Directed by: Kerry Conran
Written by:Kerry Conran
Starring: Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Gambon
Released: February 3, 2005
Grade: B-

Sky Captain & The World Of Tomorrow is a beautifully shot film which is a blend of both the past and the future.  The lack of colour and grainy look will make you think this was made in the 1950s.  Then again, all the strange aircrafts and robots will make you think it is set in the 2050s.  In my opinion, it has a Star Wars feel to it.

For Jude Law, this is the fifth film in which he has appeared over the Australian summer.  Brace yourself because he also stars in The Aviator which opens this Thursday.  I’m not the biggest Jude Law fan but he’s not too bad in his role as Joe, aka Sky Captain, a pilot who keeps the world safe from its adversaries.

The latest drama will see Sky Captain put to the ultimate test.  Cities around the world have been overrun with giant mechanical monsters who have been stealing valuable world resources.  Just who is behind this fiendish plot?  Following the story for the press is reporter Polly Perkins (played by Gwyneth Paltrow).  Polly and Joe were once married but things are now strictly business.  This isn’t the first time Paltrow and Law have played love interests on screen – you might remember them from 1999’s The Talented Mr. Ripley.

Sure this story is clichéd but that’s it design.  It like a comic book – the action comes thick and fast and little is left to character development.  I had fun for a while and enjoyed the originality (particularly the film’s look).  Still, I struggled to maintain my interest until the very end (when Angelina Jolie makes a short appearance as a much needed ally to Sky Captain).  The gag with the number of shots left in Polly’s camera was a little too drawn out for my liking also.

Slated for release some time ago in this country, Sky Captain & The World Of Tomorrow has finally been released.  After a poor showing in the United States, I suggest you see it soon, before it’s too late…