Handlung:Südkalifornien im Jahr 1938. Der charmante, aber etwas linkische Pilot und Draufgänger Cliff Secord fühlt sich vom Pech verfolgt. Erst setzt er seine neue Maschine schrottreif in den Sand, als er einem Gangster verfolgenden FBI-Agenten ausweichen muss. Dann bleibt er auf der durch den Crash verursachten Schadenssumme sitzen und schließlich trennt sich seine Freundin Jenny, eine angehende Jung-Schauspielerin, von ihm.
Doch dann finden er und sein Mechaniker und Freund Peevy im Hangar, worauf die Gangster und die FBI-Männer es abgesehen hatten: einen auf den Rücken schnallbaren Raketenmotor, der einem Menschen das Fliegen ermöglicht. Mit Hilfe von Peevy lässt sich Cliff einen goldfarbenen Helm mit Steuereinrichtung konstruieren und düst fortan als maskierter „Rocketeer“ durch die Lüfte rund um Los Angeles, um Menschen zu helfen.
Als er Jenny davon berichten will, hat die sich bereits dem berühmten Leinwand- und Frauenhelden Neville Sinclair hingegeben. Der arbeitet jedoch mit dem Gangster Eddie Valentine zusammen und macht ihr nur den Hof, um hinter das Versteck der Rakete zu kommen. Cliff kann jedoch einem Hinterhalt in Valentines mondänem Nachtclub entkommen und sich zudem mit Jenny versöhnen.
Doch dann wird Jenny von Sinclair gefangen genommen und als Cliff zur Rettung eilen will, wird der von den FBI-Agenten gestellt und zum Besitzer der Rakete gebracht: dem Millionär Howard Hughes. Er klärt Cliff auf, dass die Rakete ein gescheitertes Projekt von ihm war, hinter dem nun die Nazis wegen ihres militärischen Nutzens her sind. Patent und Exemplar soll den Deutschen ein Spion beschaffen, der in Hollywood tätig ist.
Was Cliff langsam dämmert, wird Jenny in Neville Sinclairs Villa schnell klar: er ist der Spion, der sie gegen die Rakete eintauschen will. Am Übergabeort überschlagen sich die Ereignisse: Valentine wird über Sinclair aufgeklärt, der sich daraufhin mittels eines Trupps Nazisoldaten der Schießerei gegen die Gangster und ebenfalls anwesenden FBI-Agenten entzieht. Mit seiner Geisel im Schlepptau entflieht er mit dem Luftschiff Luxemburg in den Himmel. Nur der Rocketeer kann noch helfen.
In einem actionreichen Showdown an Bord des Zeppelins kann Cliff die Nazis überwältigen, Jenny retten und Sinclair sowie die Rakete vernichten.
Im letzten Moment retten Peevy und Hughes das Paar von dem explodierenden Flugwerk.
Cliff bekommt am Ende seine Jenny und von Howard Hughes ein neues Flugzeug. Quelle: Wikipedia
Regie:
Joe Johnston
Drehbuch:
Dave Stevens
Danny Bilson
Produktion:
Larry J. Franco
Lisa Bailey
Darsteller:
Bill Campbell,
Jennifer Connelly,
Timothy Dalton,
Alan Arkin,
Paul Sorvino,
Terry O’Quinn,
Tiny Ron,
Ed Lauter,
James Handy,
Jon Polito,
Eddie Jones,
Robert Miranda,
Max Grodenchik
The Rocketeer is a superhero created by writer/illustrator Dave Stevens. The character is a homage to the pulp heroes of the 1930s and 1940s.
The Rocketeer is Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot who discovers a mysterious jet pack that allows him to fly. His adventures are set in 1938 Los Angeles,
and Stevens gave them a retro, nostalgic feel influenced by, among other things, Commando Cody movie serials and pinup diva Bettie Page.
In 1991, The Rocketeer was released as a feature film by Walt Disney Pictures and directed by Joe Johnston.
In 1936 or 1937 a mysterious man (an unnamed Doc Savage) designed a portable jet engine that a person could wear like a backpack.
This made an individual man able to fly like a rocket. The rocket pack had been created by Doc Savage and had been stolen by gangsters
in the employ of Nazi agents. In April of 1938 Clifford Secord found Doc Savage's rocket pack.
With the help of his friend Peabody, who had a background in aviation engineering, Clifford designed a protective helmet.
