Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with a little review of a big movie. You know we've been pushing SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW since when it was simply titled THE WORLD OF TOMORROW here on AICN... Harry especially caught the bug early when he read the script and it played him like a fiddle. Serial influences, Fleischer SUPERMAN influences, dashing adventure in the vein of KING KONG and THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD... a true love for that era of fantasy... well, that should appeal to all geeks, but to Harry it was more than just appeal. If you know him, you know that this stuff is his lifeblood. His love and passion for cinema doesn't reach far beyond early sci-fi and giant robots. It's the tip of the top.
Harry has a knack for spotting these projects. He did it with LOTR back when most people were saying it was going to be a miserable failure that will sink New Line. He did it for DONNIE DARKO back before anyone knew who Richard Kelly was. And now he's done it for Kerry Conran and his passion project, SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW, regardless of what kind of money it makes or doesn't make. It could make a trillion dollars or it could make $5 and he'd still be right.
I had the exact same feeling while watching SKY CAPTAIN as I did when I was a kid watching RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. It invokes the same sort of wondered awe that, strangely, great films inspired by serials seem to capture. RAIDERS is an example of that. So is the original STAR WARS. Now so is SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW.
I won't go so far as to say that the film is on the same level with STAR WARS or RAIDERS simply because they've both proven their worth and success over decades worth of repeat viewings. I can only tell you what I felt as I watched SKY CAPTAIN for the first time.
Most of you know the premise from the first trailer. Epic shit is happening to New York (not to mention the rest of the world) and Sky Captain is called in. Joe Sullivan (aka Sky Captain) is played as a perfect mix of Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon and Errol Flynn by Jude Law. He doesn't have any superpowers, but he has charm, brains, some awesome gadgets and the elbow-grease to get the job done.
There's a rocky relationship between Joe and Polly Perkins, the go-get-em reporter played by Gwyneth Paltrow. Some people might get a little agitated with her throwing herself into danger and the obsession she has with her career. I, personally, love it if only because it's such a huge nod to Lois Lane as portrayed in the Fleischer SUPERMAN cartoons. Lois Lane was always doing the most stupid shit to get her story, but for some reason we still loved her. When Polly stands in front of the marching 75 foot tall robots to get her picture or risks her life saving her camera or debating on saving her last 3 shots for something REALLY good... all I could think of was Lois climbing into the Bulleteer's ships or taking photos of a crime knowing full well that the flash or sound of the camera would give her away.
Funnily enough, the two characters people aren't really focusing on steal the movie. I know there's a blanket dislike out there in the fan community for Angelina Jolie, but after this movie everyone who has been talking trash about her is going to eat some serious crow. She doesn't have much screen time, but her character of Frankie will simultaneously make you forget about her recent rash of mediocre, unforgettable or just plain bad films and remind you why she's in such high demand as an actress. The smarmy sexiness and confidence she has... the way she plays with Polly's jealousy and flirts with Joe is perfect. Plus, she has one badass flying patrol.
The other character is only glimpsed in the trailers and is played by an actor I'm wishy-washy with. I love Giovanni Ribisi in films like THE GIFT, SUBURBIA, LOVE'S BROTHER and SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, but he grates on me in films like THE OTHER SISTER, GONE IN SIXTY SECONDS and THE MOD SQUAD. In SKY CAPTAIN he plays Dex who will totally win over every single geek in the crowd. He's the Buddy to Law's Buck Rogers, but he's even more than that. Dex is the good friend, almost side-kick... Think of mixing Buddy with Q from the Bond films and you're closer to what the character is. Ribisi plays the character very lovable and totally geeky. He makes ray guns and copies designs out of comic books and pulp novels and makes them work in real life. He's great whenever he's on screen.
The effects are spectacular. The epicness of the effects is only outdone by the incredible nostalgic design of the era. New York hasn't looked so beautiful as when that Zeppelin docks with the Empire State Building... at least not in the last decade or so of film. The greenscreen work that is much publicized is gorgeous, especially Radio City Music Hall at the beginning. I literally had to turn to my friend, Kraken, during the screening and whisper, "None of that is real."
I'd be lying if I said there weren't scenes where the effects were obvious, but they never felt unreal in the film. Just like the obvious model shots of the Death Star during the Death Star attack at the end of A NEW HOPE looked like a model spraying out sparks for X-Wing impacts. You can see it, but it doesn't break you out of the fantasy world.
I don't know what else there is to say. If SKY CAPTAIN holds up like I think it will when I see it again, then it'll be high in the running for my favorite film of the year. I'm looking forward to seeing the reaction of the average Joe. Everyone at the Con screening loved it, but we're the geeks. We're the choir. I think Joe Blow Moviegoer will embrace this throwback adventure film, especially if Paramount puts real money behind it and makes sure the flick is on everybody's radar, not just the geeks who are already asses in seats.
Anyway, that's it from me on this. I got a whole bunch more SKY CAPTAIN goodies to unload on you in the coming week including exclusive one-on-one interviews with the cast and crew. Good stuff, squirts. You gotta hear Jude Law's dirty joke! 'Til then, this is Quint bidding you all a fond farewell and adieu.
-Quint
