Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Scribe's Review:

Don't let the title fool you, this isn't an old movie. It is an homage to the pulp novels and Saturday afternoon serials of a bygone era of innocence and institutionalized bigotry. How else to explain the rise to prominence of the Third Reich?

Sky Captain takes place in a similar world of the 1940's, except for the fact that giant destructive robots appear from time-to-time to wreak havoc on major U.S. cities. Like the pulp tales of old, the technology being used is far more advanced than anything available at the time (or even now), yet it looks like it could have been invented then.

Jude Law does a good job of capturing the mid-Twentieth Century tough guy behavior necessary for Sky Captain while Gwyneth Paltrow plays annoying gal reporter with the best of them.

The film's visuals are stunning and original. The filmmakers often wisely move the look of the film from color to black and white in a single frame that only adds to the surrealism of the film's storyline.

I must confess to having reacted to the visuals of this film the same way I did to the visuals in the original "Star Wars" all those years ago. Sadly, few filmmakers have been able to capture George Lucas' ability to make characters in extraordinary situations accessible, and this film is no exception. Still, it's a highly enjoyable ride with a twist conclusion that actually gives the often overwhelming visuals a heart and grounds the film in a stark reality that also serves as a cautionary tale for our mindless, automated age.
***1/2 out of *****

Green's Response/Review:

“Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” is a story set in the 1940’s. Joseph Sullivan (Jude Law), an ace World War II pilot and ace newspaper reporter Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) separately start to investigate an invasion of New York City by an army of evil giant robots, then reluctantly join forces when Perkins learns that her previous investigation of the disappearances of six of seven top scientists are linked to the giant robot invaders.

Their investigation takes them on a wild journey across the globe and leads them to the lair of Dr. Totenkopf, the man behind the weird events. Totenkopf, long since deceased, had created an island full of automatons who are collecting two of every kind of living animal for a large Noah’s Ark rocket/space ship that would preserve Earth’s various life forms while the planet itself is being destroyed by the exhaust from the rocket. Sullivan and Perkins must race to destroy the rocket before it launches and release it’s captive animal inhabitants.

The special effects are neat because the whole film was acted on blue-screen and filmed in black and white. Every other element, including color and lighting effects were added digitally in post production, which gives the film a unique look. The premise of the story is nothing new, however. The story itself has lots of promise but the script is weak and full of holes. The actor’s performances are hollow, flat, uninspiring and most of the time boring, perhaps due to poor direction or lack of anything resembling a set to work on. Maybe the poor performances can be accredited to lack of experience working with blue-screen. I expected more from such talented actors as Law, Paltrow and Jolie.

I saw this movie during it’s theatrical run and left the theater with the same uninspired feeling as I had after watching it again on DVD. I did enjoy the special features on the DVD, though. I always find interviews with cast members, the director and producer to be informative and the production featurettes to be entertaining. I wish the movie was as good as the special features.

Save yourself the cost of a rental. Watch this film only if you can see it for free. Buy it only if you’re a fan of one of the actors and must have a copy of all of their films. That’s my excuse for owning this movie.
** out of *****