Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Sky Captain poster I went to see "Sky Captain & the World of Tomorrow" this week. I know, I know, it looks like a typicaljunk summer movie, and aren't we all just a wee bit tired of Gwenyth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie, but I wanted to see it because I was interested in the technical components of the film: All of the action/image except for the actual dialogue between the principal actors is CGI (computer graphic imaging), which is a first in movie making. The actors did all their acting in front of a blue screen, no sets, etc. As a huge fan of both "Metropolis" and "Things to Come," I was intrigued when the trailers came out by the retro look of it - art deco for days, a throwback to those great early classics.

Much to my surprise this movie is a throwback in other ways as well. First of all it has a tight plot that doesn't drag anywhere through the story arc. And it's full of action that zips you right along, with enough surprises that it doesn't feel like the usual chases-&-explosions action picture. This I think is the primary benefit of the technique used to make the film. In terms of pure visuals the CGI is very impressive, seamlessly integrating the actors into the background - which is a complete reversal of normal filmmaking, and quite a technical achievement. If you are a videogamer it may not seem quite as fresh to you as it did to me, but even if you are addicted to gaming I still believe the transfer to the big screen will captivate. There is also a special effect that you may not even realize until you see the credits, and I don't want to spoil it by giving it away here, but watch for the effects involving the bad guys for a special treat.

But the biggest surprise, and pleasure, for me was the writing, the dialogue: This movie is really a throwback to the ratta-tat-tat wordplay of a classic screwball comedy - think Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn in "Bringing Up Baby," or a more direct parallel, Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in "His Girl Friday." While I've always liked Jude Law's acting, so it's not a stretch to imagine him in a Cary Grant role, I was most impressed by how well Gwenyth Paltrow recapitulated and updated her Rosalind Russell part. She manages to be tough and worldly at the same time she is the typical '30s-'40s leading lady running away from the bad guys in high, high heels. I last saw these two actors together in "The Talented Mr. Riply," a movie I absolutely hated, but I must admit that Law and Paltrow are well on their way to joining some other legendary screen pairings, they have the proverbial chemistry. For once, Angelina Jolie is well-used in this movie, and her verbal tug-of-war with Paltrow for the affections of Law perfectly completes the deft comedic elements that serve as counterpoint to the sci-fi action.

Also, for those of you who care about it, there is no vulgar language, and while there is lots of sexual tension in the relationships of the principals, there's no modern-style sex scene to bring the plot/action to a grinding halt while offending the sensibilities of the audience (a personal pet peeve of mine). I can easily imagine taking my nieces and nephews to this movie: The machine-monsters are cartoonish enough not to threaten kids' psyches, but scary enough to make the action credible, there's no vulgarity, and the adult relationships are for once adult enough that they will pass over the (younger) kids' heads as merely funny.

Until I saw this movie I was convinced that modern motion pictures were slaves to action sequences and special effects. I didn't believe that there were still screenwriters worthy of the appellation "writer," or movie makers who still understand that good dialogue can carry a film. I'm ashamed to admit that, as of this writing, I can't tell you the name of the screenwriter or the director, but I certainly intend to find out, and I will seek out their work in the future with much anticipation (I believe the director either wrote, or co-wrote the screenplay). It's NOT Shakespeare, don't get me wrong, but it is a clever, thoroughly entertaining two hours that remind you of why movies became an art form, without ever once taking itself too seriously. If you need to get away from this dreary world for a couple of hours, I highly recommend "Sky Captain & the World of Tomorrow."