Given his history with the franchise, I'm honestly surprised no one has given Joe Johnston a blank check to do a STAR WARS film.

The Rocketeer is likely a HUGE reason why art deco is such a huge part of my art work. That poster alone makes it worth watching. I love this movie and it's style.

The world of the Rocketeer would make for a great animated series, perhaps in a style to the DCAU's Batman & Superman Animated Series. Maybe even taking some inspiration from the comic book series that inspired the Rocketeer. It's doubtful as there's already a Disney Junior series staring Cliff's great granddaughter. Billy Campbell even returned play Cliff's grandson.

The Rocketeer is my definition of a 'popcorn film'. It's fun action pulp that manages to find the right balance between serious and corny.

Joe Johnston is a criminally underrated director. He should make more movies.

The whole time you were describing Joe Johnston I was thinking "this sounds like a great guy to tackle Captain America or Superman" without realizing he already had lol

2:10 "And he designed 'The Iron Giant'." **head explodes**

I actually went to see Rocketeer when I was 11, I absolutely loved it and to this day still love it.... It also had Jennifer Connelly looking knockout gorgeous

You know it's a good day when the Royal Ocean Film Society uploads

I think you just explained why I absolutely adore Captain America: The First Avenger so much. It's not a Marvel movie as much as it is a Golden-Age comic book brought to life.

In terms of flops getting their day in the end, I'm surprised that Speed Racer didn't get mentioned. It feels like it's coming from a similar starting place to the Rocketeer, even if aimed at completely different inspiration and thus taking off in another direction, and has its own bust to beloved turnaround situation born of a smallish but dedicated set of fans who fell in love.

god your videos are impeccable and I agree with your takes on Johnston. He fits within those directors that can be seen as Spielberg knock-offs but not in a bad way. These directors created Spielberg-esque Blockbusters in the same era as Spielberg: Joe Dante, John Landis, Joe Johnston, Wolfgang Petersen, Roland Emmerich- all their 90s flicks have a very similar aesthetic

Joe Johnston’s October Sky is also criminally overlooked. One of my favourite movies!

Speaking of flops, Scott Pilgrim was one I saw in theaters even though I was poor and living out of my car at the time. It was such a shame a few months later to hear it flopped, but it's been great seeing how much love it gets from the internet nowadays.

I was practically raised on watching the Rocketeer, the Mummy, and Jurassic Park on VHS. Certainly an old gem that still holds up today!

Dredd was another comic book movie that flopped at the box office, but has gone on to be a cult favourite.

A few months ago I decided to revisit both the Rocketeer and First Avenger and they do hold up as fun action movies.

Joe Johnston is a really a fantastic director, he's been one of the few people to really captures the adventure aspect of his film. The Shadow, The Rocketeer, The Phantom, and Dick Track are probably some of my favorite comicbook films growing up due to how they managed to capture that certain feel of fun.

I still absolutely love this movie. It's one of the rare movies that perfectly does what it was setting out to do. And that James Horner score is one of my top film scores of all time.

Unpopular opinion: I kinda like Jurassic Park 3. I know the story is kind of sloppy, but Sam Neil does a pretty good job as Alan Grant as always and the special effects are still pretty good.

I love this guy. His sensibility and efficiency made him perfect for the first Captain America movie and his output is generally terrific. I will see anything this man creates,

Joe Johnson's *"Jumanji"* is still a must watch in my house. Very underrated director.

Oh man, that one frame of most steampunk/dieselpunk movies being duds, hurts. It's the truth but it still hurts.

I was at the Infamous 20th Anniversary Rocketeer event MC'd by Kevin Smith. Got to meet Joe at the after party at the Max Factor Museum. Easy to talk to but, man, does he lament the sad reality that "The Rocketeer" lives in. If you've seen the footage of the Q&A, it comes across how deeply he loves that film and how painful it is that he sits in the minority with it's audience. Kind of why "Captain America: The First Avenger" is the way it is was due to wanting to get "The Rocketeer" right this time. The audience got to see the Captain America trailer about 8 - 12 hours before the world at the event and Kevin Smith made sure to point out how "The Rocketeer" the trailer seemed... Joe looked mortified at the statement. That said, the film should have been released about 5 years EARLIER to capitalize on the retro wave during the mid eighties. People forget that pre-1960s Americana was IN in a very big way. The 1990s saw the anti-culture wave, easiest seen through the mentioned 90s Alt multimedia prism. "The Rocketeer" wasn't gritty enough or mocking enough to appease the polarized sensibilities. Cole Porter's "Let's Do It" got a big music and dance sequence in "Tank Girl." Part of the alt ethos (if you need a label) usually played on the old and familiar then slathered on sarcastic teenager to it. Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun" and Nirvana's "In Bloom" music videos being the low hanging fruit examples. Man I miss Bebop Burger...

