Thiel-a-Vision Review: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

If the thought of Angelina Jolie sporting jodhpurs and an eye patch, and shouting "Alert the amphibious squadron!" doesn't make you smile, then Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow may not be the movie for you. As for me, I had a big, idiot grin on my face for the film's entire running time. 

If I can't quite fathom the muted reaction that Sky Captain received not only from critics, but from the geek squad, it's perhaps because my experience of watching it made me half believe that director Kerry Conran had drilled directly into my cerebellum and splashed the contents onto the silver screen. Okay, that admittedly sounds gross and/or schizophrenic...the point I'm getting at is that this film combines all of my cinematic dreams into one tidy package. Robots, silver spaceships, prehistoric jungles, women in hats...all are present.

My impression is that Conran's intention was to make the blockbuster flick of 1939. If Max Fleischer, Willis O'Brien and Republic Pictures had teamed up to make the ultimate expression of late '30s/early '40s fantasy adventure, and had access to modern digital technology, it might've looked like this.

The two closest cousins to Sky Captain are Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark, both of which were also inspired by the movie serials of old. In a sense, Sky Captain is a bit closer to Star Wars, in that it's not simply a pastiche of one genre (as is the case with Raiders' strict adherence to the Republic Serials formula), but rather a blending of many influences. There are obvious swipes of Fleischer's Superman cartoons, King Kong and aerial hero Captain Midnight, but one can also spot tips of the hat to War of the Worlds (both radio and film versions), Lost Horizon, and many other flicks. Everything and the kitchen sink goes into the blender.

The film, shot in high-definition on minimalist sets in front of enormous bluescreens, adopts a gorgeous, unique look: everything appears in soft focus and muted colors. Many images are almost black and white, with splashes of color drawing the viewer's eye toward certain characters or objects. Golden-haired Gwyneth Paltrow, whose classic movie star looks are perfect for this sort of thing, literally glows in some scenes.

Other reviewers have faulted the characterizations for being thin, but I believe that they are absolutely appropriate for the feeling Conran attempts to invoke. Jude Law's performance as Sky Captain Joe Sullivan would fit right into the original Kong, and everything-for-the-story reporter Polly Perkins is the live-action embodiment of Fleischer's Lois Lane. Jolie is perfectly cast as the jackbooted British naval commander of a colossal flying fortress.

All of this gushing about the technical and performance aspects of Sky Captain have taken me away from its true joy: its giddy sense of fun. I've mentioned the amphibious squadron--an all-female group of bubble-helmeted pilots whose aircraft transform into sleek, underwater vehicles--but there are also planes with flapping wings; giant, riveted robots; and an island full of monsters. The film careens from one fantastic set piece to another, like a sampler platter of geekdom.

If I can find a fault with the flick, it's that its bluescreen technique distances its heroes from their antagonists. There's little physical contact between Sky Captain and his opponents, and certainly no grand, Indiana Jones-like brawls. Furthermore, there's no real villain, for reasons which become clear late in the story. While there's a certain pathos in that (especially in the words "forgive me"), it does make the ultimate victory a bit less triumphant.

Even if the world of Sky Captain never feels completely real (and at what point did we begin to demand that special effects be indistinguishable from reality?), it's a glorious place to visit and, despite the film's lackluster box-office returns, I hope we're given another chance to adventure with Joe and Polly.

This page, and all associated text pieces and photos are © David Thiel, unless otherwise noted. Do not reproduce or distribute this material without express written permission from the author.