Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)'s comments

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Siskoid

When people talk about Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, it's either to dwell on its technical conceit (all virtual sets, at a time when that wasn't done) or to remind us it was a bomb at the box office. It's no wonder I hadn't bothered to see it until now. What it actually is is a fun little film that throws all the 30s-40s pulp at the screen and acts as a tribute to everything from radio shows like Captain Midnight, to silent film SF like Metropolis, to King Kong and the Lost World, to the same matinée serials that inspired Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Of course the story is haphazard and silly! It's meant to be! It's the Rocketeer! It's Blackhawk! If you're any kind of fan of any of the source material, you'll find something to smile at. As for the technical achievement, it's fine, though a lot of tricks are used to keep it manageable, like a sepia color palette that suits the setting, but I admit makes the world a little boring over time, and a kind of soft focus filter over everything to hide the seams. It's a unique look based on the realities of the relatively low budget, and plays better now, I think, than it did when it was meant to be cutting edge. Much maligned, this one, but a pleasant afternoon's entertainment.

8 years 10 months ago

stroopsoldaatje

Visually it's rather interesting, being shot entirely in front of a green screen.

But the plot and the dialog is just incredibly bad. You shouldn't play a spot the cliche-bingo with this movie, unless you want to get wasted rapidly. This is the kind of movie wherein Villain captures some Artifact, but doesn't actually flee the scene. Instead, they first take a moment to look down theatrically at the Location, takes out Artifact to observe it (for a nice clear shot for the viewer), before pocketing said Artifact and leaving in their fancy mode of transportation. For No Reason Whatsoever.

It's a kind of Indiana Jones-y fun, as long as you can keep your brain [and ears] from interfering with your eyes.

9 years 8 months ago