Disney’s THE ROCKETEER finally comes to Blu-ray in December

Disney’s THE ROCKETEER finally comes to Blu-ray in December

Back in June I had the honor and pleasure of being at the special D23 screening for the 20th Anniversary of Walt Disney Pictures’ THE ROCKETEER.  The creator of the comic book, Dave Stevens, is a man I not only called an inspiration and hero, but also a friend.  Dave was actually the guest of honor at our very first Dallas Comic Con in 2002, and at the show he hosted a special showing of the Disney film, which he and I sat an watched together for his first time in full since attending the Hollywood premiere.  It was a special moment in my life and one I’ll never forget.  Sadly, Dave passed away after a brave battle with Leukemia in March of 2008.  I like many had always hoped there would be a more definitive DVD for the film, perhaps featuring commentary tracks and behind the scenes footage, but to this day it’s never received more than the fairly bare-bones DVD release.  This could be attributed to the fact that in 1991 when the movie came out, Disney pretty much considered it a flop.  On June 21 of this year, through their D23 fan club, Disney hosted a special 20th Anniversary screening of the film at the historic El Capitan Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard, the same theater where the film had its premiere 20 years ago.  Director Joe Johnston (who while doing press for CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER in June even said he’d love to return to these characters) was in attendance, along with the film’s stars Bill Campbell and Tiny Ron, writers Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo, make-up master Rick Baker, and influential comic and film artist (and former studio mate of Dave’s) William Stout.  Director Kevin Smith hosted a short but fun Q&A following the movie, but the real treat was the brand new digital print… which looked extraordinary.  The big question of everyone’s mind, especially after seeing that new transfer, is when if ever will we see THE ROCKETEER on Blu-ray?  That day is thankfully here at last.  Amazon.com is taking pre-orders of a Blu-ray of the movie, which I assume is the same amazing transfer we saw, though as of this writing there’s no technical specifications listed.  The scheduled release date is December 13. Some of the potential bonus features, aside from the movie’s theatrical trailer (which you can see below), would be:

TV special “Rocketeer: Excitement In The Air” hosted by Bill Campbell – which shows the making of the movie, and real life aerial adventurers.

The June 21, 2011 Q&A panel from the 20th Anniversary screening

A deleted scene of Timothy Dalton using a Nazi code machine

Storyboards from the production, including deleted or unfinished scenes (such as The Rocketeer landing on Hollywood boulevard during a ceremony)

An audio commentary with director Joe Johnston and cast members

A possible dedication or tribute featurette for Dave Stevens, featuring industry professionals sharing their thoughts

Again, these are just possible bonus features, so don’t go quoting me on anything.  I’d love to see them go all out and pack this thing full of content.  Even Dave liked the film, despite the fact it wasn’t a huge hit or completely faithful to the source material.  Click here to pre-order the film, and tell us your thoughts on the movie in the comments below.  We’ll be keeping tabs on this, so check back for updated info.  If you’ve somehow never seen THE ROCKETEER, the film (and comic it’s based on) is a throwback to movie serials of the old days, with a rocket pack-wearing hero fighting a Nazi threat and saving the girl.  It’s got an irresistible charm to it, and also features star-making performances from both Bill Campbell and Jennifer Connelly, along with seasoned stars like Timothy Dalton, Alan Arkin and Paul Sorvino.  Synopsis from Amazon.com here:

Based on a retro-styled comic book hit of the ’80s, this Disney film was meant to launch a whole line of Rocketeer films–but the series began and ended with this one. That’s too bad, because this underrated Joe Johnston film has a certain loopy charm. The story centers on a pre-World War II stunt pilot (Bill Campbell) who accidentally comes into possession of a rocket-propelled backpack much coveted by the Nazis. With the aid of his mechanic pal (Alan Arkin), he gets it up and running, then uses it to foil a plot by a gang of vicious Nazi spies (is there any other kind?) led by Timothy Dalton. Jennifer Connelly is on hand as the love interest, but the real fun here is when the Rocketeer takes off. There’s also a nifty battle atop an airborne blimp.

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About the Author

Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff.