More important than anything, however, is the score’s sense of fun: Horner really did capture the exhilaration of flight quite beautifully, making one lament the dreary audio nonsense allowed to clutter so many movies in the current age.

"[7] Post Horner's death in June 22, 2015, The Hollywood Reporter writer Harry Windsor praised the work as "nostalgic but full of youthful wonder for a time when modern aviation and modern movies were coming into being", which paved the way for Horner's success as a film composer, and referred it to "grandly romantic as anything by John Williams".

[10] Peter Fawthrop, writing for the online music website AllMusic, summarised "Most of the Rocketeer soundtrack elicits the adventure and lifting spirit of the film and reveals how Horner incorporates rich instrumentals in the tiniest crevices.

[11] Music critic Jonathan Broxton, wrote "Listening to scores like The Rocketeer in this context is bittersweet, because the brilliance of it only reminds us of what was taken from us far too soon.

"[12] James Southall of Movie Wave wrote "The Rocketeer has always been a fan favourite and there’s no mystery as to why – it’s big-hearted, built around one magnificent theme and several other excellent ones, unabashedly romantic and continually satisfying.

"[13] Filmtracks.com wrote "critics often lump The Rocketeer in with Willow and The Land Before Time as simple, adventuresome children's music of significant orchestral volume.

Horner appropriately bloats every element of his score to create the needed level of bright fantasy; the major key is brutalized, the brass play a little louder, the strings perform themes at a slower tempo, and the percussion section is absolutely exhausted of every metallic resource imaginable.