RocketMan (1997) User Reviews

So bad it's actually kind of good.

[ahwcomp · 7/10 · 10 May 2022]

I remember watching this movie in the early 2000s and as a kid finding it absolutely hilarious. I recently rewatched it and the thing about this movie that I realized is that you can't take it seriously at all. I would treat this movie the same way that I treated watching The Three Stooges. If you feel the need to try and pick it apart then this isn't the kind of movie for you. It's meant for slapstick humor and dumb jokes and bits.

Is this a compelling movie? Absolutely not.

Is it still funny and entertaining? Absolutely.

Harlan is a funny guy

[movie-36 · 7/10 · 15 December 2002]

Several scenes make me laugh out loud. It's not a brainy movie and it's not a super realistic movie (Disney). It's a funny kids movie. I've seen it several times and it's still good. The realism is pretty good for a comedy adventure.

Harland Williams has his moments

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 17 April 2016]

Fred Z. Randall (Harland Williams) is a wacky annoying computer geek who has programmed the spaceship to Mars. The flight crew comes to complain about a flaw but crew member Gary Hackman is shown to be incompetent and he's injured in the process. As a last resort, mission director Paul Wick suggests replacing Hackman with Randall. 'Wild Bill' Overbeck is the crew leader. Mission specialist Julie Ford disapproves. Randall starts training at NASA with a chimp. Bud Nesbitt is nominally blamed for Apollo 13.

The premise is stupid. Harland borders between annoying and somewhat likable. Most of the jokes don't work. It could be a lot worst. Harland has his moments. Most importantly, he's not mean-spirited. He does a lot of slapstick. The problem is that he can't help himself. I think he needs a partner to give him balance and go to the next level. Comedy is subjective and this would probably work better for some people.

Icht schlicken dokken, lug dee lug......

[Dave-79 · 10 December 1999]

I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard during a movie. Harland Williams is a genius. "C'mon all you Chinese....." Who comes up with this stuff??? I got the feeling that the directors and writers just told Williams to work around the script and improvise whatever he wanted? Some of this stuff is so off the wall, you wonder just how much was scripted. And this is not your typical Jerry Lewis slapstick. Williams has a great deal of pure talent. Anyway watch it and just enjoy the wonderful absurdity that is Rocket Man.

Rocketman is Stupid but Hilarious

[jptuttleb · 7/10 · 24 May 2017]

Rocketman is a great movie for kids. I found it to be pretty clean and fairly funny. The story and scenarios are sometimes outrageously corny, but this adds to the comical feel of the whole film. The main character (who is also the cause of the movie's humorous twist) has long had a dream of traveling into space. As an adult, his dream becomes a living reality, as he becomes a member of a small crew headed for Mars. But, as you might expect, he is a klutz. He makes numerous mistakes, and his two fellow astronauts find him annoying and rather troublesome at times, such as when he accidentally supplements the space food tubes with tubes of medical creams. Due to certain circumstances, he ends up missing out on his cryogenic slumber, resulting in a number of months of the main character roaming about the ship talking to himself. He also is in love with the female astronaut aboard the ship, and eventually, she starts to warm up to him. If you want to have a good laugh, I recommend trying watching Rocketman.

Failure Clearly Is An Option For This Embarrassingly Juvenile And Seriously Inept Piece Of Space Junk

[jaredpahl · 1/10 · 19 February 2017]

RocketMan is a family comedy from Disney, which utilizes the world of NASA and space exploration in a well-meaning, but unforgivably obnoxious farce.

It stars Harland Williams as the world's goofiest spacecraft designer, Fred Z. Randall, who, after a series of inadvertent tests of his resilience, gets the nod to accompany astronauts Julie Ford (Jessica Lundy) and "Wild Bill" Overbeck (William Sadler) on the first manned mission to Mars. It's on this bare-bones plot that RocketMan hangs its gags. There is nothing to the story here, but still, it is arguably the best (read -- least bad) thing about this broken family comedy. The NASA setting and story tropes are passably distracting in the sense that they give you something to look at besides Harland Williams' bumbling clown act, but that is hardly a compliment.

