Psychotronic Cinemavision: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

In a 1939 technologically advanced “Ottensian” dieselpunk version of New York, Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow), a reporter for the Chronicle, is investigating the disappearance of several noted scientists. Her investigation leads her to a secret meeting at the Radio City Music Hall with Dr. Walter Jennings, who informs her that he is the next targeted scientist and that a man named Totenkopf is behind it all.  Right then flying robots attack the city which is being evacuated, Polly stays to try to get pictures while the authorities call on Sky Captain, Joe Sullivan (Jude Law), Polly’s ex-lover and a crack fighter pilot leading the private air force “Flying Legion”.  He arrives with an augmented Curtiss P-40 plane and destroys one of the robots which he has sent to his base, while the others all fly off.  Joe’s head technician, Dex (Giovanni Ribisi) figures out that the robots are all being controlled by a signal and may be able to trace it to its origin.  The Flying Legion’s base is then attacked, and Dex gets the location, but is taken by tentacled robots and Sky Captain and Polly must find Dex, foil Totenkopf’s plan, and save the world all without killing each other.

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow or just Sky Captain is a 2004 action-adventure science fiction film stylized to be reminiscent of the 1940’s serials but with a dieselpunk flare.  Written and directed by Kerry Conran, who spent four years making a black and white teaser using bluescreen in his living room to have something to pitch to studios which he showed to Jon Avnet who was so impressed he spent two years working with Conran on writing the script.  At first, they could not get a major studio to sign on to distribute the film, but Avnet was able to convince Aurelio De Laurentis to finance the production.  This was the first major film, along with Casshern and Immortal (both in 2004) to be filmed entirely on a “digital backlot” which blends live actors with CGI surroundings Sin City would also use this technique the next year in 2005. The film got positive reviews, mainly for the style and art direction with some criticism on plot and characterization.  Despite this, the film flopped, generating only $58 million on a $70 million budget.  It has since gone on to become a cult classic.

I remember seeing this film in the theater and really enjoying it.  The visuals were amazing for their time and since it was one of the first films to use a completely digital background, it was something of a novelty.  There is plenty of action, a little humor, and a bit of romance.  The story is engaging and fun and the actors all do a pretty good job independently of each other. There is a surprise performance by Laurence Olivier, who had been dead for 13 years prior to the film being made.  Using computer manipulation of video and audio from when he was a young actor, the production reanimated the actor for a small, but pivotal role.  Doing this sort of makes sense in a tongue in cheek way.  I liked Gwyneth’s performance as Polly, she made a good 1939 heroine, Angelina Jolie in the small but fun part of Franky Cook, the commander of a Royal Navy flying aircraft carrier also did a great job as a more rugged female hero, and Jude Law is dashing and handsome and he plays Joe with the appropriate mix of sensitivity and machismo the part demanded.  My problem comes not from any single performance but from the actual chemistry between Paltrow and Law.  Possibly since the actors weren’t on a real set, there just wasn’t that spark between them that helped with their character dynamics.  There is nothing wrong with their performances but that magic something that makes you root for them to end up together was missing. Overall, this is still a fun film with an interesting story and great style and visuals.