The Rocketeer
A daring young pilot becomes a rocket-powered hero while battling gangsters and Nazi spies above 1930s Los Angeles.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- nostalgic
- uplifting
- whimsical
- family movie night
- retro adventure night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an affectionate and visually charming homage to vintage adventure serials, despite thin characterization and a talky pace.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film deliberately recreates the rhythms, iconography, and gee-whiz innocence of 1930s adventure serials.
The rocket-pack, airships, aircraft, and 1930s technological setting create a distinctly dieselpunk aviation world.
Young pilot Cliff Secord becomes a flying hero after discovering and using a top-secret rocket-pack.
Its Art Deco Hollywood setting, high-spirited performances, and direct serial homages evoke affectionate retro nostalgia.
Films like The Rocketeer, and why
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
shares pulp adventure serial energy, retro aviation spectacle, and an earnest heroic tone
Captain America: The First Avenger
shares affectionate period homage, comic-book adventure, and exuberant aircraft action
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
shares dieselpunk visual imagination, heroic gadgetry, and lighthearted family adventure
Movie Details
- Director
- Joe Johnston
- Release Date
- 1991-06-21
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (1093)
Cast
- Billy Campbell
- Jennifer Connelly
- Alan Arkin
- Timothy Dalton
- Paul Sorvino
- Terry O'Quinn
- Ed Lauter
- Jon Polito
- James Handy
- Tiny Ron
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Disney Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Rocketeer about?
- A daring young pilot becomes a rocket-powered hero while battling gangsters and Nazi spies above 1930s Los Angeles.
- What is The Rocketeer like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Rocketeer as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Rocketeer violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Rocketeer as mild.
- What did critics think of The Rocketeer?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an affectionate and visually charming homage to vintage adventure serials, despite thin characterization and a talky pace.
- Which films are like The Rocketeer?
- Films with a similar feel include Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Captain America: The First Avenger, and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.
- How long is The Rocketeer?
- The Rocketeer runs 108 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Rocketeer?
- In United States, The Rocketeer streams on Disney Plus.
