Guest Author - Kirsten Olsen-Keyser

Escaping from the imagination of director and writer Kerry Conran, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is an intriguing compilation of Golden Age Hollywood and science fiction. While receiving critical acclaim after its release in September of 2004, the film grossed roughly $38 million at US box offices from an estimated $40 million budget.

Set in an alternative 1939 sometime after the First World War and before the second, Ace NY city reporter Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) is on top of a big story involving a German mad scientist named Totenkopf. Just as she is about to get a juicy detail of the story, the city is attacked by giant robots. Polly and the city are saved by the convenient arrival of Joe "Sky Captain" Sullivan (Jude Law) in his P-40 Warhawk (the 3rd most numerous US fighter plane of WWII). Polly and Joe, who have a history which unfolds during the movie, grudgingly join forces to locate Totenkopf and stop him before he destroys the world. Aiding them along the way are Joe's whiz-kid sidekick, Dex (Giovanni Ribisi), and his old flame Francesca "Franky" Cook (Angelina Jolie).

Filmed entirely against bluescreen, the only real thing bout this movie is the actors. Paltrow does her best impression of Lauren Bacall and the relationship between Polly and Sky Captain is reminiscent of Nick and Nora, characters from The Thin Man film series. Conran manages to bring everything hokey and fun from the 1940’s sci-fi serials and jumble it into a modern, slick and sexy feature film.

Sky Captain uses groundbreaking digital technology some of which was developed by Conran himself. The film was shot using a Sony HDW-F900, the digital camera created for Lucas for use in Episode II. The “old” look of the film was achieved by running footage through a diffusion filter and then tinting it in black and white before color was blended, balanced and added back in. Another special effect was the posthumous addition of Sir Laurence Olivier whose likeness was digitally modified from BBC archival footage. ( Superman Returns would later employ the same technique when adding Marlon Brando to the film.)

While Sky Captain is definitely not a serious film, it is one heck of a good time! From the running gags to the ridiculous situations and nick of time escapes, you will definitely get your moneys worth. The special edition version of the film on DVD, which includes the behind the scenes/making of the movie extras, should definitely be on your Sci-Fi adventure shelf.

Director: Kerry Conran

Writer: Kerry Conran

MPAA Rating: PG for violence and some adult language.