Stephen Jared said:
Hi Montana,
Earlier in the thread, Lance compared Rocketeer to Raiders, even quoting Ebert doing the same, and then you echoed his sentiments as to perceived weaknesses in Rocketeer, saying "that's where the Indy movies stand out."
Anyway, it doesn't matter.
I specifically ignored Lance's comment referring to
Raiders in my reply. Indy movies stand out because they create interesting characters (though as with KOTCS the creators don't always know how to use them for the best). What I recall of
The Rocketeer was a series of visuals enacted by un-interesting characters. In the cinema all I wanted was for the movie to be over quickly.
Stephen Jared said:
My main purpose here, especially with you, is to try to get you to revisit the film. It's not for everyone. But it's surprising to me that you like The Phantom but feel The Rocketeer wasn't good.
The more I think about it, the more
The Rocketeer resembles the 1980's
Flash Gordon: intentionally hammy. When I first saw
Flash on video I was constantly wishing that the creators had taken it more seriously, that it had been like
Star Wars, and not a comedy.
And this tallies with Mitchell's
Mitchellhallock said:
The Rocketeer needed a tougher edge. It's too soft and that's why there never was a sense of danger...
Romancing the Stone succeeded in combining comedy with danger, and I think
The Phantom did as well.
The Mummy series of movies fit here, too, though they were hit and miss.
If a DVD of
The Rocketeer appears in front of me and the seller's asking for a quid, then I'll revisit it. Apart from that I have no inclination to go out of my way to see it again.
Stephen Jared said:
The best of the films based on old serials was The Mask of Zorro I think.
That one's been sitting in my 'DVDs to (re)watch pile' for some time.
When it comes to Banderas, my favourite movies of his are
El Mariachi,
Desperado and
Once Upon a Time in Mexico. Pulp movies inspired by '60s Italian westerns, set in a world not unlike that of the earlier pulps which inspired the Indy series. That is, a world not quite as real as our own, where physics allows for a greater expression of action, but with room for character, epic quality, tongue-in-cheek comedy, violence, and danger. It may be mock-epic, but I care for the characters, whereas in
The Rocketeer I remember not caring whether they lived or died. Neither was the sense of adventure riveting. In that regard it resembles post-Doom Town KOTCS.