RocketMan spends most of its time with Harland Williams as he does everything he can to squeeze any kind of laugh out of the audience, and it just doesn't work. Fred Z. Randall is a doofus to the 100th power. He flails, he screams, he makes funny faces, etc., etc., etc, but between Harland Williams' grating voice and mannerisms and the absolutely bankrupt writing, the comedy here is dead on arrival. I can't stress how terrible the script of RocketMan is. I refuse to believe that adults wrote this movie. There is not one ounce of wit in this movie. The jokes that are coherent are exclusively surface level potty humor, and worse yet, there are so many jokes that don't make any sense at all. For example, there is a long gag where Fred leads a sing-along of "I've Got the Whole World in my Hands". The big question is...Why?!? It's not funny, it's not sweet, it's not heartwarming, but it sits up there on the screen forever. It's moments of inexplicable confusion like these that convince me that this movie must have been written by some alien intelligence that recognizes the characteristics of comedy, but has no idea how to create it.

What a strange film this Rocketman is. It's bad, but in a way that is genuinely bizarre. I can't believe that this is a real Hollywood movie made by functioning adults, much less a Disney product. If you can try to imagine what a dumber-than-average three year-old might do with a mid-budget family comedy, lower your expectations 20%, and you end up with something approaching the monumental awfulness of RocketMan. I suppose I have nothing against Harland Williams, but his dopey schtick here is beyond obnoxious. His stupid catchphrase "It wasn't me" appears no less than 50 times throughout the movie, and it accounts for not one smirk. RocketMan isn't hurting anybody, but it crosses the level of unfunny, into the realm of total embarrassment. I can almost hear what everybody involved with this disaster must be thinking... "It wasn't me".

09/100

Sweet swirling onion rings....

[FlashCallahan · 6/10 · 30 June 2013]

Fred Z. Randall is a geeky spacecraft designer, who gets the chance to make his dream come true.

Travel to Mars as a member of the first manned flight there....

Liking this film really depends on whether or not you like the main star, Harland Williams. Here in the UK, he's only really famous for his scene in Dumb and Dumber, and everything else he's done non-Farrelly, has gone straight to DVD and disappeared without a trace.

What appealed to me about this movie, and you will know where I am coming from if you've read my other reviews, is that its one of those films from the late nineties that were rife and were released almost every other week.

Comedies that shouldn't be good, but for some reason, you seem to have some endearment for them.

Carpool, Gone Fishin', Most Wanted, the list is endless, and the films are as watchable as ever.

It's a straight forward movie, silly geek gets a job that is over his head, every one hates him and takes liberties to begin with, but come the end, he's the hero and he falls in love.

It's straight forward silly stuff, with a few laughs that you can switch your brain off to for ninety or so minutes.

If you haven't seen it and like this sort of movies, catch it, its quite funny

A good candidate for the most pointless waste of 90 minutes ever

[TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews · 1/10 · 30 July 2004]

