Review of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) by Joshua P — 14 Jun 2011

Nothing in this movie is real but the actors. Taking a similar approach like "Sin City", this one isn't a dark detective thriller but an extremely entertaining homage to B-adventure and -sci-fi-movies of the 1930s.

Even the camera work and editing is mirroring that attempt, which might be a bit odd in the beginning for modern viewers, but has its very own charm. So the film takes all the elements of said movies: giant robots, mad scientists, valleys hiding forgotten kingdoms, secret islands with dinosaurs and rocket launch bases, and creates the funnest adventure Indiana Jones never had.

Sure, none of the big names of the cast (Law! Paltrow! Jolie!) has to live up to their acting potential here, and some of the dialogs pretty much follow the standards of action movies. But the movie doesn't take itself too serious, the effects are great and gorgeous to look at and there is pretty much non-stop action.

It's just a fun ride. Sadly, the big audience missed out on this highlight of the genre. The best movies are still the ones where a log is the bridge across a chasm.