Search - Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (Full Screen Special Collector's Edition) on DVD

Craig S. (InnerMacro) from WAUSAU, WI
Reviewed on 11/21/2023...

Cool concept and special effects, but there's a major plot hole around Dex's capture and convenient escape, thus enabling the movie to wrap up quickly in under 1.5 hours. This makes for really uneven pacing in the film, leaving the viewer feeling cheated. What's really annoying is the ending wherein Polly and Sullivan would normally share a romantic moment, but this is blown by a cheap joke, probably in the interest of keeping the tension for a sequel . . . that never happened anyway. Jolie is miscast and unconvincing - almost a minor supporting role if not for the blatant attempt at making a "competition" for Sullivan's interests. Paltrow is on the mark, but Law is not particularly heroic - which leads me back to Dex. It seems like Dex is the wonder-man who can do everything, while Sullivan klutzes around and is intentionally missed in his plane as he makes zero effort to evade enemy fire (e.g. turns around to look at Polly while flying at top speed through downtown Manhattan, etc.). My rating is for the visual effects and promise of what could-have-been, however this movie bombs pretty hard after the first hour. My guess is that this film would have been the success they expected, with multiple sequels, had they put in better writing and not been in such a rush to close things out.

1 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

WAAAAY UNDER RATED

Michelle | Hartford,Ct.U.S.A. | 01/18/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I really feel this movie didn't get the credit it deserves by both critics and people that watched it, I don't understand what was it they didn't like about it or what was it they expected from it, yes I agree the script was not the greatest but the special effects more than makes up for it and the acting was very good as well but to me what takes the cake is the feel of the movie 1940's noir kind of thing I wish they would make more movies like this. ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.!!!"

Sky Captain Blu-Ray

James Alan Rang | Indianapolis, IN | 03/15/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It is always a pleasure to comment on a movie that is so entertaining. From the outtakes in the Special Features, the actors looked to have had a great time during the filming. The special effect are more enhanced in the Blu-ray format. I have added this title to my special collection. Bravo!"

Hilarious synthesis of 30's film noir and modern sci fi

Ulfilas | Washington, DC | 08/22/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I don't know what the director had in mind for this movie, but for me this film is a sort of inspired comedy. Carl Sagan once observed that modern science fiction movies are actually adventure movies that lack any tangible reference to science. This is certainly the case here--but made all the more obvious by the fact that this world is made to seem to rely on twentieth century technology. The effect of a flying aircraft carrier appearing out of nowhere to refuel the hero's single engine P-40 like fighter (a model of military industrial complex inefficiency and over budget thinking) was shocking to behold! The explicit impossibility of this world seemed to exalt in technical absurdities rather than attempt to paper them over. For my son and I (both of us engineers)--the surprising appearance of each incredible scene evoked uproarious laughter!



I should also say that I loved the Art Deco look of everything from malevolent robots and rocket ships to newsrooms and skyscrapers. It reminds me of the Forbidden Planet era conception of streamlined spacecraft that I enjoyed as a small child at the dawn of the space age. How disappointing clunky are real space vehicles when compared to the clean lines of one of the shapely rocket arc seen in the final scenes of this movie--a veritable finned Cadillac of the heavens!

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