Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

TC

TC

Resident Agitator
This comes out on friday, and I am so insanely excited to see it. The score is on the website, it is awesome. And from what I've seen in the commercials it has amazing cinematography, I have never seen so many rembrants from one film in my life.

Also, Besides Elle from Kill Bill, Angelina Jolie is the only woman that can pull off the eye patch and still be so insanely sexy.
 
Re: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

I'm going with some Mad Scientist buddies on Friday to see this one. Last movie I saw in the theater was LotR...

I am a sucker for Empire period architecture, stylish clothing, and Angelina with an eyepatch. Not to mention evil deathray-wielding giant robots! What's not to like?!

My expectations are that I will like the movie simply because I like the style of the movie, not because it is a fantastically great bit of cinematic artistry. We'll see!
 
Re: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Some interesting trivia from http://www.scifimoviepage.com/art_skycaptain.html. Should be interesting just based on the process.

- The entire movie was shot against blue- and green-screen, with everything except the main characters computer generated. This was one of several movies to take that approach (although which was first is debatable), including: Immortel (ad vitam) (2004), Casshern (2004), and Sin City (2005).

- To increase flexibility with the film's editing process, Kerry Conran shot each of the hundreds of extras individually on the blue screen, so that he could manipulate them in the final shot to his own liking without having to reshoot the entire scene.

And, of course, Angelina ;D
 
Re: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow


Saw it today.

Wow.

Lucas should take a big lesson from these guys. The story isn't mythic or anything, but the tech is completely over the top and it manages to keep a human element and tell and entertaining story. Slack jawed amazement factor through the roof, and then built right into the same scene, actual characters having meaningful (not deep, certainly, but there, at least) interaction.

Wow.

Best last line in a film ever, too...
 
Re: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Is it true that there are two shots of the EMPIRE STATE BUILDING and a little APE can be seen climbing the tower?

(This is per KONG.NET and AINTITCOOLNEWS)
 
Re: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Here's a review I posted on another list:

The primary attribute of this movie wasn't that it was Eye Candy, rather that it was Eye Crack. I definately want more,
and I know that the Hollywood pushers will see to it that less pure stuff gets out on the streets, eventually.

Plot? Thin. Characters? Thinner than a green screen video layer. Who cares? Guns, robots, eye patches,
blimps, death rays, towering Gotham-style buildings, circular radio waves, German scientists, robots, robots,
robots!

All in all, an entirely original movie, considering that it consists of a patchwork of all the cool parts we love about
Film Noir, Batman's dark municipal origins, and the fear that the Industrial Age would make slaves of us all.

Warning, if you get the DVD (whenever that comes out), you will want to upgrade your viewing device to
High Def just to wallow in the images from this flick. Remember, you heard it here first.
 
Re: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

It was very good! But I don't think anyone else in the theater much liked it. The script was pretty weak but fun enough. The direction and imagery was what held it together, though.

Gorgeous CGI, btw...I loved the look and though there were green screening issues I've seen even in my own greenscreened work, it was nothing serious. Pretty sharp considering it was shot on video but not nearly as sharp as good film (then again, the theater I saw it in was pretty bad). De-saturating then re-coloring was a stroke of genius as there's no green spill and the colors look really great and not like video in the slightest! Well, they don't REALLY look like film either, but they look great.
 
Re: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

spoilers
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the dying man who suffered from Dr. Totenkopf's experiement looked like Yoda.
 
Re: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

If I'm not mistaken, this movie was going to be made as an indi film by some not so well knowns and was bid on while still at some early stages by the major studios. I could be being mislead here, but if not, it would make an interesting story of and by itself I should think.

-Rodger
 
Re: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Film review, by Paul Kanieski
=====================

“Good special effects? Check. Good soundtrack? Check. Good actors? Mostly check. Good script? Doh!” And so might go the imaginary meeting between studio heads and the producers of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow the day after the film was in the can.

You’ve probably heard the gimmick already: Sky Captain is the first feature film to be shot entirely against a blue screen. Virtually everything except the actors and the clothes on their backs is computer generated. Even more astounding: First time film director Kerry Conran created much of Sky Captain on his computer in a basement. What he’s done on a couple of Macintosh computers is truly amazing, but the movie really lacks in the narrative department. Some might be satisfied with nothing more than great special effects. But those people probably have poor social skills and dress funny.

