Cast: Bill Campbell (Cliff Secor), Alan Arkin (Peevy), Jennifer Connelly (Jenny Blake), Timothy Dalton (Neville Sinclair), Paul Sorvino (Eddie Valentine), Terry O'Quinn (Howard Hughes), Ed Lauter (FBI Agent Fitch), James Handy (FBI Agent Wolinski), Tiny Ron (Lothar)

In the lead role, Bill Campbell is no Harrison Ford and he hasn't gotten another lead since. Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly plays his girlfriend, an aspiring actress, and her chest is duly noted, though not to the extent of the same year's Career Opportunities. Timothy Dalton plays an Errol Flynn-type actor who has a secret. Paul Sorvino essentially tones down his Goodfellas performance, playing with less gravitas a mob hood who draws a line at anti-American corruption. Alan Arkin does a minimum required amount with his role as mentor to Cliff. Rounding out the cast is Tiny Ron, playing a ridiculous-looking monosyllabic goon who seems to have lept off the pages of Shelley and who just won't die.

The film takes itself quite seriously, and would stand to benefit from some levity. At the same time, its likeliness to disinterest young audiences is notable since there is no out-of-place pandering or goofy characters. Those who are turned off by the silliness of Disney films like The Mighty Ducks and First Kid will not find anything like that here. Unfortunately, at the same time, the energy and charm that usually comes hand in hand with such an element is also not readily found here. Still, the pacing and plot keep it interesting and for a period piece, it remains rather exciting.

Though the rocket jetpack special effects do seem somewhat primitive by today's standards, they're sparingly and effectively used. All in all, in the hands of veteran director Joe Johnston (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and more recently, Jurassic Park III and next year's Hidalgo), The Rocketeer is a capable and satisfying drama/adventure.

2.20:1 Non-Anamorphic Widescreen
Dolby Digital 5.1 (English),
Dolby Surround (French)
Subtitles: English
Closed Captioned
Release Date: August 17, 1999
Single-sided, single-layered disc (DVD-5)
Suggested Retail Price: $14.99
(Reduced from $19.99)
White Keepcase

VIDEO AND AUDIO
The Rocketeer is nicely photographed and makes fine use of the 2.20:1 widescreen frame (the packaging and other reviews claim it's 2.35:1, but it's not). Unfortunately, the word that comes to mind in describing this DVD transfer is "murky." It's as if the film is covered by a layer of film, and everything seems more distant and than it should be. It lacks the sharpness and clarity it should have, and while there are no distracting flaws or inconsistencies, the film would very much stand to benefit from a new anamorphic transfer. As it is, it's an overly dark transfer that is pretty disappointing.

The sound quality is less-than-jake, with dialogue being indiscernable from time-to-time, and with a reliable inconsistency in volume. Still, it is a fair 5.1 track (the packaging erroneously lists only Dolby Surround) and doesn't leave the type of room for improvement that picture does.