Tuesday, September 21, 2004

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Famous scientists from around the globe are disappearing, and Chronicle reporter Polly Perkins is bound to get to the bottom of the story. After a mysterious meeting at the Radio City Music Hall with one of the scientists yet to disappear, air raid sirens wail bringing the citizens of New York into the streets. Hundreds of unidentified aircraft are flying over the city. However, are they warplanes? No. They land revealing themselves to be giant robots that attack the city. As Polly finds herself in the middle of the destruction looking for clues to the identity of the attackers, a call for help is broadcast. Enter Sky Captain, here to defend the city from these mechanical monsters!

This movie is a must see, and definitely on the big screen. Don’t wait for the rental. The retro styling and soft focus of this film made me think I was actually watching a movie from the ‘30s. I know this film was mostly CG, but it does not matter. Conran’s visual styling and CG compliments the retro look perfectly. Plus, it’s just plain cool having ‘30s era technology fused with futuristic technology. Flying robots that attack New York. A P-40 fighter plane that is also a submarine. Laser guns. There is a big nod to the Buck Rogers comics of the ‘30s and 40's era.

The acting performances (only real thing in the movie) were good and believable. Jude Law plays Sky Captain, a dashing hero type, and does it well. Giovanni Ribisi plays Dex, the Captain’s eccentric sidekick genius, and he does it perfectly. I’m not a Gwyneth Paltrow fan, but she does a nice job acting in this role. A headstrong reporter that doesn’t listen to anyone and has no regard for others fits her perfectly.

I’ve seen this movie described as unique, and it is. It is like nothing you and I have ever seen before. CGI done right. A movie done right. As Andrea Jackson of the Daily Buzz would say: worth the full price of admission.

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