Over the past few years, Marvel has been prepping a film for Captain America, set to premiere this summer. From the beginning, it was established as an origin story, set in WWII. Then, in November of 2008, they announced that this period blockbuster about a patriotic superhero beating up Nazis would be directed by none other than Joe Johnston. Fan anticipation for the project reached a new high, mostly because we remembered that Johnston had previously directed The Rocketeer.

Johnston’s second directorial effort (his first was Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, by the way) shows outstanding production value from start to finish, depicting a 1940s aesthetic as seen through a pulpy art deco lens. The set design is amazing in its detail and its scope, and the culture of 1940s America — particularly with regard to Hollywood — is lovingly portrayed. Still, this movie really soars when it flies. The airborne scenes are phenomenal, powered by marvelous camerawork and an exquisite score from James Horner. The jetpack scenes are also quite good, with effects that have actually held up rather well, all things considered. The action scenes are likewise serviceable and fun to watch.

But then there’s the script.

Sure, it was entertaining to see the plot unfold at an efficient pace as its subplots and storylines intersected in clever and unexpected ways. On the other hand, the motivations of our villains center around what may be the most impractical plan for world domination ever. Maybe it’s just me, but I fail to understand how soldiers equipped with jetpacks would be any more useful or bulletproof than planes.

The plot further unravels at the climax, which is loaded with holes and contrivances. For starters, our hero’s plan hinges on a guess that our mob boss is totally ignorant of the fact that he’s been working for our Nazi antagonist this whole time. What’s more, the Rocketeer also gambles his life (and the fate of the free world, I might add) that upon this disclosure, presented without any evidence, the man with a criminal empire would be so overcome with patriotic indignation that he would turn on his villainous employer. Seems like something of a “Hail Mary” pass, don’t you think? The climax also features a battalion of armed Nazi soldiers that somehow managed to infiltrate Los Angeles on a fucking zeppelin, supposedly touring America as “a gesture of friendship,” at a time when the U.S. Government was highly suspect of domestic Nazi activity. Oh, and let’s not forget that the FBI troops on the ground can’t fire at the zeppelin for fear of igniting the hydrogen balloon, yet our main characters can use guns and the fire-emitting jetpack on the zeppelin itself without a problem.

Furthermore, the script is filled with bad dialogue delivered by stock characters. The secondary and tertiary cast is filled with mobsters, Nazis, FBI agents and other characters who might as well be cardboard cutouts. Perhaps the worst among them is Lothar, a lumbering assassin. First of all, Lothar is purely muscle with absolutely nothing to define him as a character. Secondly, his makeup is credited to Rick Baker, the discovery of which made me die a little inside. There’s absolutely no way that this laughable latex monstrosity is worthy to be among the ouvre of such a legendary makeup artist. Lothar’s mask is especially obvious when he talks: I’ve seen better lip movement on a sock puppet.

Then we have Paul Sorvino playing Eddie Valentine, possibly the only mob boss in history or in fiction to ever turn his gun on the guy paying him, purely because of ethics. Valentine is a hopelessly two-dimensional character, but Sorvino is a talented actor who does the best he can with what he’s given. Likewise, Alan Arkin plays a “mentor” role that fits the stereotype to a T, but Arkin still tries his hardest to sell the character. The always-smoldering Jennifer Connelly is in a similar situation, stuck with playing a love interest who’s more a plot device than a character. She’s given absolutely nothing to do except for one scene early in the third act.

Easily the standout of the cast is Timothy Dalton, playing our villain. Neville Sinclair is a movie star — rather like Errol Flynn — who happens to be a covert Nazi spy. One would expect him to be a mustache-twirling and transparently evil SOB, given the movie he’s in, but that’s not what we get. Instead, Dalton plays Sinclair as a very charming smooth-talker. He does try to seduce Connelly’s character, but Dalton’s performance leaves it ambiguous if the courting is purely to get closer to the jetpack and its owner, or because he’s fallen in sincere love (or maybe lust) with her. Sinclair is very debonair and disarming, though he’s still unmistakably a villain. Good job.

I’d also like to give a favorable mention to Terry O’Quinn. His portrayal of Howard Hughes — so famously reclusive and OCD — may not have been historically accurate, but O’Quinn was still charisma personified with every frame of screentime he had in the role.

Last but not least, there’s our hero. The Rocketeer, Cliff Secord, is played by a relative unknown named Bill Campbell. I find it rather strange that so many members of this cast have brought their careers to greater heights after this film, though our leading man has continued to play supporting characters and TV roles ever since. Anyway, Campbell’s performance here is frustratingly mediocre. I didn’t find anything memorable in his performance, nor did I find any complaints about him that I couldn’t peg on the script. Yes, he did play Secord as a rather clumsy and reluctant superhero, but that’s to be expected of a hero who has no idea of how to use his flight abilities and would frankly be rid of them at the first opportunity. I guess, when all is said and done, he gave an earnest performance and succeeded in making his character sympathetic. That should make for a serviceable job, I’d say.

There’s no denying that The Rocketeer has its faults, but I’d still say that the picture didn’t get its due. The film was wonderfully cast and all of the actors are doing great work with the script they were given. Moreover, with the sole exception of Lothar’s face, this is a beautiful and well-designed film, made even more so with James Horner’s outstanding score. Add in some fun action with some jaw-dropping flight scenes, and I’d say this makes for an entertaining — if slightly brainless — time. If nothing else, it should prove to be a good demo reel for Captain America: The First Avenger.