specific line, that scene is a key childhood memory :)
I hereby start a petition to have Matt Cosplay as the Rocketeer :P WE NEED TO SEE THIS!!!
Cosplay is only part of it.... I need them to do a film!
To this day, I feel this movie is hugely underrated. Not enough reactors are watching this film. Thank you, guys!
yeah, and way too movies no one does, or very rarly, some some of my favorite childhood 2nd, 3rd tier movies almost never get done :> Wish more did some like ladyhawke.
Agree!
"not enough reactors are watching this film" sorry but the fact that that sentence is even a thing makes me cringe. How about "not enough people". How about you grow your own brain and watch a full length movie for yourself instead of watching 20 different reactions so you know how to feel about it?
@@roguesoul6760 Actually, I saw The Rocketeer in theaters, and the movie is sitting on my shelf. As well as a lot of other movies I've enjoyed. Thank you for your opinion, though. I read it and I respect your point of view. I'll pray for you, my friend.
@@roguesoul6760 or get this, I like to see how people ract to my favorite movies? *gasp*
My great grandma used to show us this movie all the time. The planes in the beginning of the movie were owned by her uncle and cousins a long time ago. She used to tell us that every time we watched the movie and would show us an old photo album of her family with the airplanes. One year for Christmas she got each of us a model plane that my grandpa made by hand along with a vhs copy of the movie
Thats is so good memories
I saw this in the theater when I was 10 and the audience erupted in applause when Paul Sorvino said "I may not make an honest buck, but I'm 100% American"
Also, the old guy in the diner that got hit by the spoon also played Johnathan Kent in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and absolutely nailed his role
The Count of Monte Cristo is a must see after Matt said he's never seen it!
Note... before you jump in, you should be aware that it has nothing to do with Dracula making sandwiches. 🤔
Another underrated gem: The Phantom with Billy Zane! "The Ghost who walks!" Based on a golden comic strip series, from the same time as Mandrake The Magician, Flash Gordon Dick Tracy, Tarzan, Modesty Blaze and Brenda Starr!
The film sadly underperformed and was unable to live up to the myths and “feel” of the comics.
If you read the comics as a kid, and saw the movie AS A KID, the nostalgia helps…
But it’s one of those hindsight things where you can see how they could have done it SO MUCH BETTER.
considering the age of the I.P. and the thousands of stories from the comics…they should really cash in and adapt the comics into a longer running series. Each 36page comic getting converted to a 45 minute Netflix episode, with some of the more classic memorable stories being multi parters
“The governor and suzie” for example.
Holden and his 30s voice, highlight of the review.
You were good kid, real good. You're ready for the pictures.
Howard Hughes is a real person he made aviation history and unfortunately is one of the 1st documented sufferers of OCD. He served as the basis of Tony Stark in the comic books and Used as the basis of Howard Stark in Captain America The first Avenger. You might want to Check out the Aviator a movie based on his life.
You did notice they put the poster up during the reaction when they commented about the character just not by name…so chances are it’s in the cards
At least the editor seems to think so :)
The Rocketeer is based on the comic book series from the late Dave Stevens. As mentioned prior to the start of the film, Joe Johnston, who also directed 'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,' got the job for the first Captain America film by demonstrating that he could efficiently portray period piece films such as 'The Rocketeer' and 'October Sky,' with the former specifically showcasing that he could helm a special effects-laden superhero film.
I like that you just mentioned James Bond and then didn't realize Timothy Dalton played James Bond. 🤭 (You should watch 'License to Kill' --it is one of the better Bond films).
Jennifer Connelly's character Jenny Blake, was changed from "Betty" in the comics, itself based on Bettie Page. The comic had some risque content that Disney was trepidatious about the association, wanting the movie to be aimed at a younger audience. Apparently, they also didn't want to pay Bettie Page for the use of her likeness.
The actor you recognized but could not place as Howard Hughes is Terry O'Quinn, from such awesome films like 'Blind Fury,' though most probably know him for his prolific role on the TV series 'Lost.'
The line I recall from the movie most is "It wasn't a lie, Jenny, it was 'acting!'"
I’m gonna say I’m gobsmacked. Disney was even on board with this considering how risqué the comic was.
It was originally going to be made through Disney's Touchstone Pictures, but changed during production when Disney thought they could better use it as a 'Disney' title to license a bunch of merchandise and had the writers excise all the adult content from the story. Well, I dunno... a couple things might have snuck in, still. 🤫
Sadly, the movie was considered a bomb when it came out, but had had a pretty good following since.
