RocketMan (1997) Disney/Comedy-Adventure RT: 95 minutes Rated PG (language, crude humor, thematic elements) Director: Stuart Gillard Screenplay: Oren Aviv, Craig Mazin and Greg Erb Music: Michael Tavera Cinematography: Steven Poster Release date: October 10, 1997 (US) Cast: Harland Williams, Jessica Lundy, William Sadler, Jeffrey DeMunn, James Pickens Jr., Beau Bridges, Peter Onorati, Don Lake, Shelley Duvall, Gailard Sartain. Box Office: $15.4M (US)
Rating: ***
I’m willing to bet a dollar that in another life, the script for RocketMan was called Ernest Goes to Mars. With just a few minor story tweaks (e.g. the main character is a janitor at NASA instead of a goofy computer programmer), it could very well have been yet another mindless Ernest P. Worrell vehicle for the late Jim Varney. I don’t know if it’s true which is why I’m only betting a dollar, but it should give you an idea of what to expect from RocketMan, a goofball comedy about a goofball getting to live his dream of being an astronaut when he’s made part of the team making the first manned trip to Mars.
Said goofball is Fred Z. Randall (Williams, Half Baked), an “eccentric” computer geek whose program for the spacecraft’s navigation system is called into question after a supposed glitch is found. In proving that the issue is the fault of the mission’s computer specialist (Onorati, S.W.A.T.), Fred accidentally injures the guy forcing NASA to find a quick replacement or else delay the mission. Is it really necessary to go into details? Fred gets the spot, of course, much to the dismay of commander Bill Overbeck (Sadler, Die Hard 2) and geologist Julie Ford (Lundy, The Stupids). After a brief moment of self-doubt, Fred heads off with the others to Mars and misadventure in space.
Naturally, Fred puts the mission in danger at several points, but always finds a way to fix it. It’s also he who discovers the severe sandstorm system headed their way on the red planet. He contacts his guy Bud (Bridges, The Fabulous Baker Boys) at mission control, but the director (DeMunn, The Shawshank Redemption) refuses to listen because he blames Bud for the Apollo 13 incident.
That’s really all the plot information you’ll need about RocketMan. If I’m being honest, that’s pretty much all it has in the way of plot. Directed by Stuart Gillard (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III), it’s less about story than silliness. It’s basically 95 minutes of star Williams running wild and annoying the heck out of everybody with his shenanigans, incessant talking and numerous mishaps after which he always immediately shouts “It wasn’t me!” He gets on Bill’s nerves by beating every one of his records during training. It doesn’t stop on Earth. He falls while getting off the ship and ends up being the first man to set derriere on Mars ahead of Bill. He loses the American flag Bill was going to plant and replaces it with his red, white and blue boxer shorts. Worst of all, he shares an oxygen tube with Bill and passes copious amounts of gas. Yes, because what would a dumb PG comedy aimed at the kiddie set be without at least one fart joke. Am I right? Of course, I am.
I can’t really knock RocketMan because it does exactly what it sets out to do. It’s a cheerfully wacky comedy that doesn’t really care about things like scientific accuracy or basic human intelligence. It simply wants to tickle the funny bones of kids old enough to go to the movies by themselves for the first time. It’s mildly rude at times and completely silly at all times. It’s filled with slapstick humor and obnoxious verbal schtick. The training sequence is reminiscent of Spies Like Us with an added vomit joke. Fred is like an overgrown five-year-old always looking for new ways to annoy his father aka Bill. While riding in the back of the explorer vehicle, he pesters him with questions like “Are we there yet” and “Can I drive?” It’s completely stupid, but funny.
The cast seems to be enjoying themselves; there’s no reason we shouldn’t either. BTW, that is Shelley Duvall (Popeye) and Gailard Sartain (Ernest Goes to Camp) playing Fred’s parents in uncredited roles. Okay, Williams can be annoying, but isn’t that the idea? Besides, how can you not love it when he leads a worldwide sing-along of “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”.
RocketMan was never going to win any awards, but it does what it does pretty well. How can I, in good conscience, knock a movie as good-naturedly goofy as this? I don’t think Ernest himself could have done any better or worse. Know what I mean?
