yendi: (Freak2)
yendi ([personal profile] yendi) wrote2004-09-14 08:03 am

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.

Dude. They actually made a successful Blackhawk adaptation. Who knew?

[livejournal.com profile] shadesong and I saw it last night with LJ-less Tracy and her sister (and I believe I saw [livejournal.com profile] redcrowstudio and family across the theater). It was truly a blast. Ignore the Angelina Jolie in the previews -- this is a move about Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow. And they're both wonderful, as always. More suprising is that Paltrow actually chose a good script, something she's done rarely in her career. Both of them are upstaged by Giovanni Ribisi, who gets to have more fun than everyone else.

The plot? Exactly what you think -- mysterious robots attack New York in an alternate post-WWII world, and only Blackhawk Sky Captain and his team of pilots and engineers (most of whom, other than Ribisi, have no impact), as well as the Plucky Reporter and Lady Blackhawk British Captain Frankie Cook, can stop the madman behind it all.

Aside from being a Blackhawk movie, this is also a Republic Serial, as well as a tribute to all sorts of other classic films (shots from Godzilla and The Thin Man stand out, as do two separate Wizard of Oz moments). It's a load of fun, but you have to appreciate retro sci-fi to really be able to enjoy it. I suspect it'll bomb this weekend (being released against at least two other high-profile movies won't help), but do damned well on video.

What's really amazing is that the much-ballyhooed "everything on computer" approach is almost seamless, to the point that after a minute or two, I completely forgot all about it. The actors interacted with the "sets" perfectly.

And the movie has my new favorite final line ever. :-)

[identity profile] rhapsody-98.livejournal.com 2004-09-14 05:32 am (UTC)(link)
Aww... Angelina was the only reason I wanted to see it! Meanie preview makers are lying to us again? *g*

[identity profile] rhapsody-98.livejournal.com 2004-09-14 06:45 am (UTC)(link)
That would be nifty indeed...

[identity profile] terracinque.livejournal.com 2004-09-14 05:39 am (UTC)(link)
Answer me something that's been unclear from the previews: is "Sky Captain" the character's rank, or his name?

[identity profile] moop2000.livejournal.com 2004-09-14 05:41 am (UTC)(link)
So what is this new favorite final line?

[identity profile] blergeatkitty.livejournal.com 2004-09-14 06:10 am (UTC)(link)
I can't wait to see this. The roomie and I are going to catch this on Friday and then sneak into Wimbledon. Should be a fun night.

[identity profile] crystalrowan.livejournal.com 2004-09-14 06:28 am (UTC)(link)
What's really amazing is that the much-ballyhooed "everything on computer" approach is almost seamless, to the point that after a minute or two, I completely forgot all about it. The actors interacted with the "sets" perfectly.

I'm REALLY glad to hear that. I think seeing previews of it between other commercials and the like tends to make it seem very plastic-y (plasticy, plasticky? - oh well).

But I have high hopes for this one. I can't wait to see it.

[identity profile] xforge.livejournal.com 2004-09-14 06:38 am (UTC)(link)
C'mon, better than "...and by the way, I'm sure glad you changed your last name... you son of a BITCH!!" BLAM BLAM BLAM!!!

[identity profile] kaine-maxwell.livejournal.com 2004-09-14 07:11 am (UTC)(link)
Reminds me a bit of the one character from The Authority.

[identity profile] morenasangre.livejournal.com 2004-09-14 08:08 am (UTC)(link)
OOooh...can't wait. I've been promised I can see that for my anniversary and I'm dying. I've been waiting for that film for more than 8 months now. Brilliant design work, shiny special effects, alternate history, and Jude Law. Ahhhh.

[identity profile] redcrowstudio.livejournal.com 2004-09-14 09:37 am (UTC)(link)
Yep, that was me and family, including my daughter who was a birthday girl yesterday (17 now. Yikes). I didn't see you guys, but it was quite a crowd in there. Loved the movie, and I really hope you're wrong about opening weekend. I'm hoping positive word-of-mouth will push it into the top.

[identity profile] raptorgirl.livejournal.com 2004-09-14 10:51 am (UTC)(link)
It opens this weekend?!?!? Ohmygosh, I didn't think it opened until later this month. I have to see this. I'm a sucker for retro sci-fi. First time I saw the trailer, I was all "YES!"

Although these days, I'm not so keen on the trailer. See, I've watched it a million times at work. The students' monthly project is to create and post sounds and music to an abridged version of the trailer. So I've heard 1,000,000 crappy versions of the Sky Captain trailer. :)

[identity profile] mightywombat.livejournal.com 2004-09-14 11:18 am (UTC)(link)
I'v ebeen very much looking forward to seeing it for months now. Can't wait. Ray guns that shoot *rings* of energy. Alien flying machines that *FLAP*. It's gonna be an instant cult classic...

[identity profile] ebon-hawk.livejournal.com 2004-09-14 12:32 pm (UTC)(link)
now i really wanna go watch it ^________________^

[identity profile] bobthegoat.livejournal.com 2004-09-15 07:03 am (UTC)(link)
Thank god... I was getting worried. It got delayed so much, and then the marketing blitz WB took out in all the DC comics, and the it looked like they tweaked up the color at the last minute from the original trailers.

Yay Blackhawk/Serial movies!