Disney Junior, crazily enough, aired a revamped cartoon version of The Rocketeer where the main character was a 7-year old girl a couple years back.
...also the creator of the Rocket Backpack was attributed to Howard Hughes in the film but in the books it was created by the Pulp era action hero/scientist Doc Savage (some of whose background influenced Superman's). There are a lot of period references in the film. Timothy Dalton's Neville Sinclair was copied after flamboyant real actor Errol Flynn who back in the day did express Nazi sympathies. The lecherous gentleman eying Jenny's cleavage in the nightclub was supposed to be famous actor/comedian and notorious womanizer W.C.Fields. The FBI and the gangsters collaborating to fight the Nazis is not a reach. During WW2 the American did reach out to American gangsters to help them fight against Nazi sabotage at the sea ports.
Timothy dalton aka prince barin in Flash Gordon, and former James Bond
This movie was the cause of many MANY young men’s first crushes back in the day, for the classical elegance of Jennifer Connelly
'The Rocketeer' movie reaction showed up on home page and I am extremely hyped. It is super nostalgic, and the perfect cast. This is my most watched superhero film of my childhood. More people need to experience this film. I'm excited for you Holden.💖
Leave it to Holden to drop the James Bond trivia but then immediately after not recognize Timothy Dalton. We all love you Holden! Never change...
Since you really enjoyed The Rocketeer and also have a special appreciation for Speed Racer, I think you'd really enjoy Dick Tracy (1990). Based on the comic strip. It's set in a very stylized world like Speed Racer and has that 30s Rocketeer feel to it. Great reaction by the way. Looove this movie!
THIS was the superhero movie of my childhood. Great soundtrack, nostalgia, Americana, and a super cool looking suit.
Same! I must have watched it at least fifty times growing up. Plus, Jennifer Connelly became my eternal crush thanks to this movie.
I love this movie. So glad you are watching this. Major childhood movie. One of my favorite Timothy Dalton roles. So many good actors Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin, Paul Sorvino.
GREAT choice today, lads!
It's one of my all-time favourites! Got the soundtrack on my phone and a tattoo on my arm. Really hope you enjoy it, Holden 🤞
Note after watching;
Matt, favourite line in our house that was always quoted was 'You steer, I'll push' anytime anything ever needed moving 😂
I love pulp hero movies…The Phantom with Billy Zane, The Shadow with Alec Baldwin (I know ppl hate it, but it’s one of my favorites) and this The Rocketeer…childhood classics haha
All three (yes all three!) are fun, pulpy, energetic films that will forever hold a place in my heart.
I love that this movie was a testing ground for Joe Johnston for his work later on Captain America: First Avenger.
Fun Fact: the character who invented the rocket in the film is Howard Hughes and his reaction to cliffs escape is more about the model itself. The ‘Hercules’ nicknamed the Spruce Goose was his passion project, meant to serve as a troop/military transport for WW2 but never got to participate in the war. Hughes was determined to see her fly regardless which we see in the final act of the Aviator with Leo DiCaprio
In the comics the movie is based on the inventor of the rocket pack is Doc Savage - never named nor fully shown because Stevens didn't have the rights to use the character, but two of Doc's Fabulous Five, Monk and Ham (also unnamed) fill the role of the two FBI agents in the film. Hughes, being both conveniently dead and very well known (at the time, anyway) both in general and as an aviator/inventor was an obvious replacement choice. Tony Stark was, after all, inspired by Howard Hughes, with Tony's defiance of Congress in Iron Man 2 being based on Hughes' Senate testimony before the Brewster committee in 1947.
The filming of "The Laughing Bandit" was a clear callback to Errol Flynn and his most famous film, "The Adventures of Robin Hood".
Errol Flynn was also rumored to have been a Nazi sympathizer…
yeah the castle set is identical. Danny Kaye's "The Court Jester" also parodies that and also has that identical set/location
Back in 1991, I was 11.
This was one of my favorite films.
On top of that, it was based in an comic book series from the 1980s
by the late Dave Stevens.
Inspired by Saturday Matinee serials and comic strips of the era.
The director, Joe Johnston also directed Captain America:The First Avenger
(2011) which was the same flavor.
Great cast here.
Bill Campbell (Cliff) & Jennifer Connelly (Jenny) were a real offscreen couple at the time
and did have that quintessential archetype of pairings similar in that era of Hollywood.
The late Alan Arkin as Peevy was hilarious.
Timothy Dalton as an villain certainty had a good time and I thought he was great.