I never realized Joe Johnston was behind so many of my favorite movies. The only actual complaint I might have with his movies is that after creating such likeable characters, he does little to develop them.

It’s crazy to me that I’ve seen the poster for the Rocketeer and this video has been the first time I’ve seen actual footage. Usually when I’ve heard of something I’ve at least seen a little clip somewhere but no... just that iconic poster I’ve been curious about for years. I watched it tonight, and damn man, it was pretty good. I really loved that it did the setup and payoff for SO MANY THINGS, and usually beautifully. So I’ll try my best to understand how and when to use it for my own stories, and go from there! Big fan of your stuff, it always makes me happy when you post :)

I saw this in theaters when I was in high school. I went out and grabbed the soundtrack that day and wore out the tape listening to it. I was one of those teens who preferred Cole Porter to Nirvana.

It would be awesome if you talked about The City of Lost Children, no one ever seems to

I loved the Rocketeer. My parents took me to see it 4 or 5 times on first run, went as him for that Halloween, and saw it another dozen when it showed up in the cheap-seats theater.

I'm glad you spent some time talking about Johnston and his career. He has always struck me as an underrated film director and his best moves are retro pulp action/adventure tales like HIDALGO, a movie that deserves more love. I also think that OCTOBER SKY is a really wonderful film as well, featuring a young Jake Gyllenhaal.

For what it's worth, The Rocketeer's gross included the cost of my admission to the theater twice. It's just a pure, innocent ball of fun. No grit, no angst, just the handsome lead saving the woman he loves. Sometimes, when you sit down to watch something, that's exactly what you need. Also, I've only fallen asleep at the theater a couple of times in my entire life. And only once after my age reached double digits. And that movie was Gladiator. That movie was (and is) dee-yoo-double-ell DULL!

Wonder Woman I was the same kind of cheesy superhero movie like the Rocketeer, and I loved it because of that. Diana is just the essence of goodness and doing the right thing while being a duck out of water making her great powers and intellect more tolerable. And Diana deals with the PTSD of another character after saving him earlier in a way that Captain America does not. Cap is too macho while Diana is just so sensitive. And WW made a lot of money.

I was fortunate enough to have gotten out of the military in 1988 and had a friend that worked at a local comic book shop. He introduced me to Dave Stevens’s art work, the creator of The Rocketeer. I hunted down all the back issues over a few years. The Rocketeer was released the weekend before my wedding. A lot of great memories connected with the comic and the film. Sadly Stevens passed away from Leukemia in his early 50’s. Thanks for the review. Yes, I agree, I thought Johnston’s First Avenger was a Rocketeer spin off.

Awesome video and thank you for the spotlight on Joe Johnston! He's one of my favorite directors and The Rocketeer is one of my favorite movies. So underrated! Fair point on Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow as well (also one of my favorite movies. I'm a sucker for this kind of film). Time to watch The Rocketeer again myself. Thanks and keep up the great work!

"Let's go watch The Rocketeer again." Don't have to tell me twice. One of my favorites.

Another great video man. Film snobs make it seem like cheerful movies are something to despise, but there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a well made, simple story that prioritizes joy as opposed to forced pretentious themes.

That jurassic park 3 ring tone scene where they realize the phone is actually in the dinosaur is still one of my favorite moments in any movie. I still remember that scene more than 10 years later. I also don't it was as bad in general as anyone says. I would take jurassic park 3 over any of the newest movies.

The story behind how _Sky Captain_ came to be made is more fascinating than the film itself.

