‘Rocket Man’ Lost In Space

Clearly, the folks at NASA are desperate for exposure. Why else would they cooperate with “Rocket Man,” a comedy that makes them look like incompetent, resentful nincompoops?

Comedian Harland Williams plays the nincompoopiest one, a Mars-bound astronaut. His character is a 30-year-old version of a high-school nerd who burps a lot and puts together model airplanes on Saturday night.

The best parts of “Rocket Man” involve him in experiments testing his ability to withstand zero gravity and months in space (when he turns his socks into puppets, the NASA folks learn he’s frighteningly good at entertaining himself for long periods of time).

“RocketMan” is funny in fits and - well, in fits, anyway. Most of the feeble jokes have to do with passing gas and passing out.

Ironically, the cleverest moment in “Rocket Man” is one that virtually everyone will miss. It comes after the closing credits, which means you’ll have to sit through a lot to get to it.

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“Rocket Man” Location: North Division, Spokane Valley Mall and Showboat cinemas Credits: Directed by Stuart Gillard, starring Harland Williams, Beau Bridges, Shelley Duvall and William Sadler Running time: 1:33 Rating: PG