Why is it, that when Hollywood wants to make a children's movie, they immediately jump to the conclusion that it has to be childish? You can make perfectly good children's movies that people over the age of six can watch, too, you know. Just look at The Neverending Story, or several of Disney's productions. This movie just does everything wrong. Instead of doing good humor, they settle for some cheap slapstick comedy, coupled with gross-out comedy, and to add that final flavor of crap, some childish comedy. The main character is in no way likable, not even the least bit; he's annoying, a jerk, a retard, he has the social skills of an infant and worst of all, he keeps destroying things beyond repair, only to blame it on someone else(on a similar note; am I the only one who thinks that "it wasn't me" is ripped from Steve Urkel's "did I do that?" or Bart Simpson's "I didn't do it"? Lastly, both of those catchphrases are far superior and much more entertaining than the one from this lame movie). The 'love' story is unlikely and obviously just thrown in to take up screen-time and to not disappoint that little group of emotionally disturbed people who can't watch a movie that doesn't end with the unlikely hero winning the girl, no matter how ludicrous a case it is. The plot is about as nonsensical as they come, and is merely put together to allow for plenty of painfully unfunny "comedy" scenes. The characters are clichés. The acting is so far below average that it's ridiculous. Everything about this movie is lame and unfunny. Pity, too, because Dumb and Dumber proved that Harland Williams can be funny, if only mildly. In this he's just juvenile and annoying. I wouldn't even recommend this to kids, as it's simply so bad. The special effects look hideous, too, and are really directly embarrassing to professional movie-making. This could have been made in the 60's, and it would have looked better. The humor is childish and lame, there wasn't one single moment throughout the runtime where I as much as smiled at a joke or gag. The jokes and gags are forced and try way too hard to be funny, and just end up looking embarrassing to the cast and the filmmakers, who, surely, can do better than this pitiful waste of time and energy. The runtime is barely 90 minutes, yet it's incredibly hard to sit through. I urge you, please, avoid this like the plague. It's more bad than you can possibly believe. I recommend this to no one, not even kids; well, actually, if you're a parent and you need your kid to leave you alone for about 90 minutes, put this on, and just avoid even catching a glimpse of it. That's the only possible use I can come up with for this unbelievably bad "movie". If you do have it, if you rented it on VHS or DVD, I only have one suggestion(apart from the above mentioned one and of course returning it as soon as humanly possible); fast-forward about 45 minutes into the film, where there is played a good, old-fashioned rock song, something 60's or 70's, I'd guess. That's the one redeeming quality of this film, and it's not even enough to bring the rating up from the lowest score of one. 1/10

Put it on loop, and drive yourself loony.

[Aelfy · 9/10 · 19 October 2000]

I worked at a Video -rental shop when this movie came out on PAL-VHS, and as we were only allowed to show PG rated films (Sorry I dont know the US rating) Anyway, I slapped this film on to see what it was like. I had trouble serving customers, I was laughing that much! I put the film on loop for my whole 12 hour shift, and nearly drove myself loopy. I sang along to "He holds the whole world..." and later found my self talking to my socks.

I don't work there any more...

great stupid comedy

[reverendtom · 7/10 · 11 December 2006]

Harland Williams is great. He has a brand of weird, off the wall humor that is strictly his own, which is a good thing. This movie is really the only "Harland Williams vehicle" I know of and I think its pretty durn funny. Its extremely stupid, but it reminds me of the 80s, when PG rated zany comedies were a common thing. This would be a great movie for kids, and as a 27 year old, I think its pretty funny even for adults. The story is basically very simple and quite dumb, but Williams bizarre antics keep it interesting and funny. When a movie spends about 10 minutes on a fart joke, you know you're dealing with some juvenile entertainment. So, just enjoy it.

Unwatchable

[13Funbags · 1/10 · 9 September 2018]

How long can you watch a "comedy" without laughing? I can do it for an hour and a half apparently. I love Harland Williams but let's face facts, he will never get the lead in a good movie. The most interesting thing about this movie is that him and his mom look the same age.

Funny! PERIOD.

[MNESS · 9/10 · 22 August 1999]

I pride myself in having good taste in movies. Among my favorites are Raging Bull, On The Waterfront, The English Patient, etc. Normally I hate movies like this. Austin Powers 2 was so bad I wanted to leave. But this movie just makes me laugh.....hard. Sure it has your stereotypical Disney stuff that gets laughs from the little ones, but there are so many clever lines for adults that it really surprised me the first time I saw it. Harland Williams was perfectly cast, I don't think anyone else would have been good as Fred Z. Randall. If you are in for a stupid movie that will make you laugh see RocketMan.

Really funny - after a while

[Gullytrotter · 7/10 · 1 August 1999]

This is one of the movies you usually oversee at the video store, because of the cover - it gives you the feeling that this film will be really stupid. To be honest, this feeling is really quite right.

