Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

An unusual approach to a fascinating story. A wonderfully fairytale approach with elements of thriller and sci-fi. Some of the scenes reminded me at times of my all time favorite, Star Wars. It’s just a shame that in places (especially during the second half) the movie rather loses pace; otherwise I’d give it 4 stars. (2006-05-31)

Yes, the film has a weak story. But to criticise it for that would be like being upset at the lack of dinosaurs in Schindler’s List. Because Sky Captain is pure fan pleasure whose main asset is what Star Wars has, which is something that 90% of current Hollywood productions lack. Sky Captain is a beautiful tribute to old movies, with pleasant humour, great heroic music and likeable protagonists (Jude Law and Angelina Jolie are excellent; only Gwyneth Paltrow seemed to me to be a bit unsure of what she was supposed to be doing). The sets need no comment; the Tibetan “recreational” valley reminded me of Rivendell from The Lord of the Rings. I was almost moved at moments. The only thing that prevents Sky Captain from being perfect is the lack of a specially adapted black-and-white version. P.S. The film points to an era in which flesh-and-blood actors will be replaced by digital facsimiles in films. (2005-01-11)

While the plot is quite thin, and particularly the point fizzles out into nothingness, it's a visually remarkable film that references famous past movies and evokes the atmosphere of cinematic and literary classics of adventure stories. There's a bit of Jules Verne, a touch of Metropolis, and echoes of American sci-fi from the 1930s. Overall impression: 65%. (2007-12-01)

No matter how I look at Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, it always looks perfect. The actors. The visuals. The retro atmosphere. The funny script and funny dialogues. Ubiquitous fantasy. Shearmur's music. What we have before us is a much underrated gem that combines the adventures of a gentleman named Biggles with the fun of Star Wars and the imagination worthy of Karel Zeman with a nostalgic tear in the corner of the eye. Five and never otherwise. (2010-08-25)

Although The World of Tomorrow is playful and its patina of old movies is charming, the flimsy and predictable story cannot be hidden by the most compelling visuals. There were moments when I was actually bored. Even so, Conran's film reminded me a bit of some of Karel Zeman's films with its visual innovation and retro mood. I'm definitely curious about Conran's next project. (2005-01-19)