| rdfs:comment | - A 1991 Disney live-action film, adapted from Dave Stevens' series of comic books, The Rocketeer follows the adventures of its titular hero: stunt pilot Cliff Secord, who uses a serendipitously found experimental rocket pack to fight crime in 1938 Los Angeles. It was nominated for a Hugo in 1992, but lost to Terminator 2: Judgment Day. On another note entirely, its primary musical theme by James Horner, Main Title/Take Off, is practically a movie trailer standard.
|
| abstract | - A 1991 Disney live-action film, adapted from Dave Stevens' series of comic books, The Rocketeer follows the adventures of its titular hero: stunt pilot Cliff Secord, who uses a serendipitously found experimental rocket pack to fight crime in 1938 Los Angeles. Anticipating by a dozen years the trend towards more naturalistic (as opposed to heavily stylized, e.g. Dick Tracy) film adaptations of comic books, The Rocketeer is, if not an exceptional movie, still an underrated and unexpectedly strong one. Perhaps this is due to solid casting choices (Alan Arkin, as Cliff's mentor, has most of the best lines, and delivers them with terrific understated dryness), perhaps due to its lovely Art Deco art design, or perhaps due to an exceptionally butt-kicking score by James Horner. It is a "family movie" in the best sense of the term. It was nominated for a Hugo in 1992, but lost to Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Although never reaching the same heights of popularity of other comic book films (including its contemporaries), this movie's fandom is still quite strong today, and the film has aged rather well. Its director Joe Johnston would later helm the vastly more succesful comic book film Captain America: The First Avenger. The material may be different, but the feel and heart contained in the two films are ever present. On another note entirely, its primary musical theme by James Horner, Main Title/Take Off, is practically a movie trailer standard.
|
