It's pretty apparent when Marvel Studios needed a director for this summer's Captain America: The First Avenger, someone who could successfully meld highly stylized action with a period setting while maintaining the character's core ideals and heritage, they looked no further than Joe Johnston and his immensely entertaining 1991 film The Rocketeer.
Based on the late Dave Stevens' beloved series of graphic novels, The Rocketeer unfolds in 1938 Los Angeles and tells the story of test pilot Cliff Secord (Billy Campbell) and his crotchety mechanic Peevy (Alan Arkin) who find a mysterious rocket pack after it's stashed in of their planes by a local hood fleeing the Feds. It seems L.A. gangster Eddie Valentine (Paul Sorvino) had the device stolen from one Howard Hughes (Terry O'Quinn) at the request of his employer, Hollywood leading man Neville Sinclair (Timothy Dalton).
It's unclear what Sinclair wants the rocket for but he demands Eddie and his boys retrieve it. That doesn't prove too difficult as Cliff can't help drawing attention to himself when he's forced to strap on the jet pack and rescue a distressed pilot at a nearby air show. Soon Valentine, the Feds and a brutish enforcer of Sinclair's are all in pursuit of Cliff and Peevy. It's not long before Sinclair seduces, then kidnaps Cliff's actress girlfriend Jenny (Jennifer Connelly) in a bold, final attempt to flush out the heroic flyboy and deliver the rocket to his nefarious masters.
The Rocketeer is a smart, stylish and fast-paced adventure that hearkens back to the Saturday-morning serials of the '30s (think Raiders of the Lost Ark) and the comics of Dick Tracy, and, dare I say, Captain America. The entire cast is excellent and composer James Horner provides a heroic, soaring score that ranks among one of his best.
Newly released on Blu-ray for its 20th anniversary by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, The Rocketeer is quite impressive in glorious 1080p and a considerable upgrade over its 1999 non-anamorphic DVD. Presented in its native 2.35:1 aspect ratio, colors are rich and nicely textured, especially the day exterior shots at the airfield. This edition claims to be a digital restoration but I didn't notice much over-cleansing or DNR on display here. Film grain is maintained throughout but it's natural, never distracting. In all, a very nice presentation.
The Blu-ray features a robust English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track and both dialog and music are clear at minimal levels.
Extras include, wait, there are no extras. Disney has basically duplicated the 12-year-old DVD and provided nothing but a trailer (a crude-looking, standard-def one at that). This film wasn't an overwhelming success when it was initially released but it has developed a pretty loyal following. It wouldn't have needed much: maybe a look-back documentary or a Joe Johnston commentary track. With a $26.50 list price, this has to be one of the worst 20th-anniversary editions I've ever seen.
After 20 years, Joe Johnston's The Rocketeer remains one of the best comic-book adaptations ever, a perfect companion to Captain America: The First Avenger. While the Blu-ray looks and sounds great, it would have been nice if Disney could have shown a little more respect and given it the special edition it deserves.
The Rocketeer (1991)
Digitally Restored 20th-Anniversary Blu-ray
Released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Dec 13, 2011
SRP: $26.50
Running Time: 109 minutes
AVC Encoded @ Average 30 MBPS.
Technical Specs: Video: Anamorphic 2.35:1; Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio
Video: A
Sound: A
Extras: F
Worth the Upgrade Over DVD: Yes
