"The World of Tomorrow" Reaches for the Sky
by Homer Yen
(c) 2004
Wow. "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" is
like a visit to the Worlds Fair a half a century
ago. It's an imaginative throwback to the 50s
when heroes were cavalier, relationships between
men and women were a bit more aloof and not so
overly dramatic, and life seemed generally
simple. Even when invading, giant robots attack,
it only requires a quick call to the ace Sky
Captain who will fly in to save the day. Sure,
the title and the trailers may all seem silly.
But, as the summer begins its impending exit,
escapism at the movies has never been better.
You immediately feel its standout distinction as
the look of the film takes on a dreamlike visual
quality. With the background looking somewhat
blurred and the characters looking somewhat
pasty, the film possesses a sort of old-time
photograph look to it. There's no need to check
your vision. Think of it as a new way to watch a
movie. Perhaps even if you don't care for the
plot, you will remember the film for its visually
sumptuous appearance.
As the story unfolds, famous scientists around
the world are mysteriously disappearing. On the
case is the scoop-crazy reporter Polly Perkins
(Gwyneth Paltrow). Also interested in solving
this mystery is distinguished aviator Sky Captain
(Jude Law). We quickly sense that these two had
a prior unsuccessful relationship and become
uneasy partners, now needing each other to
discover the truth. Thank goodness these two
have the kind of easy-going chemistry that makes
a film like this more of a buddy adventure rather
than a conflict-ridden relationship. They travel
to exotic places around the world where they hope
to catch up with the evil mastermind bent on
world destruction.
Maybe you've heard all that before. But you
certainly haven't seen this kind of film before.
And so the merits of this film belong to those
overachieving CGI folks who stop at nothing to
recreate a world that would be the fantasy of
every 12-year old boy. The film is predominantly
shot with a blue screen background with the same
kind of overabundance that marred "Star Wars: The
Phantom Menace." In that film, the characters
seemed to be staring unconvincingly in all
directions. Here, the look is surprisingly
believable. Meanwhile, the melding of the
characters and special effects is polished. The
advantage here is that the visionaries behind the
film can virtually create anything within their
imagination. And the results are astonishing.
Just check out the planes that turn into subs and
the flying aircraft carrier. This is the kind of
stuff that winds up on Modern Marvels on the
Discovery Channel. Yes, very cool indeed.
You'll enjoy this film more from a visual rather
than a dramatic standpoint. From the human
perspective, the film gets a major boost from
Angelina Jolie, the sexy and sure-footed
commander of an elite amphibious assault squad.
She's clever; she's resourceful; and she adds a
needed pinch of zest to the somewhat bland
camaraderie between Sky Captain and Polly. But
with its grand visuals and its consistently high
gee-whiz factor, "Sky Captain and the World of
Tomorrow" is a comic book triumphantly come to
life.
Grade: B+
========== X-RAMR-ID: 38637 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 1321521 X-RT-TitleID: 1136138 X-RT-AuthorID: 1370 X-RT-RatingText: B+
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