With the helmet and the rocket pack, Secord launched a short lived career as the mystery man known as the Rocketeer.
Clifford's desire to impress his girlfriend "Betty" led him to use the helmet to create an act for the Bigelow's Flying Circus for which he worked
as a stunt pilot. Cliff's use of the rocket pack made him a target for the Nazis and the government. He was taken into custody by an FBI man.
The car the FBI agent was driving was forced off the road in a gun fight. Clifford was thrown clear but the FBI agent was killed.
Clifford used the rocket pack to fight free of the Nazi agents and fled the scene. The next day three goons came to the Flying Circus' airfield looking
for the rocket pack, failing to find it they kidnapped Betty. Clifford tried to stop them in an experimental plane he called the Blind Bulldog.
The plane and fleeing car's chase and attempts to escape were thought to be part of the air show. The car crashed into a haystack and the three men escaped
into the crowd, leaving a bound and gagged Betty in the car.
One of the Nazi agents discovered Clifford Secord's identity. Moments later the Nazi agent was captured by a man with huge hands.
(These hands belonged to an also-unnamed John Renwick, one of Doc Savage's aides). Under one of Doc's truth serum's the Nazi Agent told Doc
who had the rocket pack.
Clifford lost his job at the air circus for his stunt with the plane and sat around the Bulldog cafe moping. He called up Betty to
see if she wanted to go for a ride, but she was busy posing for "art" photos for a photographer who promised to further her career.
Depressed by this, Clifford returned to the air field where his friend Peevy had repaired the damage to the rocket pack. After a short test flight,
Clifford returned to his apartment. Sitting on his sofa were two of Doc Savage's aides, Monk and Ham (although they only address themselves circumspectly).
They wanted the rocket pack, and Monk threatened to beat its location of out of Secord so Secord gave them an address where the rocket pack could be found.
They made him accompany them in their car. Cliff jumped out of the car and onto the back of a street car.
Fearing that Secord would warn his friend and they would hide the rocket pack, Ham and Monk hightailed it to the address and busted open the door.
They found "Betty" posing for nude photos. Angry at Clifford's prank, Betty gave them Peevy's real address. Monk and Ham traveled there and Clifford
dove out the back door. Monk and Ham took Peevy into custody and handcuffed him to the wheel of his car. They told him to drive to Clover field where
the new Douglas plane the Locust was being tested. Clifford was hiding in the car on the floor of the front seat.
At Clover field, the pilots of the plane were found shot to death, after the plane had already taken off. Monk realized that the Nazi's
had hijacked the plane. Peevy convinced Secord that the could stop the hijacking. Secord was reluctant at first until Peevy pointed out that if showed
them that he aint no crook by saving the plane they wont be in as much trouble with the law.
Secord made up his mind just as Doc Savage showed up outside of the car. He demanded the rocket pack back.
Doc intended to go after the Locust with the rocket pack. Cliff emerged from the car and Peevy held a gun on Savage.
As Savage grabbed the gun from Peevy, Cliff ran away and started the rocket pack. He nearly caught the Locust but ran out of fuel.
Doc had run to a nearby plane and had it started when Secord began to fall. He flew the plane under Secord and Secord grabbed onto the wing.
Doc dropped Secord off on the Locust. Clifford climbed across the outside of the Locust and opened the bay door just as the pilot was examining it.
The pilot fell to his death. Inside the plane Secord fought with the co-pilot and knocked him out. Secord had to land the plane with the unknown controls.
He crash landed in the middle of Harrolds restaurant. Cliff was taken to the Army Airforce base hospital and treated for his injuries. When he regained
consciousness Peevy was there telling him that despite their efforts they were still in a fix with the law. Even though the big fella said he would go
to bat for him the cops still thought Cliff had bumped off the g-man. Cliff called Betty to tell her that he was alright. Her maid told Cliff that Betty
had gone to New York with that foreign fella and then would be sailing to Europe.
Directly after that, a nurse came in to give him a pain shot. Cliff got out of bed, put on his clothes and left the room.
He was spotted by Monk and Peevy, who gave chase. He ducked into a chemical laboratory. Sitting on a table was the rocket pack
and some beakers of fuel. Cliff grabbed the rocket pack and in his doped up state, knocked over the beakers filled with fuel.
He accidentally started a fire but escaped out of the window. The various chemical fumes ignited and caused a great explosion and Cliff was believed
to have died. He took the Blind Bulldog and flew to New York. Quelle: Wikipedia
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