Glossy
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Review by Ross Anthony

After "Tomb Raider 2", another action film with Angelina Jolie in Superhero garb didn't whet my appetite. But, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law (looking rather reminiscent of "A.I." on the poster) did make me curious. That coupled with the hint that the film leans toward a certain knowing humor, brought me to the screening with expectation.

Unfortunately, that expectation was not met with a strong film. Initially, the look, touch and feel of the production pulls the viewer into a glowy, soft-edged world -- something of a blend of 1940 film and comic book lore. A world where real is softened by cartoon. A world where the main characters are stereotypes, perhaps homage/tongue-in-cheek recreations of mid-20th century heroes. Although excellent actors bring them to life, the characters themselves are so devoid of depth, that their thespian talents are wasted. And for you Jolie lovers out there, her character's participation is minimal.

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow So, initially, the film glistens with promise and sort of a hypnotic glow of visuals. But as the adventure unwinds, nothing more comes to the surface. Worse, the excitement over the look and feel of the film endures only through the first act.

Probably meant as a poke-funnery of the bygone genre, the film indulges in annoyances. For example: Paltrow's Polly-the-reporter character goes back into certain death danger at every turn to retrieve some photograph-related item. It's tiresome. In fact, probably viewers will have a hard time trying to decide when the film is serious about itself and when it's not. The net result being loss of impact in either intention. Fancying itself worthy of being compared to "The Wizard of Oz" irks me all the more in retrospect.

Though initially intriguing and intermittently appealing, the film never develops, and hides its most interesting character (the villain) till the end when it's too late. Overall - bland.


  • Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Copyright © 2004.
  • Starring Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Giovanni Ribisi.
  • Directed by Kerry Conran.
  • Screenplay Kerry Conran.
  • Produced by Jude Law, Jon Avnet, Marsha Oglesby, Sadie Frost at Paramount.

Grade..........................B- (1.5/4)

Copyright © 1998-2023 Ross Anthony, Author - Speaker - Solo World Circumnavigator In addition to reviewing films and interviewing celebs at HollywoodReportCard.com, traveling the world, composing great music, motivational speaking, Mr. Anthony also runs his own publishing company in the Los Angeles area. While traversing the circumference of the planet writing books and shooting documentaries, Mr. Anthony has taught, presented for, worked &/or played with locals in over 30 countries & 100 cities (Nairobi to Nagasaki). He's bungee-jumped from a bridge near Victoria Falls, wrestled with lions in Zimbabwe, crashed a Vespa off a high mountain road in Taiwan, and ridden a dirt bike across the States (Washington State to Washington DC). To get signed books ("Rodney Appleseed" to "Jinshirou") or schedule Ross to speak check out: www.RossAnthony.com or call 1-800-767-7186. Go into the world and inspire the people you meet with your love, kindness, and whatever it is you're really good at. Check out books by Ross Anthony. Rand() functions, Pho chicken soup, rollerblading, and frozen yogurt (w/ blueberries) also rock! (Btw, rand is short for random. It can also stand for "Really Awkward Nutty Dinosaurs" -- which is quite rand, isn't it?) Being alive is the miracle. Special thanks to Ken Kocanda, HAL, Jodie Keszek, Don Haderlein, Mom and Pops, my family, R. Foss, and many others by Ross Anthony. Galati-FE also deserves a shout out. And thanks to all of you for your interest and optimism. Enjoy great films, read stirring novels, grow.

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Last Modified: Saturday, 16-Sep-2006 07:53:56 PDT