Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
September 14, 2004; AMC Fenway #12 (Advance Screening)
* * * * (out of 4)
A word of caution before stepping into that theater: do not expect anything. Leave any modern cynicism at the door, because there’s no room for it here. Once the film starts to roll, you will be emerged in the richest, most fantastic fantasy world to be created in a long time, and there’s no point in half-assing it; if you want to enjoy this movie, enjoy it with all of your being. It’ll deliver that much fun, if not a little more.
Sprung from the formidable imagination of first-time filmmaker Kerry Conran, Sky Captain is in all aspects unlike anything I can recall. In writing this, I tried to make comparisons, but nothing fit. Conran crafts a completely unique world, drawing on film noir, a nostalgic view of the 1930s, and comics to give the film a consistent feel from the beginning. His style requires the actors to work doubly hard, since every scene in the movie had some CG effect in it, requiring a massive amount of green screen work. And even though this style is definitely going to be one that viewers will completely love or completely hate, even those who hate it need to hang around and watch the movie. Everyone knows pretty pictures can’t sell a movie on their own.
The film follows Chronicle reporter Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow), a woman who will do anything and everything to get her story, on the trail of scientists who keep disappearing. When giant robots attack New York and seem somehow to be connected to the kidnappings, Polly attaches herself to old flame Joe Sullivan (Jude Law), a.k.a. “Sky Captain,” to guarantee herself the exclusive. Sky Captain brings with him Dex (Giovanni Ribisi), his trusted mechanic, and enlists the aid of Frankie Cook (Angelina Jolie), another very capable woman from his past. When Dex gets kidnapped in a second attack on New York, Sky Captain and Polly set out on a trek across the globe to find his friend and get the scoop on the missing scientists… and maybe save the world from certain doom on the way.
If all this sounds black and white, good vs. evil… it is. And it’s done almost flawlessly. Law plays Sky Captain as the all-around American hero – not a superhero who needs extraordinary circumstances to aid his climb, but an everyday guy who worked hard and worked towards his goal. Paltrow discovers that as good a career as she’s had, she would have made a killing had she been born at the turn of the century, and been able to play this character her entire career. Polly Perkins in the role she was meant to play. The supporting cast is just as strong, never surpassing the couple who are designated the leads, but adding just the right amount to show that these are the people Sky Captain is fighting for, and as loyal to and protective of them as he is, they are just as devoted to the hero as well.
Sky Captain is also a kids movie in disguise. This is a solid PG, and the kind of swashbuckling adventure that had long since died when I was growing up. The movie ditches any token American cynicism, and looks at the world with a wonder and awe that only children are usually allowed to possess. This is on that level, but that by no means implies that it’s low; if anything, the execution is more sophisticated than most action movies because of the approach. Despite the villains and evil robots, it focuses on the magnificence of the world, the wonders that have been created. There’s no room for negativity in that image.
I pray this movie takes off. Any movie that gets an audience cheering and applauding in the middle (don’t worry – you’ll know the scene when you see it) deserves a huge run and following. Sky Captain is about having fun at the movies again, from the beautiful, fantastical style to the pure heroism of the good vs. evil battle. It resurrects something that’s been missing from the cinema for quite awhile, and if your attitude is open, nothing should stop this movie from putting a smile on your face, no matter who you are.
September 14, 2004; AMC Fenway #12 (Advance Screening)
* * * * (out of 4)
A word of caution before stepping into that theater: do not expect anything. Leave any modern cynicism at the door, because there’s no room for it here. Once the film starts to roll, you will be emerged in the richest, most fantastic fantasy world to be created in a long time, and there’s no point in half-assing it; if you want to enjoy this movie, enjoy it with all of your being. It’ll deliver that much fun, if not a little more.
Sprung from the formidable imagination of first-time filmmaker Kerry Conran, Sky Captain is in all aspects unlike anything I can recall. In writing this, I tried to make comparisons, but nothing fit. Conran crafts a completely unique world, drawing on film noir, a nostalgic view of the 1930s, and comics to give the film a consistent feel from the beginning. His style requires the actors to work doubly hard, since every scene in the movie had some CG effect in it, requiring a massive amount of green screen work. And even though this style is definitely going to be one that viewers will completely love or completely hate, even those who hate it need to hang around and watch the movie. Everyone knows pretty pictures can’t sell a movie on their own.
The film follows Chronicle reporter Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow), a woman who will do anything and everything to get her story, on the trail of scientists who keep disappearing. When giant robots attack New York and seem somehow to be connected to the kidnappings, Polly attaches herself to old flame Joe Sullivan (Jude Law), a.k.a. “Sky Captain,” to guarantee herself the exclusive. Sky Captain brings with him Dex (Giovanni Ribisi), his trusted mechanic, and enlists the aid of Frankie Cook (Angelina Jolie), another very capable woman from his past. When Dex gets kidnapped in a second attack on New York, Sky Captain and Polly set out on a trek across the globe to find his friend and get the scoop on the missing scientists… and maybe save the world from certain doom on the way.
If all this sounds black and white, good vs. evil… it is. And it’s done almost flawlessly. Law plays Sky Captain as the all-around American hero – not a superhero who needs extraordinary circumstances to aid his climb, but an everyday guy who worked hard and worked towards his goal. Paltrow discovers that as good a career as she’s had, she would have made a killing had she been born at the turn of the century, and been able to play this character her entire career. Polly Perkins in the role she was meant to play. The supporting cast is just as strong, never surpassing the couple who are designated the leads, but adding just the right amount to show that these are the people Sky Captain is fighting for, and as loyal to and protective of them as he is, they are just as devoted to the hero as well.
Sky Captain is also a kids movie in disguise. This is a solid PG, and the kind of swashbuckling adventure that had long since died when I was growing up. The movie ditches any token American cynicism, and looks at the world with a wonder and awe that only children are usually allowed to possess. This is on that level, but that by no means implies that it’s low; if anything, the execution is more sophisticated than most action movies because of the approach. Despite the villains and evil robots, it focuses on the magnificence of the world, the wonders that have been created. There’s no room for negativity in that image.
I pray this movie takes off. Any movie that gets an audience cheering and applauding in the middle (don’t worry – you’ll know the scene when you see it) deserves a huge run and following. Sky Captain is about having fun at the movies again, from the beautiful, fantastical style to the pure heroism of the good vs. evil battle. It resurrects something that’s been missing from the cinema for quite awhile, and if your attitude is open, nothing should stop this movie from putting a smile on your face, no matter who you are.
posted by Matt S. at
11:40 PM
1 Comments:
You know, if you're going to use the term "film noir" to describe Sky Captain, you really should hit the Brattle this October to learn what film noir actually is.
By
Jason, at 4:24 PM
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