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An intrepid reporter working in New York City, Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) is investigating the disappearances of six renowned world scientists. While following up on clues and leads, mysterious giant robots attack Manhattan, and the authorities call upon idealistic mercenary Joe Sullivan (Jude Law), a.k.a. "Sky Captain," and his private air force, known as the Flying Legion, to fight back. With the robot attack seemingly connected to the disappearance of the scientists, Polly and Joe set out on a globe-trotting expedition in search of madman Dr. Totenkopf (Sir Laurence Olivier) to uncover his plans before it is too late. Also assisting the pair is Joe's ace mechanic friend Dex (Giovanni Ribisi), and one of Joe's former flames, a proficient Navy pilot named Commander Franky Cook (Angelina Jolie).
Conran's script evidently strives to emulate classic Hollywood screwball comedies from the '30s and '40s with the sarcastic, snarky interplay between Polly and Joe (think His Girl Friday), but the dialogue unfortunately lacks the witty spark of a Billy Wilder screenplay. This is part of the film's overall lack of humanity and substance, with the feature primarily a visual experience instead of an emotional one. Without any emotional core and with a muddled narrative in need of more storytelling momentum, Sky Captain occasionally meanders, particularly during the midsection. The movie bizarrely alternates between the sublime and the mundane, with dramatic scenes often falling flat while the set pieces come alive with vigour and exhilaration.
Storytelling problems aside, the aesthetic presentation of Sky Captain is astounding, particularly for a production from 2004. There are shades of 1990s comic-book movies like The Rocketeer and The Shadow with its retrofuturistic production design and sense of lighthearted fun, while the robots themselves evoke memories of Brad Bird's The Iron Giant. Other influences are apparent, from German Expressionism to 1933's King Kong, and many more. Nevertheless, Sky Captain takes on a distinctive visual identity of its own and remains incredibly unique two decades later. The result of meticulous planning, intensive storyboards, 3D animatics, and even shooting the entire picture with stand-ins before principal photography, it is easy to be amazed by the breathtaking cinematic artistry on display. Admittedly, the blue-screen work is less than perfect, with some shots looking worse than others, and the digital effects are not photorealistic. However, the imperfections contribute to the movie's immense charm and are part of the intended aesthetic style, with the visuals looking stylised and hyper-realistic. Indeed, Conran did not intend for the feature to resemble reality. The array of locations, from New York City to Nepal and Tibet, ensure sufficient variety to maintain visual interest, with Conran consistently taking us to new and exciting places. One particularly rousing battle even takes place underwater with amphibious crafts and robots. Conran's handling of the action sequences is superb, while Sabrina Plisco's astute editing keeps the set pieces taut and stimulating. Thankfully, it is always easy to follow what is happening.
The cinematography by Eric Adkins takes its cues from classic movies (including Hollywood and German Expressionistic cinema), imbuing the picture with a distinctive sepia-toned colour palette, theatrical lighting, gorgeous framing and soft focus. One of the earliest features to be shot digitally, Sky Captain also exhibits a fine layer of film grain, making it even more unique in the realm of movies with a heavy reliance on digital effects. (Movies like Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith and Sin City did not bother with film grain overlays.) Composer Edward Shearmur is likewise in sync with the material and its array of influences, creating a heroic, stirring and flavoursome original score reminiscent of classic adventure pictures. There are further audio homages, too, with the robot heat rays using the same sound effects as the Martian machines from 1953's The War of the Worlds. Meanwhile, the actors understand the assignment, with broad, scenery-chewing villainy and charismatic heroes, while Paltrow does exceptionally well as the peppy, determined reporter. Jolie, who could only work on the picture for three days, is fantastic as the sharp-tongued Navy commander, making the most of her limited screen time. Sir Laurence Olivier, who died in 1989, also appears from beyond the grave with a digital performance as Dr. Totenkopf. The filmmakers manipulated footage of a young Olivier to achieve this, and the effect is surprisingly convincing.
The singularity of Conran's vision is vital to the success of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, with the film's producer, Jon Avnet, openly acknowledging that this vision would not have survived the studio process. Despite its scripting and storytelling imperfections, Conran's immense talents as a visual craftsman are enormously apparent, with the picture not displaying any evidence of his directorial inexperience. The movie's abject failure at the box office remains an enormous injustice, especially since it was produced outside of the Hollywood system and was a labour of love for Conran, who pursued the project out of passion instead of commerce. With Hollywood blockbusters becoming more soulless and generic over time, watching a movie like Sky Captain is pleasantly enjoyable, as it's a fun and entertaining reminder of a bygone filmmaking era.
7.1/10
