The Rocketeer
Disney's attempt to keep the Batman and Dick Tracy formula going didn't take off as planned.
I was excited to cover ‘The Rocketeer’ in the 1991 season of Hot Town, Summer at the Ciné because it’s always interesting to look at films that are supposed to be huge hits and don’t quite connect. Take a listen to Michael Francis and I chat about the film and why we think it didn’t fully connect at the time, though it now has a deeply passionate fan base.
Listen to the Episode
Articles, Reviews and Interviews from 1991
When Disney puts a summer movie out, they go all out. There was no shortage of media, interviews and coverage of ‘The Rocketeer’ when it came out. Here’s a sampling.
Entertainment Weekly Review ~ not a glowing review at all. This highlights much of the criticism the film faced.
Entertainment Weekly ‘Behind the Scenes’ ~ Lots of great stuff in here, highlighting director Joe Johnston’s special effects background and the offscreen romance between the lead actors.
Timothy Dalton and Bill Campbell on Aresenio ~ one of the most 1991 sentences and video clips that exist.
TV Special ~ the power of Disney promoting your film, a 30 minute TV special with your unknown star hosting.
Retrospectives
In hindsight this movie has gained lots of fans and admiration. Here are a few standout articles
Guardian article ~ This 2021 look back shows a ton of fondness for the film
Famous Flops Article ~ Scott Mendelson is one of the standout experts for box office analysis. This article from back when he wrote for Forbes magazine hits a lot of the reasons why this movie just didn’t breakout like Disney hoped for.