That probably pins me to a particular generation.
But I've never met anyone in my generation that has ever seen it and even people older than me barely remember it existing.
Wikipedia’s page is interesting, apparently its got a cult following now.
I’m one of the cult followers I guess. It’s a shame to me that it never got a sequel. It’s fun pulp fiction in the style of Indiana Jones.
James Hornet’s score alone is worth the ride — still used as a primary temp track for figuring out the edits of new movies.
Effects are the best practical work has to offer.
Timothy Dalton as Errol Flynn with an Aryan secret is phenomenal, having the most fun of his career. Jennifer Connelly is a full on movie star hitting her stride. Alan Arkin at his peak grumpy old man stage. And Billy Campbell deserved a better career.
And the story is pure old fashioned American underdog finds a unique advantage and uses it to take on the bad guys to save the girl. It’s damn near perfect tbh.
Detail: https://www.artcenter.edu/gallery/detail/569d6e434d9b6f9a563...
I emailed him a while back, and he told me the original artwork wasn't in his possession, and he had no idea where it was...
The reason it is not is simple bad luck: out of all the movies it could have opened against, it managed to open against the single film that (at that time) could outdo it in its own action-adventure game, the defining work of the genre: Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Even Rocketeer couldn’t overcome that.
>The (Rocketeer) opened #4 behind Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, City Slickers and Dying Young
I am stung by the correction because it’s nice to imagine oneself infallible, but I appreciate it nonetheless.