Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Here's my hopefully-mini-review of first-time director Kerry Conran's Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Or as I've nicknamed it, the most fun I've had at the theater all summer.

As of writing this, I've seen the film twice. And it's only been out for four days. So that might give you some idea of how I feel about this (although I saw "Daredevil" four days straight the weekend it opened, including a preview showing the night before it opened, so this isn't something that never happens...just something that rarely happens).

I don't really know how to explain most of it. So much of it comes from a geeky passion for old-school sci-fi/adventure that I could never convince anyone of its greatness if they don't recognize it first hand. So I'll stick to what we can all agree on.

First, the design of it was staggering. If nothing else stands, this film is proof that CGI is a necessary addition to the art design of some films. So many people complain that CGI is way over-used in films today, and I agree. There are things that can be achieved in real life that CGI just makes way too easy. Something as powerful as film should be a struggle. Good film should be tough. But this is one of the few films that needed CGI to be it. It would simply be impossible to achieve this film without it. The combination of CGI backgrounds and live-action actors and props was masterfully done, and almost COMPLETELY FLAWLESS, which I didn't think was possible. What it comes out as is a live-action animated film, of sorts. In so many ways, it's a cartoon in the style of the Fleischer Brothers Superman cartoons from the 40's (and if you don't know the reference, you're missing out on some of the best animation to ever be produced). Every setting in the film is just breathtaking...New York City is gorgeous, and not even Finding Nemo did underwater scenes better than this. This isn't a conventional film for Oscar candidacy, but I hope Kevin Conran (brother of Kerry) gets some major respect for his achievement here.

But that's not at all to overlook the acting. Jude Law just falls so naturally into the role of the hero, Joe "Sky Captain" Sullivan. He's got the looks, and he doesn't deliver a single one of the lines with a wink and a nod (isn't this funny, kids?). And Gwenyth Paltrow is just fantastic as Polly Perkins, the Lois Lane of the story (and she really is the Lois Lane of the Fleischer 'toons in every way). Some might find her over-dedication to her job hilarious, but (and here's where the geek comes in) I find it quite endearing. Plus, that's what Lois did in the 40's. Angelina Jolie wouldn't deserve the billing she got in the film if she wasn't Angelina Jolie (she's in the film for a solid 10-15 minutes), but it just so happens that she is. It also just so happens that she's awesome in the role of the one-eyed Captain Franky Cook. Even more fantastic is Giovanni Ribisi as Dex, the tech guy for Sky Captain and his Flying Legion. He plays the dweeb so well...the loveable second banana who everyone loves, though not nearly as much as the hero.

I loved the crap outta this film, though I know not everyone will and not everyone did (a lot more people showed up to the theater than I expected...I hope you all loved it, and if you didn't, don't hate me for it, the movie really isn't for everyone). It's this year's geekiest movie, without a doubt...kinda the equivalent of last year's Kill Bill. But I do recommend this one a lot more than I did Kill Bill. This is a movie of classic heroism in all its forms. It's a journey into the dreams and the fantasy of the yesteryear...that sense of escapism that is missing from so many of the films that are out today. And it is done with so much love. None of the film is like "look at Jude Law having fun!" It really is a work of passion...Conran didn't make this for laughs. He made it because of his love for this kind of story. And I wish we were lucky enough to have more films (of any genre) with this much love.

More could be written about this. But I'll stop here, and if you have any comments (positive or negative...I promise I won't bite), please add them. If you haven't seen this film, I really encourage you to go. It will be so different from the other films you see, and is really an experience unto itself. If you do go, though, tell me. I really can't wait to see it again.