The idea of a real idiot (some nutty computer-geek) becoming a space man because the guy really in for the job manages to make a jerk of himself during the landing-simulation and while proving that it was his fault he winds up in a wheelchair because of a few broken bones, seems like a good laugh. Unfortunately the director seems to have thought that 45 jokes per minute isn't enough. This overkill with jokes of all sorts makes a great deal of them really sick. Our hero seems more like a complete lunatic who normally wouldn't be allowed on the street instead of a harmless computer-weirdo.

Apart from that the movie is good for a few REALLY good laughs. And it gets better as it plays. Once our hero and his crew have left Earth most of the jokes are really good. We had to stop the video several times to calm down from laughing - otherwise we would have missed something.

All in all a good movie for a funny trip with friends, not exactly the thing to start a romantic evening though.

NOTE: I saw this movie in German only. Usually the German translations tend to ruin a move so this text may not apply for other languages.

Just ridiculous

[Ezzackly · 1/10 · 2 November 2005]

I was so appalled by the stupidity of this movie that I have lost respect for people who say they enjoyed it. Not only have I lost respect for them, it has also hurt, even ended our relationships. I really don't understand what is funny about this movie to people. Could some one explain it to me?

Don't get me wrong, I can enjoy comedies that are "so stupid they are funny." It is a fine line between that and what this movie is, which is "so stupid it is stupid." I can't sit there and laugh at something that is insulting my intelligence. Remember people, once a brain cell is lost, it doesn't come back: Don't waste yours on this movie!

One of the funniest movies I've ever seen, if not the funniest.

[horsegoggles · 12 November 2002]

The first time I saw this movie I couldn't stop laughing. I happened to see it again a couple nights ago, and it was the same, only it seemed even funnier. I just ordered it from Amazon, I've got to have this movie available when I need a good laugh. I can understand why some people don't like it, you have to be 10 years old at heart to get it. What I don't understand is why I haven't seen more of Harlen Williams, he was a riot in this movie.

Lighthearted, silly fun (albeit with some notable problems)

[I_Ailurophile · 7/10 · 21 April 2024]

I forget how I came across this film, let alone why I set it aside in my mind as something to look for, but it's been on my list to watch for awhile. Once I actually found the chance to check it out I'd be lying if I said I didn't have mixed expectations, for a live-action kids' movie of the 90s from Disney presents a quartet of red flags for the discerning adult cinephile. Still, the earnest moviegoer should be open to anything and everything - and truthfully, once we press "play," I think this is actually a lot of fun! To be sure, there is childishness and ham-handedness that's clearly geared for the youngest of viewers, and some bits lean so heavily into wild bombast for its own sake (including juvenile gross-out humor) that they may test our patience. Yet more than not I believe 'RocketMan' is splendidly clever, with terrific high energy, and these qualities result in a viewing experience that's really pretty enjoyable!

The screenplay devised between Oren Aviv, Craig Mazin, and Greg Erb is built on significant doses of abject silliness, inviting the cast (filled with some very recognizable names and faces) to just totally let loose, giddily shout and flail, and embrace their inner child. They do so without fail, giving zestfully animated performances, and that unreservedly joyful abandon is a huge part of what makes these ninety-three minutes such a blast. One is reminded of the best 90s comedies of Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey, and their contemporaries as the actors give it their all, and while star Harland Williams is naturally given the biggest spotlight to let his proverbial "freak flag" fly, others on hand like Jessica Lundy, Peter Onorati, and even William Sadler are just as committed, and just as swell. Further factor in Stuart Gillard's direction, maintaining that same spirit, and all the rowdy dialogue, situational humor, and gags that fill the script, and to whatever extent this is designed for youthful audience members, there's much about it that I think most anyone could get on board with.

