The marketing hype calls it: "The movie that is the next evolution in Hollywood!"
Apparently, Hollywood is evolving backwards.
This movie sucks.
I REALLY wanted to like this movie. I loved the story behind how it got made, which is essentially "guy has dream, makes trailer over 5 years, producer happens to see it, cue film deal." Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything to like about it.
Starting with the acting, what does it say about the other actors when Angelina Jolie steals the film with a minor role and comes across as likeable? Jude Law was fine, but his accent really hurt his character. I'm not sure why, it just didn't seem right. Gwenyth Paltrow was awful. She was obviously phoning it in and I don't blame her. Her character was the worst part of the movie. More on that later. Even the other minor role actor sucked.
The visuals were supposed to start some new revolution in Hollywood, but didn't impress me at all. I know they were all computer generated, but I just got done with DOOM 3 and everything in that game impressed me more than what I saw in this film. The visual style and writing style are a direct take off of serial films from the 30s/40s (that time frame might be a bit off). The look is "dirty" and more black and white than color. The look was a tribute I'm sure, but they could have cleaned it up a bit. At times things on screen are very hard to see. There was one underwater sequence where it was impossible to see what was happening.
Beyond that the writing was terrible. The dialogue was beyond cheesy and I'm hoping was also a tribute to the old serial films. If it wasn't a tribute then the person responsible needs to get out more often and actually try speaking to another human being. Its beyond bad. Its the type of dialogue you would expect from a movie written by 8th graders.
The storyline is actually decent, but executed horribly. For example, there is NO payoff at the end of the film. That's not a spoiler, but you'll see what I mean. I loved the idea of the world the characters live in and a world at war against an unknown menace is always good, but there is no follow through on anything. Oh, and NOTHING is explained. NOTHING. No back story, no here's where we're at, no this character is motivated by this. NOTHING. The film starts as if you know everything that is going on and who each character is. Again, its a tribute to the old serial films and it acts like you've missed the first few films that sets the stage.
The worst part of the writing though is in the characters. They are beyond bad. For example:
-Sky Captain is some sort of planetary hero who apparently has an army. Almost no information is given about him, his past, his associates, or his army.
-Dex is Sky Captain's sidekick and scientist. No history, no background, no explanation of where he got his knowledge considering he's so young. No motivation explained at all.
The worst though is a toss up between the villains and Gwenyth Paltrow's character Polly. Its been said that the villain makes the movie. I can't argue that as this film has no personality, no soul. (You'll love that line after you've seen the film.)
As for Polly, what can be said about one of the all time worst characters ever? Remember the blonde chick from Temple of Doom? This character is worse. She's a reporter, but she's also a former flame of Sky Captain's. The writer obviously tried to make her a strong female lead, but just couldn't get the job done as she's an idiot. As soon as she gets to Radio City Music Hall in the beginning of the film and starts talking you'll realize how terribly her character was written and how bad the dialogue is. Plus, there's a running theme with her and her camera. Its more important to her than her life, yet she drops it in every freaking scene in the film. If its so damn important you'd think she'd hold onto it. By the way, that "drops it in every scene" is not a exageration.
As for the science in the film, wow. Think 1945 and stop technology. Now add in laser guns, planes that fly like birds and giant robots among other things. Let me just say that's just the tip of the iceberg. I could start a list of all the things wrong scientifically and technically, but I'd like to finish this post this year.
Keep in mind, that not only does it get all the stuff above wrong, but the film is also boring.
Just a bad, bad, bad film. It'll be worth the rental just to say you saw it, but I highly recommend you avoid it while its in the theaters.
On the plus side, it has the potential to become a so-bad-its-entertaining film like Plan 9 From Outer Space.
3 out of 10 stars. (the stars are for the concept and effort.)
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Let me add that this is one of those films that people are going to praise because they think it makes them look smart and artsy. In other words, they'll hear critics praise it so they'll think they should.
(The above is a generalization, not intended to hurt anyone's feelings. Its meant to imply the film will be overrated like Citizen Kane.)
They're wrong unless those films also had a shitty story and poorly written characters and dialogue.
I challenge anyone to defend this film here (actually do it in this spoilers thread), but you're not allowed to talk about how it looked. That leaves you with only the story and characters, and essentially, out of ammo.
Edited By Leisher on 1096177317
(The above is a generalization, not intended to hurt anyone's feelings. Its meant to imply the film will be overrated like Citizen Kane.)
They're wrong unless those films also had a shitty story and poorly written characters and dialogue.
I challenge anyone to defend this film here (actually do it in this spoilers thread), but you're not allowed to talk about how it looked. That leaves you with only the story and characters, and essentially, out of ammo.
Edited By Leisher on 1096177317
"Happy slaves are the worst enemies of freedom." - Marie Von Ebner
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
As far as how it looked, feh give me a real background anyday.
Did you notice the mistakes? I saw a couple. One was when some hanger doors were opening and while the sunlight on the ground was widening to show the effect of the doors opening, the sunlight from the windows on the hanger doors never moved.
I'm also pretty sure I saw Godzilla's image in one of the newspapers after the opening action scene. Take a wild guess which city's paper it was.
Zet, just admit you were high or making out with somebody and that's why you liked the film.
"Happy slaves are the worst enemies of freedom." - Marie Von Ebner
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell