Completely under appreciated, "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" generated some buzz over the unique effects style and then seemingly disappeared. It's one of those movies the critics and audiences alike just didn't seem to "get." That's a real shame. It still has some hope that people will discover on DVD and it's not a bad way to do it.
Giant robots have begun dropping down in a futuristic 1930's New York. Reporter Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) takes on the story. In order to get everything she needs to dig deep into where these metal monstrosities have come from, she needs help from the Sky Captain (Jude Law). Putting their past behind them, the mystery slowly unravels as their adventure takes them across the world.
To call "Sky Captain" shallow or without substance is missing the point entirely. It's a direct spin-off of the serials of old, none of which were entirely deep or involving. They existed solely to enthrall their audiences with crazy scenarios, especially those of a sci-fi nature. That's the reasoning behind the existence of this film, something audiences obviously failed to grasp.
The unique look must have kept people away too. It didn't even make enough to cover the budget costs. Again, the public missed the point. It's not supposed to look real, but fantastic. Needless to say, you have never seen anything like "Sky Captain." The style is a perfect throwback with paper montages (look for Godzilla) and that "foggy" look.
There's obviously a deep passion for the inspiration here. Countless times the filmmakers tip their hats to those films, icons, and comics that came before it. It's a movie that needs to be watched numerous times to catch it all. It's not just seen in little snippets either. Guns, planes, rocket ships, sound effects, dialogue, credit sequences, almost all of it comes from either serials or films. It's not fair to call it unoriginal. It's more of a re-imagining and a tribute.
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Article comments
1 - andy
I finally got to see this tonight. I had really wanted to when it came out in theaters but couldn't.
I knew the film would be beautiful having seen a lot of clips, but I figured they would totally blow the whole genre.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
This is the best modern-day pulp inspired movie made since Raiders of the Lost Ark... and really IMHO is better, even, than Raiders.
I seriously hope this gets some attention on DVD and gets a sequel and some merchandising outlets. I'm really surprised that there isn't already a huge fan following.
2 - Joel Caris
This movie was definitely overlooked. I was interested in seeing it when it was out in theaters, but I never got around to it. So I checked it out a few days ago on DVD and I must say that it was awesome.
I wrote up a quick review of my own on my blog. Basically, I thought the visuals were stunning and the story was really fun. The writing could have been stronger, as far as I'm concerned, but it still was a great movie. I just wish the characters had been fleshed out better.
Jude Law, though, did a fantastic job. I thought he played the main character perfectly, injecting a lot of fun and sense of adventurism into him. It's certainly the visuals, though, that really steal the movie. They are absolutely incredible and I think it speaks volumes of the type of creativity we'll be seeing in films in the future.
Sky Captain definitely is one of those overlooked films that I hope finds a second life on DVD.
3 - Nutty
Comic books serve as an inspiration too; Eisner's 'The Spirit', and Talbot's 'Luther Awkright'. And also the Doc. Savage pulp novels and comics. A pity about the "Lost World/King Kong's jungle bit". That was superflous as an action scene, and a quiet/spooky version of a trip through the jungle could have been an opportunity to engage the audience with the characters more.