Some intended jokes definitely land better than others; none but the youngest of kids will laugh at the cheapest gags. It's also evident that the picture is a product of the 90s, for there are some small inclusions that, instead of being funny, just come off as plainly ignorant, like some casual racism or classism, and making light of - I kid you not - the Rwandan genocide. Then again, some small lines slide through that are so unbelievably smart, and adult-oriented, that it's incredible Disney executives left them in. And while some facets of the production surely show their age, like the computer-generated imagery (decent in and of itself), in general this is well made by the standards of contemporary fare. The sets are rendered with fine care, and the practical stunts and effects are excellent. I quite like Michael Tavera's score, flavorful if not specifically remarkable, and the editing is fairly sharp. From costume design, hair, and makeup to sound and cinematography, able skill and intelligence went into this flick, and more than not the end product is roundly solid. It bears repeating that the core strengths, or at least the most noteworthy strengths, lie in the cast, the direction, and the writing (however flawed the latter may be at points), but overall 'RocketMan' is a really good time!

There are definite weaknesses on hand that prevent the feature from achieving all that it could; at the same time, the root story bears just enough glimmers of sincerity to help ground the proceedings amidst all the ridiculousness. It's uneven, and troubled in some discrete ways, but it's clear to me that all involved were dedicated to making this the most entertaining family-friendly sci-fi comedy it could be, and more than not they definitely succeeded. I approached with caution when I first sat to watch, and despite some notable issues, I'm happy to say that I really like 'RocketMan.' It's not a title that anyone needs to go out of their way to see, but if you do have the chance to watch and you don't mind some more dubious jokes and helpings of outright shallow immaturity, I think there's something here for most anyone to share some laughs, and I'm pleased to give it a fair recommendation.

Painful To Watch

[FiendishDramaturgy · 1/10 · 24 March 2007]

I'm in the minority on this, but I really disliked this film.

I generally like to watch Harland Williams. Typically, he's a fine straight man, but sometimes, his dry wit shows through. In Rocketman, however, he has allowed himself to be reduced to sophomoric antics worthy of any SNL reject (and I say that with all due respect) and appears to belong in a Rob Schneider movie.

Quite frankly, this was too painful to watch. The character wasn't funny. He was pathetically moronic...sad...not funny. This has been heralded as awesome, and hilarious, but neither is this funny, nor is it awe inspiring. It's just stupid, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

I was not entertained, nor was I amused with this film.

It rates a a 1.2/10 from...

the Fiend :.

17 Years later, I still didn't find this movie enjoyable.

[tyburney · 2/10 · 6 September 2015]

I first saw this movie on Pay Per View at my Grand Parents house when I was 7 or 8. Then not surprisingly I forgot all about it. I recently was feeling nostalgic and spotted the trailer for it when I was looking at another stupid movie, named Ironically "The Stupids." So I saw the trailer for this film and it sparked some old(repressed) memories. So I said to myself, "Eh what the hell, I may as well give it a look". And to be honest, I see why my young mind repressed the memory of ever watching this this...(Insert Insult here). This movie reopened some old wounds of annoyance and irritation that I thought I had long since recovered from. Surely this movie has the potential, if not the capability of destroying the developing brain cells of any child that was forced to watch this movie more than a couple of times.(And this is a proclamation coming from someone who grew up watching mind wrecking shows like Ren and Stimpy, and Beavis and Butt-Head). The only solace I had after re-watching this garbage after 17 years, is that I know that the main character(I forget his name and thank God for that) dies on the return trip home. Because he doesn't have nearly enough food to last the eight month trip back to earth, since he idiotically used it all as paint. (Sigh)....Thank you Jesus, my old wounds have re-healed, Now I can rest easy tonight. If you really like this movie, then more power to you. But it wasn't good to me then, and it sure as hells bells Isn't good to me now. Take care, everybody.

A great Disney movie, ranks up there with "What About Bob"

[Figgiedan · 9/10 · 1 March 1999]

This movie is incredibly funny. I base a good comedy on how many times it makes you laugh - this movie made me laugh so hard I cried at least 3 times. It throws tons of jokes at you - Harland Williams is great as the computer specialist who gets his dream job of becoming an astronaut -- "what I'll do now is use what we like to call 'The right way" to show you how it's done." There was only one moment where one joke goes on a few seconds too long ("whole world in his hands" bit) - but other than that it a very inventive comedy that will make adults laugh just as much as the kids, maybe more. A surprise gem - one of the funniest flicks I've seen - give it a shot. 9 out of 10.

