Funko is expanding its game line with the addition of a new board game based on the underrated 1991 Disney gem The Rocketeer. Joining the ranks of other games based on nostalgic films like Groundhog Day and Back to the Future, this addition looks like it will be both a blast from the past and a lot of fun to play.
An Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Board Game
The Rocketeer: Fate of the Future is a competitive two-person board game that transports players back to the golden age of Hollywood. The object of the game is to keep the plans for the rocket hidden from your opponent. In order to do so, players will either take command of the Rocketeer and his allies to protect the plans and bring the revolutionary invention to the masses or side with Neville Sinclair and his henchmen, who aim to weaponize the plans for war. There is also a time component because the plans need to be hidden from the opposing side until the Luxembourg zeppelin makes its cross-country trip and arrives in Los Angeles.
The game includes seven sculpted miniatures of Cliff aka the Rocketeer (played by Billy Campbell in the film) and his allies Jenny (Jennifer Connelly) and Peevy (Alan Arkin) as well as the film’s antagonist Neville Sinclair (Timothy Dalton) and his two henchmen Eddie Valentine (Paul Sorvino), and Lothar (Tiny Ron Taylor). There is also a piece modeled after Luxembourg, the Nazi zeppelin that secretly assisted Sinclair’s mission in the film.
The game’s official synopsis is below:
Trouble is brewing high above the city of angels! The mysterious Rocketeer — who can blast through the skies with an ingenious jet-pack — must stop a sinister plot! Hollywood actor Neville Sinclair is scheming to steal the rocket’s blueprints. This breakthrough of modern engineering could revolutionize the future of flight. But in Sinclair’s hands, it could fuel the dark future of warfare. Play as the heroes or the villains in this action-packed strategy game for two players. Whether for good or evil, you will determine the fate of the future!
The game will retail for $24.99 and will be available for purchase at Gen Con from September 14–19. If you miss out during that timeframe, the game will be available later in the fall of 2021.
In The Business of Fightin’ Nazis
Over the past few years, board games based on films have really taken off. I can see the appeal and interest in experiencing a film’s plotline and characters in a tactile, interactive way, and I do find it interesting that The Rocketeer is the film of choice this time around. I loved this movie growing up and it never really received the love it deserved.
Directed by Joe Johnston (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Jumanji, Captain America: The First Avenger) and based on the character created by comic book artist and writer Dave Stevens, The Rocketeer was a commercial flop. However, it has some amazing visual effects from Industrial Light & Magic, and VFX supervisor Ken Ralston was nominated for a Saturn award for Best Special Effects. Meanwhile, costume designer Marilyn Vance won a Saturn for Best Costumes. She absolutely killed the old Hollywood vibe and made the characters all look stunning for the time period. Also, who doesn’t love Jennifer Connelly?
The Rocketeer has action, adventure, romance, sci-fi, history, and fighting Nazis — everything you want in a film, really. It’s streaming on Disney Plus right now and I highly suggest revisiting it before playing the game.
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