"King of the Rocketmen" (which would become the inspiration for "The Rocketeer") was an average serial, with decent special effects being its only strong point, and a good performance by Tristram Coffin. My biggest problem with it is that it seems to be a remake of the "Captain Marvel" serial (one member of a group of scientists is really the evil mastermind after a certain destructive prize. However, I can't tell one from another, and I don't know who ANY of them are, so I can't be shocked or surprised when I find out who Dr. Vulcan is). The dialogue is REALLY lame (for a serial), the fights are static (Coffin's hat NEVER comes off in a fight scene!), and the Rocketman suit is hilariously lame! The ending is pretty exciting though, and it's one of the very few times the hero gets into a fistfight with the mastermind himself. If you REALLY like serials (or like serials that are so bad they're good), give it a shot.
I give this serial C-.
I give this serial C-.