‘Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow’ is no ‘Star Wars’

By JOE WEINDL
Special to the Saipan Tribune

I knew it. I knew there was an anti-Lucas conspiracy. Five years ago, when Star Wars: Episode I was released, it was not received very well by film critics. Some even had the gall to criticize its special effects. Now, these same critics are talking about how great a movie Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is, praising its CGI effects, and comparing it to both Star Wars (the 1977 original) and the Indiana Jones movies. No way. Not even close. As my man Yoda would say, “As good as Star Wars, Sky Captain is not.”

The comparisons actually are valid, in so far as first-time director Kerry Conran was obviously influenced quite heavily not just by 1930s cinema, but by the work of Lucas and Spielberg. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow tries eagerly to be the same kind of fantastical adventure as the aforementioned Lucas movies, and it actually isn’t a half-bad imitation. Unfortunately, nearly none of the production qualities are as good as they could be. Conran does not possess the same skill as Lucas to create mind-blowing special effects, nor is he half the genius that Spielberg is in piecing together a fun action flick. Composer Edward Shearmur is no John Williams, and star Jude Law is no Harrison Ford. Sky Captain is a special-effects driven adventure that will really only appeal to adolescent boys, while the adults in-tow will be only mildly entertained. At the end of the day, Conran has proven that Lucas is a much better filmmaker than he is given credit for.

Set in the late 30s, in a world that seems to have been lifted directly from the pages of a comic book, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow opens with an attack on Manhattan by a bunch of monstrous, Godzilla-esque robots. Wanting to get the scoop for her paper, reporter Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) seeks out the help of Capt. H. Joseph Sullivan (Jude Law), leader of an independent group of fighter pilots dedicated to protecting the world from danger. Together, Polly and the Captain trek the world, in search of the evil mad scientist behind these dastardly events.

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is technically an animated movie, since the actors were filmed entirely in front of a blue screen, with all of the backgrounds created on a computer. Considering that Conran, unlike Lucas, didn’t have bottomless pockets or an entire army of computer geeks at his disposal, the CGI world he’s created is quite admirable. Put it up against the CGI worlds in Star Wars: Episode I, and Episode II, though, and there’s really no comparison. One scene that oddly bites off of Jurassic Park is very poorly done. Honestly, many video games have graphics that look just as good as those in Sky Captain.

The action sequences in Sky Captain are sometimes pretty cool, but run of the mill at other times. They would’ve been helped if the score was better. The average viewer doesn’t pay too much attention to a movie’s music, but it really is one of the most important aspects of a film, especially in this genre. Integral to our normal daily lives, music has direct access to our emotions, so its importance in filmmaking cannot be overstated. Lucas has even gone so far before to call Star Wars a musical. The music in Sky Captain isn’t particularly bad, but Edward Shearmur can’t hold a candle next to John Williams, composer of the Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings franchises, amongst many other great films.

I suppose at some point in this movie review, I should admit to my bias. I am a major Star Wars nerd. I have a telephone shaped like Darth Vader’s head, and I’ve nearly memorized all the lines from all of the movies from so many repeat viewings. I dressed as Boba Fett to watch Episode II, and I plan on going as Darth Vader to Episode III. I can hear you laughing at me, but I don’t care. I had a lot of fun doing it. If you could maybe get over your teenage desire to look cool, you might realize that there’s a lot of fun to be had in Nerdville.

Bearing in mind my bias, it can be expected that I would react the way I have to Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. The comparisons to Star Wars may have irked me a bit, but Sky Captain is actually an okay movie. If I were to give it a grade, it might be a “C+” or even a “B”. If you’ve got young boys in your family, they should appreciate being taken to Sky Captain, and at least you won’t be bored by it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, though. The Force is not strong in this one.

Comments? E-mail Weindl at joewatchesmovies@yahoo.com.