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David McK (3764 KP) rated The Rocketeer (1991) in Movies

Sep 21, 2020

The Rocketeer (1991)

1991 | Action, Drama, Family

7.1

(15 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

I remember having an old game, back in the day (late 80s) in the Amiga: Rocket Ranger.

The reason I mention that?

Because it very well could have acted as inspiration for this 1991 film.

(edit: I've just discovered it's actually based on a lesser known graphic novel of the same name! Presumably so is Rocket Ranger ...)

Released in the wake of Batman, and a good couple of decades before the birth of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), this stars a post-Bond Timothy Dalton on villain duty, with Bill Campbell taking on the role of Cliff Secord (who becomes The Rocketeer) and Jennifer Connolly as his love interest.

Set in 1938, this - apparently, like the comics - takes inspiration from the pulp serials of old, with director Joe Johnston bringing the same verisimilitude to the setting as he would his (much) later "Captain America: The First Avenger". Unfortunately, the film is a bit too po-faced for its own good - missing the wryness of, say, an Indiana Jones - an suffered somewhat from an unfortunate release window, sandwiched right between "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" and "Terminator 2: Judgment Day".

Kudos

LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Batman: Hush (2019) in Movies

Oct 9, 2019

Batman: Hush (2019)

2019 | Action, Animation

7.0

(9 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Batman: Hush is a fantastic and beloved graphic novel - surely an easy win for Warner Bros. Animation.
Unfortunately, they don't make it easy for themselves.

Hush isn't a bad entry into the DC Animated Universe by any means. The animation style is very satisfying to watch, especially in fight scenes, verging on anime at times. It has a very striking look from start to finish.
The voice cast are mostly great, and elements of the story are really well done (Catwoman and Batman's relationship for example).

There's a large portion of Batman's rogue gallery strewn through the story, which always works well on the page, and is always delightful to see, but the format of a scripted movie doesn't really give many of them much to do.
The big thing for me was the final act - no spoilers here, but the movie pulls away pretty hard from the source material during the climax, and although it's a respectable twist that will throw fans of the novel off, it's not a scratch on what originally happens.

It's a negative for sure, but not enough of one to detract from my overall enjoyment!