Just So Much Rot.

[pooh-24 · 1/10 · 19 August 1999]

Man this movie was so stupid only kids under the ages of six would appreciate it.I like comedies with wit to them but this crap is witless,Harlan Williams is simply not funny to make you smile you end up wincing at the idea that somehow he made just enough money to pay the rent,but I wouldn't have done this neither I'm sure would have anyone else.The times we live in now don't give too much credence to Jerry Lewis like comedy and that's the truth.We do live in an age of sexism though.The female astronaut was the straight man(person?)in this mess and all knowing while the males were cardboard goofs.The scenery effects of Mars was good that is all that is good about this mess.If Disney wants to make a comedy about going to Mars instead of Harlan Williams they should get Chris Rock and turn him loose.

Excellent Comedy

[lamarprof · 10/10 · 8 January 2003]

In the vein of classic Jerry Lewis movies, Rocket Man is an excellent piece of entertainment. If you don't like silliness, don't bother. The cast and crew of Rocket Man has worked well together to make this an enjoyable experience. If you love to laugh, watch Rocket Man.

Houston we have many, many problems

[Fluke_Skywalker · 4/10 · 14 August 2017]

Plot; A quirky computer programmer is recruited to be part of NASA's first mission to Mars.

You get the sense that Disney looked at Jim Carrey and thought "Gee, he's become real popular. Let's get our own affable, rubber-faced Canadian comedian.". The comedic Canuck in question is Harland Williams, who gamely mugs his way through this thin, poorly made space romp, but his best efforts aren't even close to being able to save it. Watching pros like Beau Bridges and William Saddler slum their way through this dreck is the rotten cherry on the suck sundae.

'Call me mommy little billy'

[SmileyGreg17 · 9 August 2000]

This is a great film. It's definately the funniest Disney film i've ever seen, though, while being great slapstick comedy with excellent delivery by Harland Williams, it also gets in the morals & ideals rife in Disney films. This is unique in that it's the only film i know of that i could have watched with 10 yearolds while not being ashamed, and also watch with some buds with a few beers. It's great & unique in that way Harland Williams carries this film, which is understanding as it is a vehicle for him, but the supporting cast is also excellent and the film was great for me. Since there is constant association with the ground team, you don't get the boxed in effect that you find in many travelling films, e.g. Speed, Speed 2 & the film never slows down for me. The best bits to watch for are the machine that spins Williams round & the bitchin' Mr Magoo impression.

Watch This Film For Lent!

[jeuk · 1/10 · 20 August 2006]

Jeffrey DeMunn and Beau Bridges are two names that I wouldn't expect to be connected to this farce of a comedy! William Sadler was great as The Grim Reaper in Bill And Ted's 2nd movie, so can be forgiven for this!.....But having heard great things I decided to watch it on British TV. Now apart from the odd piece of bathroom humour there was nothing really to laugh at that had not been attempted before! There are 6 full pages of positive testaments to this film, so I don't expect this to be a popular decision, but I've awarded one point for awful for the first time ever on IMDb.Someone actually compared this movie to "What About Bob"....Blasphemy! If you feel guilty about anything in life you could always watch this film for Lent.

This movie made me want to kill myself.

[pickard-1 · 1/10 · 12 May 2007]

This movie made me want to kill myself. I loathed every second of it. The only reason why I'm writing anymore about this about this abortion is that IMDb wants at least 10 lines for a review. While watching "Rocketman" I was actually concerned my girlfriend would leave me. Anybody associated with this film should be exiled (if not shot). There is almost nothing redeeming about this film. The only part that was remotely enjoyable was Harland Williams losing it over gefilte fish space paste. Also, the movie ends with the unfunny protagonist getting up in the love interest through dancing upside down (because of artificial gravity). I'm nauseous.