The Rocketeer

The Rocketeer is currently streaming in Australia on Disney Plus, and in the US on Disney Plus, and it earns its premise rather than just borrowing genre trappings. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. With 1,051 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Watch it for Billy Campbell — the performance elevates material that could easily tip into self-seriousness. Available now on Disney Plus — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

The Rocketeer is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. The Rocketeer treats its concept seriously enough to follow it all the way through. A stunt pilot comes across a prototype jetpack that gives him the ability to fly. However, evil forces of the world also want this jetpack at any cost. Billy Campbell and Jennifer Connelly lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1991. The Rocketeer resists the temptation to explain everything, trusting the audience to sit with ambiguity. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Viewers burned by ambitious sci-fi that could not sustain its premise should give The Rocketeer a chance. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Billy Campbell's performance is the anchor the more ambitious moments need. The world-building pays off in ways you will not anticipate on a first watch.