Tied for the best movie I have ever seen

An action-packed slog

All that we are seeing on the screen is happening with real people, real action sequences in the background, forcing the eye to watch as if we were there.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

*Spoiler/plot- Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, 2004. When mysterious giant robots attack New York City, intrepid reporter Polly Perkins is on the news story and enlists the aid of ace aviator and old flame "Sky Captain" Sullivan. Their mission is to find out who's behind these fling killing machines and to stop the plot to destroy the world before it's too late.*Special Star- Jude Law, Angeline Jolie, Gwyneth Patrow, Giovanni Ribisi.*Theme- The future has millions of possibilities, some good and many bad.*Trivia/location/goofs- This film features innovative state-of-the-art digital special effects with blue screen sets and unique scene image processing to achieve 1930's theatrical serial comic book appearance.*Emotion- While this film was interesting in it's breakout use of film digital EFX, I thought the movies plot got lost in all the technical special EX....certainly the theme was over shadowed or not clearly communicated to the audience.*Based On- Film plot takes it origins from a 6 minute original computer edited treatment by an amateur filmmaker that took the World's Fair 1939 theme.

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas laughed all the way to the bank recycling elements from old '30s serials with Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), while maverick director Robert Rodriguez has shown how hyper-stylised comic-book action, shot almost entirely on a 'digital backlot', can be a success with Sin City (2005).Writer/director Kerry Conran, on the other hand… A retro-futuristic, pulp comic-book science fiction adventure set during an alternate late-1930s, Conran's Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow can't be faulted for trying: it has giant robots, miniature elephants, ray guns, weird aircraft with flapping wings, planes that can turn into submarines, hovering aircraft carriers, a trip to the legendary paradise of Shangri La, a clean-cut hero, a pretty heroine, a scientific genius sidekick, and more cool art deco production design than you can shake a Bakelite radio at. It SHOULD have been a blast…Unfortunately, despite boasting such promising ingredients, the film proves to be a disappointing dud. Much of the film's lack of success can be put down to its glut of unconvincing CGI: as innovative as it was to construct all sets digitally, it's impossible to believe for a second that the performers are anywhere other than in a film studio, acting in front of a blue screen, which makes it hard to connect with the action. The film also suffers badly from poor casting (Jude Law, as Sky Captain, is a bland hero, Gwyneth Paltrow is a bland blonde, and Angelina Jolie is wasted in a forgettable supporting role), while the whole is definitely much less than the sum of its parts, the unengaging and messy plot a load of hackneyed old tosh about missing scientists and a mad megalomaniac bent on world domination.B for effort, but D- for attainment. That's 3/10 in IMDb terms.

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004): Dir: Kerry Conraan / Cast: Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Giovanni Ribisi, Angelina Jolie, Laurence Olivier: Exhilarating visual treat about future and opportunity. Filled with fantastic visual imagery from towering robots to hovering spacecrafts but its best asset is its film noir appeal giving it a black and white image with tainted colour. The world's top scientist disappear and reporter Polly Perkins is determined to crack the case. She is joined by aviator Sky Captain whose bravery knows no limits. Inventive storytelling with debuting director Kerry Conraan adding an interesting Noah's Ark reference where the villain aims to steal two of each animal to board onto a rocket. Jude Law is superb as the daring Sky Captain who dives head on into danger without thought or regret. Gwyneth Paltrow as Polly brings intelligence as well as humour particularly in the final scene in a joke regarding her camera. Giovanni Ribisi tries to crack codes while keeping contact with Sky Captain. Angelina Jolie as a daredevil fighter pilot complete with eye patch is a nice touch matching Sky Captain's daring enthusiasm ten times over. What is truly daring is the computer animated imaging of Laurence Olivier who has been deceased since 1989. He receives acting billing here, which is remarkable. Excellent adventure taking flight in its references to noir and old serials. Score: 10 / 10

Sky Captain is a loving distillation of 1930s serials into an enjoyable, beautiful, intriguing, fun film that never takes itself serious but is ultimately mindless. And that's what such films should be. In my opinion this is far and away the best of it's type, far surpassing the Marvel and Transformer spectacles. While adopting many of the plot points and action sequences of serials it still manages to look fresh and surprising.While I haven't the time or energy to review all of the previous posts, it surprised me that many criticized the use of color. One even said it was adopting the colorized look of the 1970s. You'll notice that the only part of the film that had true color was The Wizard of Oz showing on the Radio City Music Hall screen. In point of fact the film was a deliberate attempt to copy the look of two-strip Technicolor which was used up to 1935. As a fan of this look I go out of my way to find such films. Sky Captain succeeded admirably in copying it.Much criticism is lodged about the lack of sparks between the principals. This also is in keeping with serials where the only clinch was the closing scene. Instead, the rivalry between investigator and reporter with lots of wisecracking copies the feel beautifully. While all of this has become hackneyed from decades of use, it is handled well and intelligently.The CGI is used with care and as an adjunct to the plot. Small details keep popping up that will require multiple viewings to assimilate.This is a film for film fans. I consider it a classic.