He’s tough, sexy, and dressed in the rugged height of 30s fashion. But for all of his bravado, the Rocketeer is a little kid at heart, buck-hungry and self-centered before joining the fight for God, country, and dames. He’s a character straight from the mold of Hollywood’s by-gone movie serials where sneering villains would stop at nothing in the race for an object of incalculable power, with only the good guy hero impeding their fascist world order. Whether they were Nazis or fiends from outer space, evil would be spectacularly punched out before all science fiction hell broke loose. Then with the foes having met their just and terrible fates, the gritty protagonist would adjust his clothes, kiss the girl, and head towards the rising sun for more adventure.
Don’t laugh, it’s a formula that worked for such retro-serial hunks as Indiana Jones. Disney’s Nazi-bashing Rocketeer might at first seem like just a Spielberg clone, with the novel gimmick of a booster pack serving as the holy relic that could change history. The difference audiences will discern this summer is that in THE ROCKETEER, 1938 is as much a palpable character as its roguish aviator.
Disney Pictures is sinking upwards of $40 million into their vibrant time capsule, a gigantic production the studio hopes won't mirror the boxoffice disappointment and miscalculated nostalgia of their DICK TRACY. Though it’s also based on a comic character, THE ROCKETEER is anchored solidly in our world. No primary colors or unwieldy stylization to avert the eye, just two-fisted action like they used to make for a fraction of the budget. The Touchstone Pictures production is scheduled fora June 2 1 release, with a marketing blitz that will rival BATMAN’S.
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