I’ve never seen your stuff before, and I am very impressed with the passion and professionalism. Very informative and insightful video, and I absolutely will be rewatching The Rocketeer. Well done. 👍👍 I was 13 when The Rocketeer was released, and remember the initial hype. As an avid comic book reader and collector from a small town, it piqued my interest significantly. The problem I remember is it not being released 100% wide. If I remember correctly it did not play at my regional cineplex, and I was very disappointed. That compounded with the fact that my parents took us to see both Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves AND Terminator 2 certainly echoes your assessment. As excited as I was about it, the fervor paled in comparison to BATMAN two years prior; the first time I remember waiting in a line that went all the way outside and into the parking lot. Cool stuff, and great job, subbed!

You're following Joe Johnston with Joe Dante? This is gonna be a good summer at Royal Ocean

Fun Fact: Dave Stevens was a longtime admirer of 1950s glamour and pin-up model Bettie Page; he modeled the look of the Rocketeer's girlfriend after her and featured her image in other illustrations too, which helped contribute to the renewed public interest in Page and her modeling career. After discovering that the retired Page was still alive and lived nearby, Stevens became friends with her, providing both personal assistance and helping to arrange financial compensation to her from various publishers for the use of her image and reprints of her many glamor and pin-up photos.

I love this movie. It was one of our go-to's in my family when we were growing up. I also rewatched it during lockdown and boy it really holds up well! I think another part of looking at the success (or lack thereof) with this film is how much it cost to make, versus it's return. I think the cost of most films today are a HUGE liability for their "success" when they spend as much as they do and in such a wasteful way as they do. This is not to say that this film was wasteful, It's in fact very much so not, but this film could probably be produced for far far less than it was back in the 90s. I feel like if a film like this came out today, produced on a 5-10 million dollar budget would comparably KILL IT at the box office. I think people need some optimism, right now. I hope films like this make a comeback.

I'd love to see another film in this style, like Flash Gordon or Doc Savage!

as an older teenager when this movie came out, I don't remember paying a lot of attention to this when it came out(I was 16). It was a comic book property, so it was sort of marketed like "Hey, it's that character from a comic book you know!" but it wasn't a mainstream comic book, so mostly people were like "Am I supposed to know this character?" It looked fun, but also maybe a little silly(both are correct), and ultimately, I just don't remember many people paying any attention to it. I saw it when it came out on VHS and really liked it. I like it to this day as a comic book movie that knows that comic book movies are supposed to be fun.

Thank you for making this. Me and my friends a few years ago began to record a podcast watching old, forgotten, box office fails; and by far, the best movie we watched was the Rocketeer. It was lovely to be reminded of how fun and enjoyable the movie is.

Thank you for highlighting this movie! I practically wore my VHS copy out back in the day I watched it so much. It's a rare kind of film that I don't think could be made today.

I've gotta say, I am continually impressed by how consistently engaging and informative your videos have been over the past 5 years. I honestly don't know how you do it.

Your passion for movies is infectious :)

The Rocketeer and The Phantom go hand-in-hand into my favourite films of that style.

"Go get 'im, Kid..." still makes me tear up it's so wonderful.

Seriously, THIS is the most underrated comic book film Disney has EVER produced. It's sad really. Fun fact, my first cousin once removed was the Director of Photography for Sky Captain, so it will FOREVER be important to me.

That flyby scene from the cockpit POV in The Mandalorian to me was pure Rocketeer. Knowing he was a part of creating Boba Fett makes it make even more sense

I knew Dave Stevens when we were both in high school. He was a brilliant artist then and showed me early sketches for what would become The Rocketeer. He was truly gifted and a wonderful human being taken from us way too soon.

Me and my Dad went to the movies alot and we saw this together and we loved it! My dad is gone now...i think of him when I watch this now

The Rocketeer is one of the most underrated movies of all time

The iron giant sitting down in shock was PERFECT! A directer with an eye for design is a rare and underrated skill.

Really glad I stumbled into this channel. Super insightful and well-researched.

the amount of effort put into your visuals is amazing

Hyped to see you giving this movie and Joe Johnston some serious love! He's one of my fave directors, for all of the reasons you said here. Great work on this one.