Terry O' Quinn as Howard Hughes was perfect casting and I learned at that time,
Mr. Hughes was the inspiration for Marvel's Iron Man.
A summer, popcorn flick that I saw twice in the theaters.
For me, it was all about Cliff in his outfit with the Rocket
pack going into action.
I was into the tie-in stuff like with Pizza Hut and M&Ms.
Also loved playing the NES video game.
My youngest nephew watched the animated series (2019-2020) on Disney Jr.
He didn't know there was a Rocketeer movie, I showed it to him and he loved it.
Another great adaptation of comic-material by Disney is Dick Tracy (1990).
when you really think about it "The Rocketeer" was an early taste of what a Live Action Iron Man could be and look like...so you can say this movie was the first seed to be planted for such an action to finally happen for Iron Man to be created on the big screen.
I feel like RoboCop was the first seed to be planted.
@@jp3813 uh...no way
@@jason42080 I remember critics & audiences comparing Iron Man to RoboCop back in 2008. I think Richard Roeper even refers to Tony Stark as "GlobalCop".
@@jp3813 ugh first off who flew with a jet pack first on the screen and had a helmet that was somewhat pretty close to an Iron Man design that would be The Rocketeer in 1991...we didn't see Robocop get his jetpack 2 years later in that horrible Robocop 3 movie..so the first seed planted would be who now?
@@jason42080 No one here even said that The Rocketeer didn't contribute. But there's no denying that Iron Man was often compared to RoboCop. Especially due to the villain suiting up as a giant robot. Apparently, Jon Favreau himself named RoboCop as one of the inspirations for the film. And it looks like no one involved in the production even mentioned The Rocketeer.
"You got Connelly'd" was gold
Sinclair says he'll miss Hollywood and he did, he hit "land" and missed Hollywood.
Fun fact: what you mention is true, but the film is also (jokingly) "blaming" Sinclair for creating the modern form of one of the most iconic landmarks of California XD.
When it was built in 1923, the sign really said "Hollywoodland" to promote a new housing development in the hills. In reality, the "Land" part of the sign was removed in 1949, when all the sign had to be repaired after years of neglect, the local Chamber of Commerce decided it could be a sign of the entire district, not just a development and thus the last portion of the word was removed for good.
Holy crap…I watched the film repeatedly as a kid and teen…how did I NOT catch that
😂😂
So many years, and still learning more about it :)
24:03 It's always great when someone gets to do it to Holden.
Director Joe Johnston originally worked at ILM and ALSO designed (and helped to build the costume) Boba Fett for The Empire Strikes Back!
IMO, not enough people watch or react to this amazing film. This is one of my all time favorite movies and I feel it's tragicaly underrated and unseen.
The character with the underbite is called Rondo. The makeup is based on the actual face of actor Rondo Houten a graduate of Hillsborough High School in Tampa.
I too get "nostalgia" when watching this movie!.......That airport hanger still exists as a Museum too!.....The BULLDOG Cafe set is supposedly still around someplace too!
I have intense nostalgia for this movie! Distinctly remember going to a specific video store and renting it several times. I was like 5 or 6 and had the biggest crush on Connelly.
This movie is a great sci-fi/action/fantasy and I talk about it enough that my partner bought me a special edition pen (Retro-51 Tornado) and coin set with the licensed iconography from The Rocketeer when it released a few years ago!
I absolutely love this film! This, mask of zorro, and the Shadow are my top 3 pulp hero films and I wish they’d make more
" i dont like collecting random shit to put in my house," says the guy who has a giant "Thankful grateful blessed " poster hanging behind him.. um ok
The “hundred percent American” line plays cheesy today, but when I saw this movie in the theater in opening night in 1991 -just a few months after the First Gulf War when patriotism was at a fever pitch- the audience erupted in cheers. That memory elevates that line into the stratosphere to me. Beyond that, the whole showdown scene is my favorite because I like the escalation and the twists. “Relax, Frankenstein. You ain’t bulletproof.”
I don’t know if you caught it, but Sinclair saying “Happy Valentine’s Day” isn’t just referring to the gangster’s name, but also to the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, when several mobsters were gunned down by a rival gang.
Great choice, right in the childhood nostalgia feels! For me the line is Lotho and his voice going. "Where is it....the rocket." Adorable foster, love the name Olive.
Timothy Dalton. He played James Bond 1x. The Living Daylights
He did 2. He also did License to Kill. Lazenby was the only one to do Bond once on Fim. (as Barry Nelson did Bond in a TV version of Casino Royale)
@@cuffzter i stand corrected!
