Disney Announces The Rocketeer Sequel-Reboot

[Hawki]

A black woman? A reboot/remake?

Ghostbusters has heralded the end of all things! Gozer has come! Hollywood is the cesspoolk of humanity! Truly these are the end of times! Repent! Repent!

No, but seriously, what is "part reboot, part sequel" supposed to even mean? Those things are really rather mutually exclusive.

Something that, in theory, carries on from the continuity of the original, but is so far removed from its context and/or so self-contained that it's effectively a relaunch of a franchise. Examples include Jurassic World, Terminator: Genisys, Star Trek 2009, etc.

 

[Bobular]

The Rocketeer was one of my favorite movies growing up, so I will give a sequel to that a chance.

Them announcing that they have no cast but the lead will be a black woman is either pandering (which I'm against) or her being black is integral to the story. This being set in America during the cold war I can see her being black being a plot point so I'm going give it a pass for now as long as it doesn't start releaseing terrible trailers and calling people racist for pointing out the terrible trailers.

If they keep it as a sequel the new lead won't really bother me at all. Heck, it could potentially be pretty darned interesting having a black woman in 1950's America as a fully covered hero like that. Beloved in the costume, ignored or despised when out. Could make for a good bit of character drive if nothing else.

Kinda like that, that could be good.


Random man: Ah The Rocketeer, the man who saved us from the Nazis and now from the Commies!

Takes of helmet

Random man: A black woman! But how could a black woman operate such a complected jet-pack?

Random man's head explodes

 

[Signa]

That last line sounds more like a sales pitch than a plot point. It's going to be Ghostbusters all over again if they are not careful. On the other hand, Disney has been doing a pretty good job with handling diversity, so I'm not too concerned.

What I expect to see is if we are going to be having a black person in the 40's America, that they have to fight some racism along the way. I'm OK with that if they are telling a good story while presenting it. My concern is if they lay it on too heavy and make the movie all about it. The thing is, I've seen plenty of movies or shows about the oppression blacks had to face, but they all have to be set 50-60 years or more in the past in order to remain plausible. Making a story like that in modern day is a bit... dumb. I don't have a better word for it. People will see it and feel bad about the past, when that's all it is, is the past. We've learned from it, and we are beyond it now. Dredging it up at every opportunity doesn't help anyone.

 

[Recusant]

When is Hollywood gonna learn that WW2 is simply way better to make movies of than the Cold War? Why would you ever choose the Cold War unless it was a die-hard Spy movie?

The possibility of moral ambiguity, for one; no one even tries to make media claiming that World War 2 was anything other than morally black and white. Eventually they will, but not for another twenty years or so, until all the vets from that war have died off. The same thing happened with World War 1. The Cold War, by contrast, was essentially a four-decade slog of competitive bastardry. And everyone knows it.

Also, audiences will accept a less "Gung-ho for the war!" attitude by members of society; it wasn't really the case in either world war, but you had outright communist sympathizers here during the Cold War, and they were only arrested or McCarthy-ized for a portion of it.

Plus, think of the technological and economic changes: jet aircraft, nukes, widespread air travel, the rising middle class, the first rumblings of the massive social upheaval that would come to shake the nation and the entire first world. It's a far more interesting time, and ultimately, a far more interesting setting, unless you're going straight war movie. Which leads into my last point:

We already have so many movies of World War 2, even just counting the ones Hollywood made, that if you sat down to watch them, back to back with no interruptions, it would take you dozens of lifetimes. WE DON'T NEED MORE.

 

[Gordon_4_v1legacy]

I can see a few ways to make it interesting, though the original was set in '39 but if they intend a period piece ala The Man from UNCLE and set it in the 60s then there's a good chance the new character could perhaps be the daughter of a black US soldier who remembered the Rocketeer and told her stories about him hence her desire to find this fascinating man.

Add in some space race flavour and I think we've got an idea that can have it's cake and eat it too.

 

[Karadalis]

And another semi successfull old movie dragged from the cellar back to the light to be abused... because that seems to have worked perfectly for sony.. why not disney?

Throw in some artificial controversy about Black female main lead and you can get the mainstream media to protect your movie should it turn out to be another turd...

I bet the gawkers and co. are allready drooling at the prospect of fabricating more mysoginy and racist accusations against people who are simply fed up with shitty reboots of beloved movies.

Then again the rocketeer never really had that much of a fan following to begin with and is more of an obscure movie then anything else... beats me why they want to make another...

 

[JimB]

So... do they want a fuckin' medal or something?

I wouldn't know what "they" want; I don't even know the names of who "they" are. At a guess, though, I'd say they want free publicity from the kind of people who gave Ghostbusters so much free publicity.

 

[Palindromemordnilap_v1legacy]

No cast has been announced yet, but THR reports that the story "will be headlined by a black female character."

Oh please please cast Raven Symone and call it "Thats So Rocketeer". You know you want to.

On a serious note, I'd echo what Metalix said. Having the hero keep their identity secret less just as much because everyone would freak out if they knew she wasn't a white guy as because there's Communist spies running round would be an interesting story angle. Though it does sound similar to a running theme in webcomic "The Specialists [http://thespecialistscomic.com]" with the Bombardier

 

[Leg End]

No cast has been announced yet, but THR reports that the story "will be headlined by a black female character."

Oh please please cast Raven Symone and call it "Thats So Rocketeer". You know you want to.

You're joking but I would pay big money to see that just exist.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

A new hero "takes up the mantle of Rocketeer in an attempt to stop an ambitious and corrupt rocket scientist from stealing jetpack technology in what could prove to be a turning point in the Cold War."

Fucking sold.

