Plot
After New York City receives a series of attacks from giant flying robots, a reporter teams up with a pilot in search of their origin, as well as the reason for the disappearances of famous scientists around the world.

Release Year: 2004

Rating: 6.2/10 (49,525 voted)

Critic's Score: 64/100

Director: Kerry Conran

Stars: Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Angelina Jolie

Storyline
In 1939, an intrepid reporter in New York City makes a connection between the story she's covering-- of famous scientists suddenly disappearing around the world, and a recent attack on the city by giant robots. Determined to find the solution to these happenings, she seeks the help of her ex-boyfriend, the captain of a mercenary legion of pilots. The two are investigating the case when the robots attack the city again, though in a stroke of luck, Sky Captain's right hand man is able to locate their source. They then set off on an adventure in search of the evil mastermind behind these schemes, who is bent on creating a utopia and destroying the current world.

Cast:
Gwyneth Paltrow - Polly Perkins
Jude Law - Sky Captain
Giovanni Ribisi - Dex
Michael Gambon - Editor Paley
Bai Ling - Mysterious Woman
Omid Djalili - Kaji
Laurence Olivier - Dr. Totenkopf (archive footage) (as Sir Laurence Olivier)
Angelina Jolie - Franky
Trevor Baxter - Dr. Jennings
Julian Curry - Dr. Vargas
Peter Law - Dr. Kessler
Jon Rumney - German Scientist
Khan Bonfils - Creepy
Samta Gyatso - Scary
Louis Hilyer - Executive Officer

Taglines: Without Warning. Without Mercy.

Official Website: Official site [uk] | Official site [United States] |

Release Date: 17 September 2004

Filming Locations: Chandler Valley Center Studios - 13927 Saticoy Street, Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office Details

Budget: $40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend: $15,580,278 (USA) (19 September 2004) (3170 Screens)

Gross: $37,760,080 (USA) (19 December 2004)

Runtime: 106 min

Trivia:
The film was originally slated to be released on 25 June 2004. However, it was moved to September 17th so as not to compete with the summer blockbuster Spider-Man 2 and to give more time for the production staff to fine-tune the finished product.

Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: At one point in the film, Polly takes a flash picture, but her camera contains no flash attachment.

Quotes:
[first lines]
Hindenburg announcer: Attention. Please prepare for docking procedure.

Visually stunning and clever

Rating: 7/10

I'll be the first to admit it. I went into 'Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow' with a lot of trepidation and even loathing. I didn't like the direction that cinema was taking with this film, featuring a backdrop that was mostly digital, because being a film purist, I used to relish the feel of actual celluloid in my hands, so this 'fake' creation was disturbing. I am still wary of this possible trend, but after seeing 'Sky Captain', I found that art can be realized in this medium.

'Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow' not only boasts one of the longest film titles in recent months, but a great cast: Jude Law as Joe 'Sky Captain' Sullivan, our hero, Gwyneth Paltrow as Polly Perkins, our intrepid reporter and Sullivan's former flame and Angelina Jolie as Capt. Franky Cook, a friend and ally of Joe's. There is an evil element threatening the Earth, and it is up to Joe and Polly to find out who is behind the threat, before Earth is destroyed.

One line is all it really takes to sum up the story, which is generally all it took to summarize the films 'Sky Captain' pays homage to. The story is good, and it certainly boasts one of the most entertaining endings that I can remember in recent years, but it is the presentation that is the biggest draw with 'Sky Captain'. The overall style is 1930's Art Deco mixed with bits of Neo-Futurism. The robots in the first half hour of the film look like something out of comic book, the clothes and character styles are most certainly inspired by the 1930's, and the backdrops and locations are very Deco. It's obvious that one of the advantages in producing a film in this manner is that the filmmaker can be as elaborate in design as possible, because the 'set design' was very rich and exciting.

As a lover of classic film, I found the numerous nods to the films of the 30's very refreshing. Several scenes or lines could have been construed as corny, but I found them to be presented with a giant wink at the audience. Because all of these aforementioned elements were done so well, this film was a huge success in my opinion. And despite my concerns (which are still prevalent in my mind) I can sincerely rave about and recommend 'Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow' to just about anyone who appreciates both art and good entertainment.

--Shel

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