Rocketeers: A Submarine Trip That Forgot Its Moon Map

Is it worth the watch?

Look, if you have ten minutes and a soft spot for the kind of grainy, mechanical charm that doesn't exist anymore, sure, give Rocketeers a spin. It’s perfect for people who like their animation a little rough around the edges and their logic completely absent. If you need a movie to actually make sense or follow a traditional narrative arc, you are going to hate this with a burning passion. 🚀

The whole setup is essentially a series of bad decisions made by two guys who really should have just stayed in the workshop. Watching them build that rocket is like watching someone try to assemble IKEA furniture without the instructions or the screws.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Rocketeers (1932) through its definitive frames.

It’s fascinating how the movie just abandons the whole "Moon" premise about five minutes in. There isn't even a moment of, "Oh, hey, we're underwater!" It just happens. The transition is so abrupt I thought my player skipped a reel.

The Underwater Stuff

Once they hit the ocean floor, the film stops being a space movie and starts being a weird, wet fever dream. The animation style shifts in a way that feels oddly personal, like the artists suddenly got bored of drawing stars and decided fish were more fun.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Rocketeers (1932) through its definitive frames.

There is this one sequence where a giant crab just stares at the camera for way too long. It’s not threatening. It’s just... awkward. I kept waiting for someone to address the crab, but the movie just let the silence sit there. It’s the kind of choice that makes you wonder what was happening in the studio that day.

It reminds me a bit of the chaos in Buster's Mix-Up, where you get the feeling that the plot is just a suggestion rather than a rule. Both films seem to exist purely to see how quickly they can get from A to Z without bothering with the letters in between.

• The rocket launch sequence is mostly just smoke and loud noises.
• The ocean creatures have suspiciously human facial expressions.
• That one fish looks remarkably like it’s judging my life choices.

I can’t tell if the lack of a proper ending is a stroke of genius or just laziness. The rocket just sort of stops, and the movie decides that’s enough for today. It doesn't offer any closure, but honestly? I didn't really need any. I just wanted to see what kind of sea monster they’d draw next. 🦀

It’s not as polished as something like The White Sister, but it has this weird, frantic energy that keeps you watching even when you have no idea why. It’s an imperfect, slightly messy little relic. I kind of love it for that.