Yup. The effects are 100% computer generated.

Yup. “Virtual sets” are nothing new.

Yup. A lot of the effects don’t look real and
you are indeed aware they are CG.

And…!!??

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is not intended for the film snob that scoffs at obvious effects, nor is it intended for those that crave testosterone-fueled action. If you ever wanted to see what those old Flash Gordon serials would look like with a modern day budget and snappier filmmaking skills, then look no further, sport. This is the bubblegum poppin’ movie for you. Lost among a sea of summer blockbusters and sporting such an unwieldy title as Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, the movie was fairly ignored at the box office, which is a shame. Rarely has a film captured that seat-of-your-pants fun those old movie serials provided.

Set in a 1939 that only exists through a nostalgic haze, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow has all the essential elements of any Saturday serial. Some of the world’s top scientists have gone missing and intrepid reporter Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow), hard-boiled yet still feminine, intends to get to the bottom of the mystery. Naturally, this somehow all leads to an attack by a giant robot army. Luckily Polly’s old flame Joe Sullivan a.k.a. Sky Captain (Jude Law), being a high flying hero-type, can quickly respond to the call. Seeing that the incidents are obviously connected, Joe forms an uneasy alliance to share information with his past squeeze. He informs Polly that these robot attacks have been going on all over the world with the intent to steal various components for some unknown agenda. Our plucky dame shares the information she has concerning the scientists, as well as a name. “Dr. Totenkoph (Sir Laurence Oliver… yes THAT Sir Laurence Oliver).” In an attempt to find Totenkoph’s secret lab, our adventurers are whisked away to such exotic locales as Shangri La, a flying aircraft carrier commanded by the scene stealing, eyepatch sportin’ Angelina Jolie and a place called Mooooonsteeer Iiiiiilannnnd (Spooky, ain’t it?). It’s all there, even down to the trusty mechanic/brains of the operation/all around nice guy character, played by Giovonni Ribisi.

The really impressive thing about this movie isn’t just the computer effects, which are pretty, but the fact that this homage to those thirteen-or-so chapter yarns comes across as something fresh and not a “send-up” and shows a sign of welcome restraint on the part of the director, Kerry Conran. His love for movie serials shows and he doesn’t betray them by poking fun at their shortcomings… in fact, he embraces them. To be honest, even though the more high profile Star Wars and Indiana Jones films are purported to have been inspired by the same type of source materials, only Sky Captain embodies them. That is not to say the film is flawless. Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow, who take up most of the screen time, are both quite capable actors, but there really isn’t that spark between them that one would hope to see in a film such as this. They lack the chemistry that would propel this from just a fun lil’ geek fest to, well, a romantic fun lil’ geek fest.

How's It Look, Smart Guy?
Since this film was intentionally processed to look very soft in some shots and very crisp in others, it’s difficult to tell if any short cuts were taken in the transfer of the movie itself. I’m willing to give Paramount the benefit of the doubt here, and leave it at that for all else is very clean. The colors are also quite muted in some scenes yet very vibrant in others, again obviously due to director’s intent. This is a very visually stunning movie and your eyes are given quite the exercise, not only due to the action, but also to the production design. The movie is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic video, so no complainin.’

How's It Sound, Ya Bum?
Nope. No DTS, but this disc does boast a very pleasing Dolby Digital 5.1 track that is constantly active, obviously to keep up with the visuals. No real distortion was ever detected, however, every once in a while I did strain to hear some dialogue over the blaring music and heavy sound effects. The first time the word “Totenkoph” is uttered I had to zip back and click on the subtitles. Other than that, way above average here, folks.

You Think I Just Wanted The Movie, Pal?
You get two COMMENTARY TRACKS. One is by the producer, Jon Avnet and the second is by director Kerry Conran, animation supervisor Steve Yamamoto and effects supervisor Darin Hollings. Now, I have a freakin’ life here, folks, so I’m not going to shine you on like other reviewers by telling you I listened to both of these tracks to their completion. No one does that, anyway. If they say differently, they LIE. I listened to around 15-20 minutes of each and I wasn’t bored to tears by either, so that’s good enough for me. The fellas all sounded very open and honest without too much ego-fellating and I got a chuckle or six as well. If I had the time, I’d listen to them both straight through. I really would.

A DOCUMENTARY is up next, entitled A Brave New World. It’s around 50 or so minutes long but it is unnecessarily divided up into two chapters. Again, not too heavy on the bootlicking but it is in more abundance than the commentaries were. It’s pretty informative and tracks the production from start to finish.

A FEATURETTE entitled The Art of World of Tomorrow centers on Kerry Conran’s brother, Kevin, who was the costume designer as well as the production designer. It’s rather short but it tells us all we really need to know without any fat or gristle.

The ORIGINAL SIX-MINUTE SHORT is pretty nifty. This is what started it all, gang, and essentially it’s the first six minutes of the film with only minor variations. The most jarring change is the original Sky Captain himself. Here we see the Good Captain envisioned as more of your typical tough sounding (since we only see his eyes) American hero-type instead of Jude Law’s take on Dan Dare. It’s a neat addition.

I never understood why DELETED SCENES are added to a DVD if only two are selected. Such is the case with this disc. The effects aren’t completed, naturally, but if you liked the film, you might as well watch ‘em. They’re short.

THE GAG REEL is next, and I’m beginning to suspect the reason why so many blooper reels are so short is because nothing all that funny goes on in the making of most movies. You’ll get a snort or two at the most out of this.

There are some PREVIEWS for other movies as well, but oddly no trailer for Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. You’d think if even a disc has no extras at all that the trailer would at least be added. Whatever.

Out of kindness, I will also put this review on EASTER EGG ALERT with a lil’ clue. After it cycles through one time, highlight the “EXTRA” box on the upper left hand corner of the first Special Features screen (Okay, not the most subtle of clues, I give you.).

There is only one alternative language track in French Dolby Surround 2.0. You can also select subtitles for both Spanish and English. English for H.O.H. is also an option.

Bring Us On Home, Brother
It’s dorky fun, what else can I say? There’s no hidden subtext, no revelatory performances by the actors involved, no porn, but it’s got all sorts of references to keep the movie dork in you satisfied: War of the Worlds, The Wizard of Oz, King Kong, Flash Gordon, King of the Rocketmen, Metropolis, M, plus many, many others are given props. A lot of time and creative energy went into the production and it shows. Sure, the two leads don’t make you feel like they’re snogging off camera but it’s a perfectly entertaining throwback movie that benefits from today’s technology. Give it a spin.