SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW
RATING: 8/10
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PLOT:
Set in a fictional late 1930s environment in which technological
advancements
are greater than you'd imagine, particularly in the field of the military,
an
ambitious reporter follows a case of mysterious giant robots invading her
city
of New York, leading her to an expert fighter pilot, who shot one of them
down
in combat, and with whom, she also happened to share a relationship at
some
point. Together, the duo attempt to find the source of the world's
newfound
enemy, an entity known only as...Totenkopf.
CRITIQUE:
Ambitious. Epic. Big. Loud. Computerized. Fantasy. Fun. Adventurous. These
words and many others flashed through my mind as the rapid-fire delivery
of
writer/director Kerry Conran's first motion picture production set sail
before
my wanting eyes, as both the film's highly distinctive and original style,
mixing computer background and characters with real-life actors, and its
genre-driven storyline, mixing elements of fantasy, science-fiction, film
noir
and 30s kitsch took my imagination for a wondrous, fulfilling and highly
entertaining ride. Saying that, I know enough about my own tastes and
those of
the "mainstream" to proclaim that the film might not appeal to certain
others
out there, particularly those unimpressed by its unique style to begin
with. I
really enjoyed just "looking" at this movie, with its shadowy tints
overlapping
most every scene, its brilliant computer imagery fashioning a believable
and
wondrous new world dimension based in the 1930s, but filled with
technological
wizardries and original creations. Of course, one could argue that a
gorgeous-looking movie isn't worth its own price in admission, so it's
nice to
report that this film doesn't just look the part, but also acts the part
with
plenty of exciting action sequences making sure that the images aren't
just
there to look pretty, but also to serve an ambitious storyline that
generates
memorable sequences including giant robots stomping through the streets of
New
York, fighter aircrafts dogfighting it through the skies, an adventure
through
the Tibetan mountains and one of the cooler movie sequences of the year
featuring an adventurous underwater chase between the good guys and the
bad,
which finishes on a perfect touch from the idyllically cast, Angelina
Jolie
(why couldn't her crappy TOMB RAIDER movies have even half the ambition or
originality of this film?)
On top of Jolie, who actually has a very small part in the film, both Jude
Law
and Gwyneth Paltrow also provided great performances as the leading
bickering
duo, who -- most obviously to everyone - are in love, but who continue to
make
insinuations about one another while knocking each other down at every
turn. Of
course, like most films of its genre, the final outcome between the lovers
is
inevitable, but the journey is a fun one to experience, particularly the
quips,
one-liners and Paltrow's wonderful eye-rolls and unapproving stares. Cute.
The
film's also got plenty of lighter moments, and even a few laugh-out loud
lines
("I meant throw something"). Giovanni Ribisi also comes through in his
role as
the technical expert, as does the mysterious Bai Ling, perfect as the
ambiguous
villain helping the greater ambiguous villain with his supposed plan for
world
domination? In the end, this movie entertained me from beginning till the
end
with a fun storyline that mixed various appealing elements, a cute love
line
between the two leads, plenty of adventurous action sequences, inventive
style
and directing choices and a gorgeous computerized world vision, second to
none.
I'm looking forward to owning this movie on DVD and despite it not being
for
everyone, heartily recommending it to anyone who loves the INDIANA JONES
and
STAR WARS franchises, and who's sick and tired of seeing the same old crap
regurgitated onto their local movieplex screens every other weekend. A
great,
fun ride! PS: "Lenscap."
Where's JoBlo coming from?
Atlantis (5/10) - Ghost in the Shell 2 (2/10) - The Matrix (8/10) -
Raiders of
the Lost Ark (10/10) - Titan A.E. (7/10) - Tomb Raider (4/10) - Tomb
Raider 2
(4/10) - Treasure Planet (8/10) - Wild Wild West (4/10)
Review Date: July 22, 2004
Director: Kerry Conran
Writer: Kerry Conran
Producer: Jon Avnet
Actors: Jude Law as Joe
Gwyneth Paltrow as Polly
Angelina Jolie as Franky
Genre: Adventure
Year of Release: 2004
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(c) 2004 Berge Garabedian
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X-RAMR-ID: 38622
X-Language: en
X-RT-ReviewID: 1319284
X-RT-TitleID: 1136138
X-RT-SourceID: 573
X-RT-AuthorID: 1021
X-RT-RatingText: 8/10
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