Sky Captain and the World of TomorrowThe golden age of comic books and serial films blossomed in the pre-World War II era, with the likes of Buck Rogers, Superman, and many more. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is an homage to that era--the themes, the content, and the style. Following a trail of disappearing scientists, reporter Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) witnesses the invasion of New York City, circa 1939, by giant robots, but is saved by Joe Sullivan (Jude Law), also known as the heroic mercenary, "Sky Captain".
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Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is a unique film, shot entirely on bluescreen--a virtual backlot--allowing for the distinct look of the film and the integration of the varied special effects. And Sky Captain has plenty of special effects, ranging from the aforementioned giant robots, flying fortresses, dinosaurs, explosions, and much more, all earmarks of the kind of era and subject matter which was the inspiration for the film. Watching Sky Captain is a bit like watching a hyper-stylized version of one of the many exciting and action-packed films of yesteryear, and the bluescreen gives the film a kind of "colorized" sense, which reinforces that comparison. The musical score is filled with horns and fanfare, completing the package, not to mention the set design and contemporary details, such as when Polly meets with an informer at a screening of The Wizard of Oz. While the enigmatic villain known as "Dr. Totenkopf" and his fellow German scientists from the secret project established before World War I known as "Unit 11" are key players in this story of an invading blitzkrieg, Sky Captain is completely devoid of any trace of what would have surely been the kind of Nazi paranoia that made the casting of Germans as villains so key in that time. It is as though Sky Captain exists in some other universe, one where the Nazis never rose to power, where mad scientists like Dr. Totenkopf are substitutes for the Nazis by virtue of their mutual interest in warped eugenics and megalomania. The editing also recalls the films of the era, with screen wipes and iris effects; Steven Spielberg and George Lucas employed these same effects in their own homages to the serial films of the late Thirties and early Forties in their Star Wars and Indiana Jones films. Sky Captain also boasts a copious amount of film dissolves and illogical design in its visuals, which more than simply make the film appear to be an antiquated relic brought to life--it gives it an eerie dream-like quality, reinforcing the sense that the film is set in some kind of alternate reality.
Sky Captain boasts large and exciting set pieces, the kind of fast-paced action and adventure that makes you crave a bucket of popcorn. There are dogfights in the streets of New York City, as Joe pilots his fighter plane against the giant metal men, equipped with a bevy of intricate gadgets likely designed by his ally and scientist comrade, Dex (Giovanni Ribisi). The scene where the legion of semi-autonomous metal birds assault Joe's secret island base is full of gunfire and explosions, and even a death ray worked up by Dex. There is even an enigmatic and deadly assassin (Bai Ling) working for Dr. Totenkopf, who vexes Joe at multiple turns, acting as sentinel to the mysterious mastermind's secret agenda. When Joe and Polly locate the secret island headquarters of Dr. Totenkopf, Joe calls upon the aid of an ally and--to Polly's disgruntlement--former romantic interest, Commander Francesca "Franky" Cook (Angelina Jolie). Franky provides reinforcements for the assault on the enemy's homefront, including fighter planes which transform into submersibles, equipped with ejector seats and jet packs. It is unsurprising that Dex passes his time--and gets ideas for his inventions--from his comic books, including adventures like Joe and Polly's exploits of daring do. Joe and Polly's relationship is filled with tension, due to a series of betrayals in China some three years prior, which adds a layer of sexual tension to their partnership by necessity. Many of the stills frames in Sky Captain could double for the cover of some issue of "Strange Tales" or the like, filled with blasters, bomber jackets, and damsels in distress. Sky Captain is also a film which is largely appropriate for most ages--rated PG; it has some intense conflict and danger, but nothing explicit nor hardly any inappropriate language. And while this might seem to be little more than a characteristic of the film, it is also a callback to the serials from which it was influenced, making the parallels stronger between them. Sky Captain is often described as "dieselpunk", a genre of design influenced by the pre-World War II era, with bold metallic imagery associated with the industrialization at that time. Additional nods to the period abound, including an oversized tower emitting radio waves reminiscent of the RKO Pictures logo, as well as a cameo by none other than Sir Lawrence Olivier, rendered into the film posthumously. All of these elements come together to give Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow a distinct and nostalgic feel which makes it like a dream from a long past era of style in cinema and pulp entertainment.
Recommended for: Fans of a dreamlike homage to pulp adventure which is so pronounced in its aesthetic, that one could almost smell the newsprint and ink, or hear the vintage era newsreels somewhere in the distance.
Sky Captain boasts large and exciting set pieces, the kind of fast-paced action and adventure that makes you crave a bucket of popcorn. There are dogfights in the streets of New York City, as Joe pilots his fighter plane against the giant metal men, equipped with a bevy of intricate gadgets likely designed by his ally and scientist comrade, Dex (Giovanni Ribisi). The scene where the legion of semi-autonomous metal birds assault Joe's secret island base is full of gunfire and explosions, and even a death ray worked up by Dex. There is even an enigmatic and deadly assassin (Bai Ling) working for Dr. Totenkopf, who vexes Joe at multiple turns, acting as sentinel to the mysterious mastermind's secret agenda. When Joe and Polly locate the secret island headquarters of Dr. Totenkopf, Joe calls upon the aid of an ally and--to Polly's disgruntlement--former romantic interest, Commander Francesca "Franky" Cook (Angelina Jolie). Franky provides reinforcements for the assault on the enemy's homefront, including fighter planes which transform into submersibles, equipped with ejector seats and jet packs. It is unsurprising that Dex passes his time--and gets ideas for his inventions--from his comic books, including adventures like Joe and Polly's exploits of daring do. Joe and Polly's relationship is filled with tension, due to a series of betrayals in China some three years prior, which adds a layer of sexual tension to their partnership by necessity. Many of the stills frames in Sky Captain could double for the cover of some issue of "Strange Tales" or the like, filled with blasters, bomber jackets, and damsels in distress. Sky Captain is also a film which is largely appropriate for most ages--rated PG; it has some intense conflict and danger, but nothing explicit nor hardly any inappropriate language. And while this might seem to be little more than a characteristic of the film, it is also a callback to the serials from which it was influenced, making the parallels stronger between them. Sky Captain is often described as "dieselpunk", a genre of design influenced by the pre-World War II era, with bold metallic imagery associated with the industrialization at that time. Additional nods to the period abound, including an oversized tower emitting radio waves reminiscent of the RKO Pictures logo, as well as a cameo by none other than Sir Lawrence Olivier, rendered into the film posthumously. All of these elements come together to give Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow a distinct and nostalgic feel which makes it like a dream from a long past era of style in cinema and pulp entertainment.
Recommended for: Fans of a dreamlike homage to pulp adventure which is so pronounced in its aesthetic, that one could almost smell the newsprint and ink, or hear the vintage era newsreels somewhere in the distance.