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.

Great insight and very intriguing. Beautifully shot. Toby and Michael let the subjects speak for themselves, no filter. Would like to see a follow-up.

First off, ignore the trolling one-star reviews. They don't get the pure subtle genius of this film and have no sense of humor. Now, onto the review: If you ask someone if they've heard about the guy who built a homemade rocket to launch himself in to prove the Earth is flat, most of the time, they'll respond with a "oh yeah, I've heard of that guy." Well, now, the film is out, and it's an enjoyable ride you'll want to take over and over again. Not so much about flat-Earth, in fact, very little of the film revolves around the theory. Moreso, it's a sweet tasting desert adventure of "launching something pretty cool."

'Mad' Mike made international headlines back in 2018 when he claimed he believed in the flat-Earth conspiracy theory and wanted to prove it for himself in one of the most absurd ways. Not with buying a plane ticket, not a balloon with a go-pro, but by launching himself in a rocket. Well, he got the world's attention, myself included, and I couldn't wait to see what would happen. Although the news clips showed the launch, they didn't show what happened to him and his crew up to that point. This documentary does exactly that. It shows the journey of mishaps when three, yes THREE, guys go about trying to launch a rocket in the desert. It's a cluster of epic proportions; a beautiful symphony of hilarious chaos.

A proclaimed self-taught rocket scientist/aka stuntman/aka Nascar crew guy/aka limo driver/aka cat lover/aka YouTube rabbit-hole dude, Mad Mike, enlists the help of his landlord Waldo Stakes, a retired handyman and self-taught rocketeer. Stakes is the brains of the operation and the cowboy hat is no joke as he constantly 'cowboys it up' to assist Hughes in his manhandled science experiment. Another character along for the ride recruited by Hughes is roadside onlooker/errand runner/Jesus freak initially deemed Pioneer Pat (from old YouTube videos), and now only goes by Pat, to assist Hughes in his latest publicity stunt or science experiment (oh sorry he doesn't believe in science - let's call it a "test").

The documentary initially plays like a character study starting at Hughes home in Apple Valley, CA, and morphs into dry wit comedy of the "squad" getting ready to put the rocket in the air. Painful to watch the hijinks at times, the directors do a brilliant job of sitting back, letting the cameras roll, and watching the characters, just...be. And therein lies the comedy such as a scene of Mad Mike not understanding how a trailer hitch works, but somehow he's going to launch himself in a rocket. Okay, I get it, I can't work my trailer hitch either. No worries Mad Mike. Interviews are shown as short intros to characters and we aren't bored checking our watches as someone tries to prove to Hughes the obvious fact: the Earth is round.

The tone shifts when the team reach the desert ghost town of Amboy, CA and takes the unexpected turn of a thiller when Hughes tries his initial launch. At times I struggled with liking someone like Mad Mike. He's an anti-intellectual who wants to inspire people: a paradox of a person. He's an anti-hero who by the end, you'll be on the edge of your seat cheering him on. Is he dangerous in his ideas? No, only misguided. Perhaps Hughes is truly giving "knowledge something to push off of," as the science school teacher says.

Love him or hate him, Mike has pure tenacity and the will to succeed. To what end? To achieve his goal of proving the Earth is flat (if he truly believes that)? For the vacant approval of fame and fortune so many seek? Or maybe just to see his cats again? As Mad Mike would say, "Hey, I don't have all the answers!" Looks like you're going to have to decide for yourself. Regardless, this is one for the ages.

The documentary has a catchy preview, is entertaining and intriguing to begin. But, the more that you watch, the less that you care that he is a flat-earther, and the more that you become emotionally supportive on his journey to achieve a dream.

Human ingenuity and passion is an amazing combination. I can't wait to watch a follow-up to see whats next.

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.