My goodness, how I love this movie. I remember going to see it in an almost empty theater, but still I came out just loving it. Then again I’ve always loved old 40’s movies 🤷, and that poster is destined to hang on my home theater wall.

Captain America had this montage that would have been an excellent group of shorts if they just expanded them all out for a full 3 minutes and dumped onto some place like KZfaq. The Rocketeer didn't have that from what I remember but it was from a time when that sort of film short hand wasn't used the same way.

This is such a cool idea for a series!! I can't wait to see more.

THOROUGHLY enjoyed this episode!! Every detail and take you had , I just couldn't help but appreciate🙌🙌🙌

This is exactly why I loved the first Captain America film, it really felt like a spiritual successor to The Rocketeer.

another connection the Rocketeer and Indiana Jones haves is that Dave Stevens the creator of the Rocketeer comics also did storyboards for Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Jurassic Park 3 is one of my favorites in the series solely because of my obsession with dino crisis. No other Jurrasic film has that feeling of nature taking over like the third one did in my opinion.

An equally nostalgic post-war continuation of the Rocketeer/First Avenger genre is Marvel's "Agent Carter" 2-season adventure series, with Hayley Atwell reprising her role as the girl Captain America left behind. It managed to strike an engaging balance between 1940's intrigue and Marvel's overarching superhero tropes.

Oh wow...I was blown away! Loved the Rocketeer as a kid and this was a fantastic essay!

Perfect timing. Was just thinking about this movie and found the channel because of it!

KZfaq’s algorithm sent your video my way, good pick. I did plop my money down to see the Rocketeer along with a few others when they came out like 1983’s The Right Stuff, the Indiana Jones movies, 1998’s Pleasantville, 1999’s October Sky, and even 2015’s Tomorrowland. Loved all those movies, however, the Rocketeer and Pleasantville found a place in my move playlist for life.

One of my favorite films of all time. Stream it on disney + all the time.

I remember being 8 or 9 years old and seeing a giant 'coming soon' cardboard cutout of the Rocketeer in the movie theater. It didn't say anything, it only said 'Rocketeer' and 'Coming Soon', but in that same art-deco style as the poster. And it left such a huge impression on me that I remember that moment more than my eventual first time seeing the movie. So with that, I feel like that art-deco style promotional material worked. Also, I love this movie now that I'm older. They don't make 'em like they used to.

Ooo. The Rocketeer was one of my favorite movies as a kid. I haven’t seen it in years. You’re giving me so much nostalgia right now. ❤ It came out when I was in 7th grade so I think I was the perfect age for it.

I saw it in theaters four times and paid full price. I also attended the cattle-call. I must salute the casting. I fell asleep during Burton's Batman.

Since this is meant to be film history, it should be noted that Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow was directed by a first time director. In the hands of Joe Johnston, it might have been a more polished film… …

Another great video! Keep it up and keep em coming :D Side note, as an editor myself, it's so weird to hear a piece of stock music used in other projects in the wild 😂

This was fantastic. I have very fond memories of watching The Rocketeer in theaters when I was young (I think I would have been ten). The next day I attempted to make a cardboard replica of the Rocketeer's helmet out of cardboard and masking tape. It looked more like a Cenobite torture device than the Rocketeer, but I remember being very proud of it at the time 😂😂😂

Yeeesssss, love thisss. Joe Johnston is so good at what he does. PS: First Avenger is still the best Cap film!

You never disappoint!

Nailed it. Johnston wants to elevate the audience in the most sincere and earnest fashion. He wants to entertain and have folks leave the theater smiling. Like you mentioned hes also got a designers sensibility and there is an economy and efficiency to his work, no wasted lines, no fat, trimmed and precise. I love Johnstons work because of all these things, because of his almost bucolic sensibility that harkens back to the idea of Americana, a simpler time. Its honestly refreshing to see his name as the director and know Im gonna have a good time.

My only awareness of this movie until now was the poster at my local AMC growing up. It was always on the wall through the decades

My very first liscensed hard plastic box thermos lunchbox as a kid that I brought to my early days of school was a royal blue Rocketeer lunchbox and I loved that thing.

Counter point: it is a great film. Is it 'Taxi Driver'? No. But as you know it does something incredibly rare in modern storytelling, which is make the audience believe it's gee whiz bang optimism. That makes it great, especially in such a cynical age. And I think that feeling captures the feeling of the early years of flight as well.

