In the blockbuster movie summer of 1991, which was arguably kicked off by Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves in June and eventually dominated by Terminator 2: Judgment Day in July, one pulpy sci-fi hero attempted to capture the magic of a classic Disney adventure film and a bygone era of pulpy sci-fi superheroes at the same time. At the time, The Rocketeer was a throwback of a throwback, a Disney film based on a 1982 comic book by Dave Stevens, which itself was inspired by the 1930s and 1940s golden age of pulp heroes like Doc Savage and The Shadow. This is the same primordial soup of a genre that allowed Indiana Jones to become a hit in 1981 with Raiders of the Lost Ark, but a decade after the debut of Indy, and two years after The Last Crusade, the nostalgia of The Rocketeer failed to connect with a large audience. Against a budget of $35 million, The Rocketeer only grossed $46 million overall, and, during a competitive summer, couldn’t even get ahead of City Slickers at the box office.
And yet, 35 years later, The Rocketeer is the perfect example of how nostalgic, pulp sci-fi adventure can be done well, without a single need to wink at the audience.
