Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (Two Disc Edition) [DVD]

This is the anti-Star Wars (no faux-emotional undertones or god-awful 70s mysticism). It's what adventure films used to be like. If I want serious stuff, I'll watch Das Boot or Brazil. If I want to see Jude Law blow things up whilst Angelina struts about in an RAF fetish outfit and eye-patch, I think this is where I'll be.

Stylistically the film can't be faulted- its image is spot on throughout, from the faint blurring to the use of heavy shadow, noir-style lighting. Even the framing of shots and shortcuts (mini-crowds for example) are produced in the conventions of the thirties and forties. The whole of the graphics lends itself to posters of the time and similar material. It is impossible to tell what is real and what is not- the computer-graphics are remarkable (most of what is seen isn't physcially real). The technical achievements are great.

The story follows the typical style of a serial- according to the commentaries the original script was to have seven chapters, it would have been interesting to see this implemented with a cliff-hanger on each one! there is a great deal of action, and some exposition. The plot is straightforward, but inventive, and continually pushes forwards to the very end. The global threat starts small and builds gradually from a bit of detective work to dramatic dog-fights and a multitude of secret bases!

The acting is very good from all in the movie. There have been criticisms of the acting being wooden, but this isn't really the case. The acting matches the style of the times the movie is set in, and paying tribute too. It also feels genuine, and is often very funny (intentionally)- the classic being the much-quoted Angelina Jolie line "Alert the Amphibious Squadron!".

It is hard to see what audience is being targeted by the film, if any- the movie is what it is and it does it very well. Essentially this is an action-adventure, but its styling is so strong that many may not understand or appreciate it- "why watch a black and white action film with stilted dialogue when I can watch a colour movie full of expletives?!". Anyone who avidly watched TV reruns of Republic serials will love it (King of the Rocket Men, Undersea Kingdom, Flash Gordon etc). Anyone who likes something a bit different will love it too.

Overall I think this film is great and well worth watching for its overt, yet unobtrusive, use of CGI (Laurence Olivier appears in a supporting role, despite being dead...)- its styling is a remarkable achievement and it is a genuinely fun adventure story firmly in the pulp tradition. Good for kids of all ages!

A combination of film-noir, black and white sci-fi like the Flash Gordon or Rocket Man cinema series and all-out actioner and romance, the film manages a great deal of style and invention, while keeping the plotline moving on quickly. It is like nothing you have ever seen and will delight fans of retro / futuristic flying machines and robots. Maybe there is even an influence from Japanese monster movies like Godzilla.

Great performances from Law and Jolie as they camp it up with forties-style British accents and from Paltrow as she plays the dame with a mission and only two photographs left. A good dose of humour keeps the fantastic world the director has created from becoming overwhelming as well as offering up some great film stereotypes, including mad German scientists and plucky backroom boys ready to save the day.

So many films have influenced this creation it is hard to keep track, but it could be described as a combination of the Wizard of Oz, Lost Horizon, War of the Worlds and the Maltese Falcon. This kind of electicism makes for a great and surprising movie and a visual feast.