Of my memory is correct, Rocketeer came out the same summer as the first Michael Keaton Batman. Batman got all the press and this very good movie sort of got lost in the mix. Shame. I think this movie actually holds up better than that Batman. Very fun movie! Still laugh at Jennifer Connely’s line “the rockawho?”
Holden you gotta make a spoof 1930s short with Matt & the rest of the gang! Classic noir black and white shadow play!
Terry O'Quinn was playing aviation mogul Howard Hughes. 😂
The Hughes Aircraft prototype plane model Cliff held onto on his way out of the hangar was the infamous Spruce Goose. A large plane six times larger than any other plane of the time. It was to be used as a troop transport made primarily out of birch wood which was laminated to make it lighter than a metal plane due to its size. It only had one test flight. 😮
The Rocketeer's suit and helmet were 100% comic book accurate 👍
this was a BIG movie for me, i grew up watching Indiana jones and old time TV shows shown on daytime like the Lone Ranger so the era was fun the tech was cool, it had james bond and I knew all about the Nazis so I was the perfect audience, and as i look back the music is iconic
The Rocketeer is an incredible film. One of my favorite lines: "How do I look?" "Like a hood ornament."
This film is nostalgic for me because I was already a fan of the character from the back-up stories in the Starslayer comic.
I had the pleasure to be at the world premiere (through a friend at Disney) at the newly refurbished El Capitan Theater in LA. The "I'm an American gangster" line got big laughs and applause.
I also got to attend the post-premiere party. I thanked Bill Campbell and Jennifer Connelly for a fun and fabulous evening, but I chose not to speak to Timothy Dalton as I was afraid the only thing that would come out of my mouth was "Oh my god you're James Bond!!"
Director Joe Johnson also directed Captain America 1st Avenger, and was based off Dave Steven's graphic novel, so I wasnt surprised Holden would like this...and I love it too from childhood watching.
The aviation guy was Howard Hughes, Neville Sinclaier was supposed to be Errol Flynn a big film actor rumored to have been a Nazi spy. The big guy with big face was based on a real actor that had a pituitary gland problem that gave him that deformity. He was in a few b movie horrors back then.
Didn’t youse guys know? The Rocketeer’s pants are made of asbestos
Yeah i really remember that line " I like it ! " i was 15 years old when i watched this in Sweden.
If you’re into retro superheroes… try The Shadow, DicTracy, or the Phantom all from the early 90s. It was in the wave of success that Batman 89 brought. Fun Fact: the Shadow was inspiration for Batman in the 1930s! 😳
Glad you guys gave this movie a shot. It is one of my childhood favourites that I have watched on a VHS tape with hungarian dub at least a dozen times. Plenty of memorable lines and the unforgettable Jennifer Connelly, still 10/10.
I'm in my late 20s and I personally love this movie. This is actually one of those few films I truly believe could be made today and could be something special. Honestly I am fine with it as it is. I put this movie in the same league as Flash Gordon for me. Its goofy, fun and entertaining. Glad too see that people are still giving this movie a chance even 30+ years after it's release.
I share Matt’s sentiment about the heavy nostalgia with this movie. The line that stuck with me the most over the years is Jenny’s “I finally did a scene with Neville Sinclair.”
The flying scenes in this movie are exhilarating. Honestly my favourite aspect of the movie. That and that the perfect design of the Rocketeer. I can't get over how beautiful the helmet looks.
Great reaction as always Holden. I thought the special and visual effects were amazing and should be applauded more imo. This was made during a time when cgi was really starting to take off (Terminator 2 came out the same year) but to me, the movie is just as beautiful, if not more, than T2. There's something about ILM visual effects, James Horner and Disney that just goes hand in hand. The movie Dragonslayer (1981) had the aforemention three and is worth a watch as well.
Guys I love you guys, this movie, just like Matt, was a huge part of my childhood growing up watching VHS movies at my grandparents house. Thank you for a great trip down memory lane and finding others who love this movie too :)
They shot the airport scenes in my hometown, about 3½ hours north of LA. My friend's uncle was an extra.
Timothy Dalton in this movie was Alex Ross' inspiration for his version of Tony Stark.
My dad bought me this on VHS, after we saw it together in theaters when I was 6. To a 6 yr old, Cliff Secord is absolutely a superhero. Also, funny enough, in the recent Netflix "Troll" movie from...Norway? Bill Campbell's character in the beginning of the film is introduced as Dr. Secord. (That has to be a call back) He is also "The Amazing Ocana" on Star Trek: TNG (the episode where Star Trek mocks Laser blasters like in Star Wars), in "The Strain" and a bunch of other random spots.