Dave Steven's illustrations are impeccable in the original comic. I have all my copies.

I saw this in theaters when I was 8 and I was ENTHRALLED. I had been looking forward to it for weeks (no idea why, maybe it was the early days of the Disney Channel and their nonstop marketing for their upcoming slate) and walked out of the theater feeling like I was walking on clouds. Such a wonderful adventure film. I will love it always.

the poster of this movie hung in the hallways of the multiplex i went to as a kid for years. i was always intriged by it but never bothered to seek it out. i felt that feeling of pastiche and old timeyness even as a little shit lol. maybe ill finally rent it

I didn't see this video when it came out, but I'm so glad it exists!

Oh man, The Rocketeer has got to be one of the greatest popcorn films ever.

This was absolutely amazing. I am going to have to add this one to my favorites.

Joe Johnston could probably make a great Superman movie. The time period he seems to make films in, seems like it would be perfect for a Superman movie.

Joe Johnston can definitely pull off a Superman movie, heck stretch it to an adaptation of the Max Fleicher’s Cartoon Superman, with the 30s Art Deco ish aesthetic. GOLD

The perfect “summer” movie that deserved a sequel. I immediately thought of “Sky Captain…” when I started watching this and it fails where Rocketeer soars. One of the ironic things that made it fail was the Disney branding. No one in my age group, at that time, wanted to see an “adult” action film made by a kiddie movie studio. Disney has now made its huge profits on films like this

Another huge issue that contributed to the movie's under performance was that no one knew how to 'sell' it to audiences. The previews were a disaster that had everyone scratching their heads thinking 'what is this'. I saw it when it was first released and from the opening scene I knew it was going to be a special kind of magic. Just two guys opening hanger doors AND the incredible score that went along with it still moves me so powerfully even after I have seen it so many times. And it hit another deep, deep chord within me as ever since the days of Commander Cody I have always wanted that rocket pack. To blast off into the sky and fly like a bat out of hell. My dream brought to cinematic life. I believe the jetpack is one of the most powerful of nerdy (in a good way) icons in all of science fiction. At least for those of us who grew up in the '50s and '60s. Finally the very concept that made it into one of my all time films, and also made it a flop was the innocence of it all. A mythical America that never really existed yet one so many of us want to believe in. Audiences when this film came out, and especially today turn their noses up at such concepts. They are so jaded and disgusted with ourselves that they believe our species is at its best when it is morally evil. And so many films that are huge successes show exactly this. From Game of Thrones to Squid Games, this is how we want to see ourselves. We have so lost our way.

Thank you for opening my eyes. I feel like I've been sleeping on this marvelous man

Great video! I’m all for this resurgence of respect for the Rocketeer.

Joe Johnston will never be mistaken for an auteur filmmaker, but he's consistently one of the best in the industry for directing the "well-told story." He's exceedingly good at making by-the-numbers, well-made films with high production values that please crowds. In an industry full of incompetent crap, lazy cash-grab cinema and wave after wave of remakes, reboots, preboots and soft-reboot pseudo-prequels made by incompetent nincompoops with no conception of or respect for the craft of filmmaking, Johnston's filmography of well-made popular cinema is something to be proud of. He's definitely a filmmaker I turned my nose up at as an early 20s film snob, but who I appreciate much more in retrospect and after learning about his early roots in the film industry.

I knew about the Rocketeer through an ancient Nintendo Power magazine. I always wondered whether it was live action or animated, and seeing the poster didn't clear anything up. Never really knew a thing about it until I saw this video! Captain America was my favorite movie growing up, so this is a pretty glowing recommendation for The Rocketeer :)

A proper 4K release is what this world needs! I loved this movie as a kid and watched it often.

It makes me happy to see The Rocketeer getting a little love and attention. I've referred to it for a decades as one of my 'guilt pleasure' movies. Maybe I should put aside the guilt. It's a solid, fun movie!

Where Rocketeer and Captain America diverge, I think, is that Rocketeer has a smashing good third act, while Captain America's finale is very mechanical to get him into the ice so he can earn his tragic backstory.