Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow tries to dazzle us with impressive visuals and a star-studded cast. Too bad there is no such thing as a CGI script.
That is not to say the film is wholly without merit. Sky Captain's look is certainly the most striking thing about it; the film is designed to pay homage to serial 1940s sagas such as Flash Gordon and utilizes a washed-out look that nonetheless retains very vibrant colors. Love it or hate it, there has never been a movie that looks quite like Sky Captain.
The movie essentially revolves around two major characters. Polly Perkins (played by expatriate Hollywood standby Gwyneth Paltrow) is a reporter with an unquenchable thirst for the big story. She meets with a German scientist at Radio City Music Hall, who informs her that he is the last of seven scientists from Unit 11 -a collection of minds forced to do research and generally terrible things for one Dr. Totenkopf.
During their meeting, all hell breaks loose as sirens alert the city to the presence of mechanized giants marching through the city. Perkins, always looking to get the scoop, runs out to greet them with camera in hand. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, desperate authorities call upon Sky Captain, Joe Sullivan (Jude Law), who arrives in what appears to be a supped-up P-51 prop-fighter and uses his wit and weaponry to destroy a few of the giants before they disperse.
Once one gets past the beautiful cinematography, the film becomes what it was born to be: a conventional action-adventure. And the beautiful images do not come without a cost. The film suffers from what many members of the geek community might refer to as Clone-itis.
That is, much like George Lucas' insufferable Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
the never-ending use of blue screens renders the cast -even skilled actors such as Paltrow and Law -powerless to display any sort of emotion or chemistry.
Watching Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is akin to a layman looking at impressionist art. Does it look good? one might ask. Sure, but it doesn't mean anything. And that is where Sky Captain fails, while similar movies, such as Raiders of the Lost Ark and the original Star Wars succeed. The latter are pulp as well, but they have substance, character development, chemistry and drama to accompany their brand-new Cadillac sheen. Sky Captain though bright and shiny, is a gilded and hollow M&M of a film.
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Kyle Kondik