"I'll miss Hollywood."
Well, he's not wrong, he missed 75% of the sign! 😏😎
Rocketeer was the first "not-cartoon" movie I got hooked on and really loved as a kid. What a nostalgia bomb
I loved this movie as a kid. I have fond memories of playing the Rocketeer video game. It was super hard, but so fun. I love these throw back movies to the pulpy 1930’s comics/movies. The Shadow and The Phantom were ones I also enjoyed as a kid.
39:50 this scene is what sticks out to me from childhood memories, more so than any specific line.
The mobster and the fed, firing Tommy guns, stop…look at each other at the surreal notion of them being on the same side…shrug, and go back to firing at the soldiers.
It’s a commonly held belief that if Europe had fallen and the American continents were to be invaded by Germany, the criminal cartels of the mob/mafia would form the groundwork of a guerrilla organisation to undermine and fight back.
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend”
Let's go! Jusy rewatched this when I realized it was on Disney+ !
Holden: "You can go to Pensacon"
Matt: "YEAH FUCK THAT"😂😂😂😂
Uh, why not go right for the big one - I was so disappointed they didn’t think of COMIC CON
Neville Sinclair was based on actor Errol Flynn, who was really suspected of being a Nazi spy.
Love this movie! Also, there is a "Rocketeer" boardgame published by Prospero Hall and usually available at Target that is a lot of fun. And you might recognize some of the theme music that was also used in Rebels s2 ep7 "Wings of the Master" (the one with Hera flying the prototype B-wing).
He was bond, james bond and Also it looks like Holden is holding Matt's knee 😂
That is John freaking Locke from Lost as the guy who created the blueprints, I’m lost on the actors name but what a shock….such an amazing actor
That guy the feds bring seacord to is playing aviation legend Howard Hughes
The Pulp Magazine aesthetic is really cool, but difficult to capture on film. Rocketeer and Indiana Jones captured it well, while other attempts like Remo Williams, Doc Savage, and The Shadow weren't quite as successful.
39:05
It's a reference to the Graf Zeppelin, which toured the world, including America, and is referenced earlier in the movie.
James Bond jet pack was actually a hydrogen propelled which only lasted 20 seconds of flight time. The new ones are called jet suits propelled by actual jet engines, which can last for about a half an hour flight time. Funny enough they’re starting their own races now.
10:02 Holden blanking on Timothy Dalton, one of the greatest James Bond actors.
this was the first movie I remember seeing in theaters. I love this movie it has a special place in my heart!
One of my favorite superhero films!
Based on the old "Rocketman" movie serials. Loved them all and this movie.
13:19 the makeup is meant to emulate Rondo Hatton who played heavies in several 40s films
There’s a screen used helmet and jet pack at WDW Hollywood Studios. It’s across from the lake.
This and Dick Tracy were peak "pulp" action movies of the early 90s. Add in Batman, which had a fairly similar style(I get it's a different type of movie) but I wish we had more of those.
If you haven't watched Dick Tracy, please get to it soon.
I was 13 when I watched this movie at the theater, and I LOVED it! I've got the same fortunate "problem" that Matt does; I'm blessed with nostalgia bias 🙂
Joe Johnston directed this film. He would later go on to direct Captain America: The First Avenger.
I used to put this on at Blockbuster Video and everyone would ask what it was, and invariably they would rent it and I would put on a different movie in the store.
Went with parents to see this in the theater. The next day @ the beach my mother said to her friend the woman in that movie was flawlessly perfect. I remember it vividly as my mother never complemented a woman like that before. May I recommend Career Opportunities.
Yes one of my fave movies! Huge fan of dave stevens the creator/artist of the original comics ,met him years ago super nice humble guy (his art work is unmatched check it out)...RIP dave ,also holden the director is the one who directed cap the first avenger and he also is a good artist and was involved in raiders of the lost ark ,rocketeer film would should have been huge in 91 but got crushed by 2 little movies called robin hood and T2
Plz keep both those dogs, they look like they absolutely love each other and you won’t regret having 2 dogs at all, but you may regret not having them both
Since you guys did this movie, I recommend checking out some other classic hero movies like "Dick Tracy", "The Shadow", "The Phantom", and "The Lone Ranger".
