"Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" is golden-age science-fiction.
Unabashedly. While many filmmakers are exploring the fun of genre-blending
and -twisting, this crew decided to play it straight. The result is refreshingly unironic. The film is chock-full of references to sci-fi classics (including a timely nod to THX 1138), but they are incorporated seamlessly into the whole, adding a layer of enjoyment without being distracting.
Some have complained that the film lacks plot. There certainly is one, so I'm guessing they're referring to things like the unlikely coincidences that save the day (such as characters showing up where they don't have any right being). A parallel complaint might be that the warriors in movies like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Hero" more or less fly. It's a complaint against genre,
which is fine, but has nothing to do with the movie itself.
The movie itself? We're talking Giant Killer Robots (a dozen or more kinds), abandoned bases, floating aircraft carriers, immaculate set-design, bizarre
creatures, mad scientists. . . on and on and on. The sets and robots and what- not are well-rendered CGI with which the actors blend, like the references,
seamlessly. The pacing is relentless and invigorating, exposition is delivered on the run, the characters are very likable, and there's no moral to the story. The ending pays off, the actors are just right.
If you want class and style and great effects and an entertaining story, this is your movie.
Unabashedly. While many filmmakers are exploring the fun of genre-blending
and -twisting, this crew decided to play it straight. The result is refreshingly unironic. The film is chock-full of references to sci-fi classics (including a timely nod to THX 1138), but they are incorporated seamlessly into the whole, adding a layer of enjoyment without being distracting.
Some have complained that the film lacks plot. There certainly is one, so I'm guessing they're referring to things like the unlikely coincidences that save the day (such as characters showing up where they don't have any right being). A parallel complaint might be that the warriors in movies like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Hero" more or less fly. It's a complaint against genre,
which is fine, but has nothing to do with the movie itself.
The movie itself? We're talking Giant Killer Robots (a dozen or more kinds), abandoned bases, floating aircraft carriers, immaculate set-design, bizarre
creatures, mad scientists. . . on and on and on. The sets and robots and what- not are well-rendered CGI with which the actors blend, like the references,
seamlessly. The pacing is relentless and invigorating, exposition is delivered on the run, the characters are very likable, and there's no moral to the story. The ending pays off, the actors are just right.
If you want class and style and great effects and an entertaining story, this is your movie.
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