I know nothing about the original but this is all I really needed to see.

 

[Elijin]

I will be happy if they keep the classic rocketeer helmet/pack more or less as is.

If they wont....I guess I will....be indifferent? I don't understand the notion that making a new version re-writes history and removes the original from this timeline (It probably goes to the darkest timeline, they need it more).

 

[hermes]

A new hero "takes up the mantle of Rocketeer in an attempt to stop an ambitious and corrupt rocket scientist from stealing jetpack technology in what could prove to be a turning point in the Cold War."

Fucking sold.

I know nothing about the original but this is all I really needed to see.

You should watch the original, because that line makes it sound like pretty much the same movie, except instead of a corrupt rocket scientist and communists, you get a Hollywood star/spy and nazis. Also, it is pretty good.

 

[TheRocketeer]

Well, I'll be a son of a *****.

 

[Metalix Knightmare]

The Rocketeer was one of my favorite movies growing up, so I will give a sequel to that a chance.

Them announcing that they have no cast but the lead will be a black woman is either pandering (which I'm against) or her being black is integral to the story. This being set in America during the cold war I can see her being black being a plot point so I'm going give it a pass for now as long as it doesn't start releaseing terrible trailers and calling people racist for pointing out the terrible trailers.

If they keep it as a sequel the new lead won't really bother me at all. Heck, it could potentially be pretty darned interesting having a black woman in 1950's America as a fully covered hero like that. Beloved in the costume, ignored or despised when out. Could make for a good bit of character drive if nothing else.

Kinda like that, that could be good.


Random man: Ah The Rocketeer, the man who saved us from the Nazis and now from the Commies!

Takes of helmet

Random man: A black woman! But how could a black woman operate such a complected jet-pack?

Random man's head explodes

Actually, I just found a better idea than this on 8Chan of all places.

If they really wanted to do something that fit with the post WWII time period, a Japanese American would have been better. She could still be bitter about the American internment camps, but come to see that the American ideal is a constant struggle, and it is worth fighting for. The evil Russians could even try to sway her, leading to some uncertainty about what she will do, but ultimately she chooses America and sets an example for others to follow, just like the original Rocketeer.

This movie is set six years after WW2, those would be some REALLY fresh scars, and focus on a dark mark on our history that doesn't really get enough attention.

 

[Thunderous Cacophony]

not because it is yet another reboot/remake of a classic film.

Though, I am surprised that this one was a 90's film (released in '91) instead of an 80's film. I guess studious ran out of 80's films to pointlessly remake.

Let's not be too wild here; The Rocketeer is not a classic film. It was a reasonably entertaining bit of fluff that, outside of some good character design, really had nothing noteworthy going for it. Putting it in the same category as Schindler's List or Forrest Gump is crazy.

Actually, I just found a better idea than this on 8Chan of all places.

If they really wanted to do something that fit with the post WWII time period, a Japanese American would have been better. She could still be bitter about the American internment camps, but come to see that the American ideal is a constant struggle, and it is worth fighting for. The evil Russians could even try to sway her, leading to some uncertainty about what she will do, but ultimately she chooses America and sets an example for others to follow, just like the original Rocketeer.

This movie is set six years after WW2, those would be some REALLY fresh scars, and focus on a dark mark on our history that doesn't really get enough attention.

That would be a very interesting concept. Maybe she was scheduled to be deported (I don't know the American history well, but in Canada in the postwar they deported thousands of Japanese-Canadians to Japan), but was taken under the auspices of some quasi-spy agency and outfitted as an agent instead?

 

[MonsterCrit]

This will probably suick. Why? The premise is sort ridiculous. See By the coldware era we had fighter jets, both sides had them. See during WW2 many planes were still propeller style so the idea of a man on a high speed rocket had strategic appeal. But with cold ware era jets a man on a jetpack is just a significantly less durable alternative to a man in a a tomcat.

I think right now, ever movie studios is digging in their backlog to see what they can remake.

 

[Vendor-Lazarus]

Ugh, I'm getting really tired seeing non-white non-males abused in such a fashion..

Are they not worth being their own person and have the chance to become an icon as a new and interesting hero/lead and instead playing second fiddle and replacing well-known and established characters creating a see-saw effect which will only feed that which it seemingly intends to fight?

At least entertain the notion of having them as side-kicks (oops, too demeaning) apprentices or companions,lovers,employees...anything before having take over the mantle.
And do at least one such movie/series in between shifting out old and in the new.

I've always seen myself as progressive and left-leaning but the way that ideology is currently pushed and forced makes me appear right-leaning...

 

[Metalix Knightmare]

That would be a very interesting concept. Maybe she was scheduled to be deported (I don't know the American history well, but in Canada in the postwar they deported thousands of Japanese-Canadians to Japan), but was taken under the auspices of some quasi-spy agency and outfitted as an agent instead?

Yeah, the US' reaction wasn't NEARLY as nice about that issue. A number of Japanese civilians were rounded up and placed in interment camps (Which, while not the German Concentration camps, were still horrid conditions and even had a few peole die in them) and had their businesses and livelihoods shut down. It took literal DECADES before the US government even bothered to issue so much as an apology.

 

[busterkeatonrules]

A new hero "takes up the mantle of Rocketeer in an attempt to stop an ambitious and corrupt rocket scientist from stealing jetpack technology in what could prove to be a turning point in the Cold War."

Um... the original movie was set in 1937, which places the new one in 1943 - the height of WW2. Might wanna clear that up.

 

[Infernai]

But since we're remaking 90's films, now, what will be next? Forrest Gump? Pulp Fiction? Schindler's List?

Please don't give Hollywood ideas.