It seems Matt likes movies about people flying. Top Gun, Iron Man, and The Rocketeer
OH HELL YEAH! This movie has one of my favorite posters of all time
This film will always have a place in my heart as I had my first holiday in Los Angeles the same year and went to the Griffith observatory and the Hollywood hills sign. It's such a feel good movie that will always puzzle me as to why it underperformed at the box office. I'm sadly old enough to remember seeing on tv ( by repeats I hasted to add) an old B&W series called " King of the Rocketmen" and from what my fuzzy memory can still remember is there are a lot and I mean a LOT of similarities.
Anyhow thanks to you both for this nostalgia moment.
P.s ......I had Spider-man (civil war) vibes when Holden referred to this film as an "Old film" 😂
It's weird that Matt doesn't like Superhero films but likes this, because this is essentially Disney attempt at a superhero origin film before they bought Marvel. Based on old movie serials (especially King Of The Rocketmen) it has all the ingredients of a Marvel film.
see matt in thumbnail click
This and Dick Tracy were great at showing the 1930s and sticking closely to the source material. Other films in this era are The Shadow with Alec Baldwin and The Phantom with Billy Zane.
Love seeing you hang out with Matt again😎
This is one of my favorites
The jet pack guy did a lot of work in movies and television in the sixties.
As far as I'm concerned, until something makes it incompatible, The Rocketeer is 100% part of the MCU
It works INSANELY well.
Howard Stark is based on Howard Hughes.
You can reframe both men as rivals in the aviation industry - with Howard Hughes here working on jet propulsion, while Howard Stark (as we same in Captain America The First Avenger) was working on the repulsor technology that Iron Man eventually uses for everything.
Here we see Howard Hughes working with the FBI to secure his jetpack.
Howard Stark of course worked with the SSR - the Strategic Science Reserve, creating weapons, armor, tech, etc, and Captain America himself, and eventually going on to take over the SSR and turn it into SHIELD with SSR Agent Peggy Carter as one of his co-founders.
Pre-Captain America, the USA needs superheroes, so when Cliff Secord becomes The Rocketeer he becomes the US's first superhero, and he's already battling Nazis.
So this branch of the FBI that teams up with Howard Hughes and Cliff Secord you could say will very soon go on to evolve into the SSR, and recruit Howard Stark, Peggy Carter, Dr. Erskein, Major Phillips, etc - becoming an Allied wartime agency to counter HYDRA.
So you can go on to say that Howard Stark and Cliff Secord obviously knew each other and became friends.
And that growing up a young Tony Stark met Cliff and Jenny, and saw footage/news reels of The Rocketeer, and heard stories of his adventures, and became a huge fan.
So then when Tony later becomes Iron Man, what does he do?
He becomes a flying rocketman of his own.
Red armor based on Cliff's red jacket.
Golden noseless helmet.
The modern Rocketeer.
He basis his house's/suit's JARVIS AI on his old family butler, Edwin Jarvis.
EVENTUALLY he creates a Spidersuit for Spider-Man, and includes an AI in it too.
The KAREN is based on Tony's childhood memories of meeting Jenny, who he's had a crush on ever since (because who WOULDN'T have a crush on Jennifer Connelly at literally any age?).
And that's why KAREN sounds EXACTLY like and has the personality of Jennifer Connelly.
You can also imagine that after Captain America went into the ice, the SSR/SHIELD turned back to Cliff Secord, and recruited him as part of their first team of superhero agents.
Perhaps The Rocketeer was part of SHIELD's early hero team alongside Ant-Man and Wasp (Hank and Jan).
This movie is like a PERFECT 50:50 blend of Captain America and Iron Man.
Loooved this movie growing up. Mom recorded it on vhs when it was on TV one time.
I saw this in the movies! You know, this was an homage to the Commando Cody serials from the 40s? I LOVED those as a kid. One of them was Leonard Nimoy's first acting gig! (Zombies of the Stratosphere)
40:34 it’s funny that you are thinking of Iron Man when you see this cause Howard Hughes who made the rocket pack is who they based Tony Stark off of. Hughes built the Spruce Goose that was supposed to be used to transport troops overseas and was made from wood since steel and aluminum use was restricted by the government during WWII. It weighed around 300,000lbs with around a 320’ wing span. 47:21 one thing I didn’t like about the reaction was that Holden overplayed the 1930s joke. It was funny a couple times then it got to the point where joking about the era was more important than watching the movie (wonder how many negative comments I’ll get for my opinion).
Tell Matt he has excellent taste. This movie is so great