Rocketman

Mad Mike is a maverick, a man who deep down inside knows he has failed in life and desperately seeks something to be remembered by. Even if it kills him.

This film is one of those rare gems where you get up close and personal with the hero of the story and, no matter their peculiar view of the world, you root for them. Why? Because you see who they truly are: a human being. Mike may think science does not exist and that NASA is part of a global conspiracy, but deep down inside he is just a hurt man struggling to find some kind of meaning in life. We applaud his spirit and bravery and shake our head bewildered at his outrageous claims. But just because we don't always agree with him doesn't mean we can't like him. And that is what the film is really about to me: Connecting to one another despite different opinions or even world views. In a time where partisanship and Trumpian rhetoric divide the country even further, understanding a man like Mike can only help bring us back together. Mike's story is a perfect allegory for what America needs: To listen to one another again, to find acceptance and tolerance despite disagreements. Why not applaud a flat-earth daredevil for his bravery who has the balls to climb into a home-made rocket instead of just knocking him for his idiotic world view. Time to find good things in people again and not get stuck on beliefs. To infinity and beyond.

Wonderful documentary that was well put together. This documentary does a great job of telling the story of these characters in a thought provoking and entertaining way.

Rocketman bears a resemblance to American Movie in all the good ways. Both films follow a person that is eccentric and captivating with a somewhat tenuous grip on reality. This documentary is largely entertaining for its comedic value, although the cinematography over the desert is beautiful. One scene shows Mike talking about the fact that he's broken people's ribs, thrown people through plate glass windows and ends with him saying, "but I'm a nice guy." Mike is totally oblivious to the irony of what he's just said which makes for a hilarious scene. I highly recommend this film, you'll laugh, you'll be entertained, but you shouldn't watch this film expecting to be educated on flat earth beliefs. 99.9% of us know this guy is off his rocker, by the end of the movie I'm not sure he fully believes the earth is flat or if its a publicity stunt. This film doesn't justify or denigrate his views, but let's the subject do the talking and let's the audience come to their own conclusion which for most of us will be that this guy has a few loose screws. The final quality that makes this a great documentary is that it is riveting at times. This guy is basically strapping himself to a rocket that could act like a bomb if things aren't done correctly. I was biting my nails at times afraid I'd watch this guy die. In fact, if he dies at some point doing this stuff it wouldn't surprise me. He's eccentric, misguided and a daredevil which all make for a great documentary.

A very well made movie. Gripping and watchable from the start to finish. Shows the triumph of the human spirit to make things happen, although it also shows the happy go lucky devil may care aspects too. A balancing act.

Sadly Mike died after the making of this movie in his next rocket launch. On February 22, 2020, Hughes died near Barstow, California, following the crash of a rocket he was piloting. During launch, the rocket's parachute, which was designed for landing, appeared to deploy early and detach from the craft.

His PR manager said "We used flat Earth as a PR stunt... Flat Earth allowed us to get so much publicity that we kept going! I know he didn't believe in flat Earth and it was a schtick."

Long live the memory of Mad Mike Hughes RIP.

I thought this was very entertaining. Filmography was exceptional and was a non-bias look at an example of one flat-earthers' lifestyle. Funny too.