The first film of Kerry Conran, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, is a perfect example of style over substance. The sepia-toned, art deco look of the film creates an entrancing experience. This movie is a remarkable technical achievement, filmed entirely with live actors in front of blue screens and CGI overlays; Sky Captain melds computer animation and live action seamlessly.
In an idealistic and fantasized 1939 New York City, an intrepid reporter (Gwyneth Paltrow) makes a connection between a string of disappearing scientists and a recent attack on the city by gargantuan robots. With the help of Joe "Sky Captain" Sullivan (Jude Law) and his friend Dex (Giovanni Ribisi), they locate the source of the attacks and set off to find the evil architect, who is bent on creating a utopia and the destruction of planet Earth.
The visuals in this film are simply incredible. The appearance can be described as soft-focus with washed-out color and a hint of sepia tone, providing a certain nostalgic quality while maintaining an aura of fantasy. Futuristic elements combine with art deco styling in bold fashion. It's not the easiest thing to describe. Sky Captain must be seen to be fully appreciated.
Writer and Director Kerry Conran had unprecedented command over the film and its appearance with most onscreen visuals handled by a small team of animators and computers. This is the perfect film for a computer-savvy control freak. Conran meticulously storyboarded the entire movie. That premeditation translates into superb direction and editing throughout the film. The scenes are all well-composed and flow effortlessly.
Although the film is a visual masterpiece, Sky Captain is all clothes and no emperor. The pulp-comic, save-the-world plot fits the environment, but the story is devoid of any circumstantial depth and lacks a sense of urgency. Challenges aren't very challenging. Even thought the fate of the planet is at stake, the audience cannot appreciate it as a lot of plot points are left unexplained. We never learn how Earth would be destroyed.
The dramatic performances in Sky Captain also sub-par. Paltrow and Law don't necessarily perform poorly, but their characters are rather dry. Sky Captain and his ex-girlfriend reporter are never well-developed and are written as flat and blandly heroic. Consequently, the audience will not develop much sympathy for the heroes. From a more technical aspect however, the performers do a remarkable job of acting without the benefit of tangible sets.
In spite of the fact this Sky Captain fails to deliver a compelling story, it's high-class eye candy. Unless you demand any nuance in your movies, Sky Captain deserves a viewing to take in the incredible visuals. Simply put, it's fun and entertaining provided you don't think too hard.
Related links:
Sky Captain IMDB listing
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