Taking place in a parallel 1939 universe (The Wizard of Oz is in theaters), Sky Captain is an amalgam of sci-fi elements that seem so familiar it’s as if Conran tapped into our collective unconscious. From giant robots with headlight eyes to flying dragon creatures his incredible imagery feels both original and eerily familiar. The story is simplistic; top scientists start disappearing and newspaper reporter Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) teams up with flying ace Sky Captain (Jude Law) to find out why. Supported by Franky Cook (Angelina Jolie), commander of a squadron of amphibious planes, and loyal geek/inventor Dex (Giovanni Ribisi), the question is, can our heroes save the planet from destruction at the hands of evil genius Dr. Totenkopf (Laurence Olivier, posthumously)? Of course you know the answer before you bought your ticket. Unpredictability is not Sky Captain’s strong suit. Nor is subtlety. Nor is character development.

Lets take the Polly Perkins character; she’s written as a dumb blond that whines and makes bad decisions on a regular basis. She repeatedly risks her life and the safety of others to retrieve the camera she’s constantly dropping. It’s not surprising, original or amusing the first time she does it. Yet we have to endure the same action over and over again, I guess because we’re suppose to worry about Polly’s safety each time. But it’s hard to worry for cartoon characters, especially when we know The Formula dictates anything more severe than a scratch or two is as likely as the Vatican turning pro-choice. So where’s the suspense? It walked out of the theater and got hit by a bus.

The cast is a mixed bag. Jude Law is an excellent actor but miscast as the manly hero. Jude is just too effeminate and too pretty for this kind of role. Gweneth Paltrow is pretty too, as in she’s pretty bad at delivering her lines. There were moments when I honestly thought she couldn’t sound less believable even if she tried, but she fooled me more than once. Fortunately there’s Angelina Jolie; as an actress she’s as underrated as Paltrow is overrated. Leave it to Jolie to create a speech affectation that, combined with her quasi nazi-dominatrix uniform, creates an instantly memorable character. Too bad she got only five minutes of screen time. Lastly, Giovanni Ribisi is fun to watch as a clean-cut electronics expert and proves once again he’s one the most versatile actors around. Don’t believe it? Compare his performance in this film with the ones he’s given in Saving Private Ryan and Heaven.

But the special effects are amazing, even more so when you consider their origin. The robot designs are about as cool as they get, and the aerial dogfights might give you vertigo. The camera work in general is very good, especially some of the shots of The City in the first ten minutes. The film has a soft focus and a sepia-tone that adds a nostalgic feel to the film, creating an atmosphere that’s thick and consistent. So there’s much to enjoy on a visual and technical level. If you have to treat your inner geek to a night on the town, seeing Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is worth the admission price. Otherwise, save your money.

My score: ** (2/4)
 
Re: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

just can't leave a pure and simple fun movie alone can you?
 
Re: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

This flick was probably what Lucas and Spielberg had in mind when they conceived "Raiders."

The plot was a little thinner, but it's the same look and feel they were after.
 
Re: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Of course, the movie does raise an interesting question . . .

They used Sir Laurence Olivier's image and voice to have him "play" Dr. Totenkopf.

Why can't this be done with any actor, living, or dead? Would Olivier have WANTED to be in this movie? Guess it doesn't matter.

Next up -- Humphrey Bogart stars as Bail Organa in Episode III!

Some serious ethical questions about this. And, I think there was an episode of "The Darkroom" about this very topic (starring, by the way, Eddie Albert and Richard Anderson).
 
Re: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Reminds me of those Coke (or Pepsi?) commercials where they put John Wayne in 'em...
 
Re: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Yea, all the CD's Tupac put out after he died aren't that great. ;)

I don't actually know that, but someone said that and I thought it was funny.

Once an actor dies, so should their likeness.
 
Re: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Well its the early stages of digital actors. They created an all digital set why not indulge in alittle digital DNA. I think the whole CGI set only works great for a concept piece such as this film, but we are far from the buzz of not having to shoot on location.

Great visuals, good acting, poor story.

It was such a well designed visual film that its such a shame the story didnt WOW you.

They spent more time rendering than writing!
 
Re: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

[quote author=Boomerang link=board=movies;num=1095220765;start=15#17 date=09/22/04 at 21:46:32]They spent more time rendering than writing![/quote]
This is a Sky Captain thread, not a Star Wars thread. :P

I kid! I kid! That's a good quote though, I'm going to steal it. ;)
 
Re: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

[quote author=nullphonic link=board=movies;num=1095220765;start=0#2 date=09/17/04 at 01:31:32]This was one of several movies to take that approach (although which was first is debatable), including: Immortel (ad vitam) (2004), Casshern (2004), and Sin City (2005).[/quote]

The trailer for Casshern is really awesome. If you haven't seen it, go check it out www.casshern.com. There's talk of the DVD being released soon here in the states (with english subtitles). I know someone heading to Japan. Might have them pick up a copy for me.
 
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