Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) – Review

The 1930s and 1940s produced many fun serials, bringing us such entertaining offerings as Flash Gordon to Captain Marvel to the screen, but while the serial format died off long ago director Kerry Conran took that pulp feel and added in a dash of Hayu Miyazaki, not to mention a whole lot of inspiration from German Expressionism and a heaping helping of dieselpunk, all to create his film Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, a nice homage to a bygone era. The question we are asking today is “Did all of this translate into a good movie?”

Set in an alternative 1939, the film transports us to a world on the brink of catastrophe, where larger-than-life heroes and futuristic technology collide in a mesmerizing spectacle. The plot of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow revolves around an impending global disaster as key scientists disappear one after another, prompting reporter Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) to begin her investigation, and despite the warnings of her fatherly editor (Michael Gambon), she puts herself in the path of the mysterious Dr. Totenkopf (Lawrence Oliver) who unleashes an army of giant robots upon the city. To be fair, if I had an army of giant robots this is exactly what I’d do.

Who doesn’t love giant robots?

As the mystery unravels, Polly must turn to “Sky Captain” Joe Sullivan (Jude Law), who is not only the commander of a private air force but also her former lover, because why not add emotional drama in with your giant robots and mad scientists, and the two quickly find themselves in a race against time to thwart the malevolent Dr. Totenkopf’s sinister plans. Aiding them on this venture is Dexter “Dex” Dearborn (Giovanni Ribisi), ace mechanic of the Sky Captain’s Flying Legion, who can track the signal the robots are controlled by. This leads our heroes to Nepal and an abandoned mining camp where they have a nasty encounter with Totenkopf’s assassin (Bai Ling), who retrieves from Polly two vials that are crucial to Totenkopf’s evil plan – Polly hid these from Joe even though the dying scientist told her that if Totenkopf got his hands on them the end of the world would begin – and while our “heroes” miraculous survive a deathtrap and the ticking clock of the plot is now in overdrive, the movie has time for a pit stop in the mythical land Shangri-La.

A Lost Horizon of boring detours.

After that scintillating diversion and finally, with a clue as to where Totenkopf’s secret base is located, Joe and Polly again take to the skies, but with low fuel and a destination that does not appear on any map, Joe is forced to call upon an old friend, Franky Cook (Angelina Jolie), commander of a Royal Navy flying aircraft carrier. Personally, I’d call on Angelina for pretty much anything, from a ham sandwich to world saving she’s my go-to phone-a-friend. After surviving another encounter with Totenkopf’s robot minions the movie’s plot finally circles the last act as Polly and Joe reach what looks to be Skull Island – it does have a lot of dinosaur-like creatures, sadly, Kong is obviously long gone – and it’s here that they discover Totenkopf’s evil plan. It seems that the two vials Polly had briefly held contain the genetic material for a new Adam and Eve which Totenkopf can use to rebuild a new master race. This generic/genetic reboot will be loaded aboard a rocketship, along with a collection of miniaturized animals – a space “Noah’s Ark” if you will – and when the rocket reaches space, the afterburners will ignite the atmosphere and kill everyone on Earth.

Can our heroes stop this evil plot?

Stray Observations:

• The title character “Sky Captain” was mostly likely a nod to the serial Commander Cody: Sky Marshall of the Universe from 1953.
• The giant robots that attack the city were clearly inspired by the Max Fleischer Superman cartoon “The Mechanical Monsters.”
• As the machines are blasting away at the street to get to the generators, the sound effect used is the same as the Martians’ guns from The War of the Worlds (1953).
• Sky Captain and Polly Perkins pass over a sunken steamer named “Venture” which was the ship that brought King Kong to New York City.
• Angelina Jolie’s character sports an eye patch and commands what is basically a Helicarrier. Could she be a Nick Fury from a Marvel Multi-verse?

“Let me tell you about the Avengers Initiative.”

One of the film’s main attractions is its distinctive visual style, which seamlessly blends CGI backgrounds with live-action performances. The monochromatic colour palette coupled with occasional bursts of vibrant hues provides a sense of retro-futurism that’s captivating to behold. The attention to detail in designing the film’s technology and environments is commendable, effectively immersing the audience in an alternate 1939. However, the heavy reliance on green screens and CGI also contribute to a disconnect between the actors and their surroundings, resulting in moments that lack genuine physicality and emotional resonance. The blend of Art Deco-inspired environments, giant robots, futuristic aircraft, and breathtaking landscapes create a sense of wonderment that harks back to the golden age of adventure cinema, but even if one must admit this is a visually striking film it ultimately falls short in terms of storytelling, character development, and cohesive execution.

The film definitely needed more Bai Ling.

The storyline, while not groundbreaking, carries a nostalgic essence of classic pulp fiction serials and captures the spirit of the era it emulates but its overall narrative is its Achilles’ heel, despite Conran’s attempt to emulate the spirit of adventure serials, it ultimately fails to construct a compelling and coherent story. The plot revolves around a generic “save-the-world” premise, with mysterious robots attacking major cities and a group of heroes racing against time to uncover the truth behind the threat. Unfortunately, the plot lacks depth and complexity, leaving the audience with a predictable and underwhelming journey. Characters are mere vessels for the plot, devoid of genuine development or relatable motivations. Jude Law’s Sky Captain and Gwyneth Paltrow’s Polly Perkins, despite their star power, are given little to work with in terms of character arcs, resulting in a lack of emotional investment.

Note: Polly sabotaged Joe’s plane which resulted in him spending six months in a Manchurian prison camp, all because she thought he cheated on her, making Polly more of a villain than a heroin. Are we seriously supposed to be rooting for her?

The strained dynamic between our two leads is but one of many issues this film suffers from as Kerry Conran futilely tries for a balance between adventure, romance, and humour but fails miserably as these shifts between elements felt jarring and disjointed and the attempts to incorporate elements of campiness and nostalgia often clashed with the modern sensibilities of the visual effects, leading to moments where the film’s tone becomes uncertain. Furthermore, the pacing is uneven, with the film feeling overly rushed in some areas and needlessly prolonged in others. This lack of pacing cohesion exacerbates the issues with character development and narrative coherence.

When neat visuals trump proper plotting and good characterization.

In conclusion, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is a visually inventive film that while aspiring to pay homage to classic adventure serials. it ultimately faltered due to its weak storytelling, underdeveloped characters and inconsistent tone. While it successfully captured a sense of retro-futuristic wonder its lack of emotional depth and narrative substance prevented it from achieving its potential as a truly engaging cinematic. But say what you will about the result, for good or ill it did kick off the “Digital Backlot” mini-boom that would bring the world such films as 300 and Sin City.