Taking place in what seems to be an alternate Earth in the late 1930s, Sky Captain & the World of Tomorrow is a light-hearted and engaging action adventure featuring almost completely computer generated sets and effects.
The film started as a 6 minute short showing giant robots trampling on New York City. Now, a slightly revised version of that sequence introduces the film as a squadron of flying robots lands in New York City following the disappearance of a noted scientist. When the police fail to stop the robots, they call on Sky Captain (Jude Law), who pilots a modified P-40 Warhawk fighter plane, to help them out. He’s initially successful in stopping the robots in the Big Apple, but it turns out they’ve also been attacking all over the world.
Reporter Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) is on the case of the disappearing scientist and is contacted by a man who reveals some information about the origins of the flying robots and their creator, Dr. Totenkopf. Teaming up with Sky Captain, who’s also known as Joe Sullivan, Polly and Joe attempt to solve the mystery of the robots and, in the process, save the world from destruction.
It’s obvious from the start of the movie that writer/director Kerry Conran is a fan of old movie serials and science fiction films. The visual (and other) references to such films as King Kong, Star Wars, Godzilla, Max Fleischer’s Superman, and When Worlds Collide are indicators that this was a labor of love from a movie fan who wanted to put together something light and fun for audiences who enjoyed those kinds of films. He succeeded.
Although light on plot, the movie weaves together just enough of a storyline to keep viewers interested and entertained. Conran even manages to keep the “mushy stuff” — a love interest back story between Joe and Polly — to a minimum. By injecting a wonderful sense of humor as well as sticking to the action, Sky Captain & the World of Tomorrow bounces along to its conclusion at a nice pace.
The film has an interesting look that at once recalls the visual style of the old movie serials while looking somewhat like those poorly “colorized” versions of old black and white films. The look makes the obviously computer generated effects more acceptable. I was focusing on the action and not the special effects and that’s a fine complement.
If you’re a fan of old science fiction and action/adventure movies, Sky Captain & the World of Tomorrow is highly enjoyable and entertaining. You might not get as much out of it if you’re not, but it’s certainly not going to be a bad experience for you. If you’re looking for a brainless, fun way to spend an hour and 45 minutes, I highly recommend it.
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
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