ORBzine - Video Reviews July 2005

"Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow"

In an alternate 1930s, plucky girl reporter Gwyneth Paltrow investigates the disappearance of a group of top scientists. Unfortunately, New York is attacked by a group of giant robots controlled by Bai Ling .

Gwynnie, and indeed the whole world, turns to her ex-Boyfriend Joe [Jude Law - A.I. ] for help. He's no ordinary Joe, he's the title character - a mercenary with his own fighter-plane. Supported by his loyal mechanic [Giovani Ribisi - The Gift ] he drives off the robots.

However, as always in this kind of 1930s serial, the hero and his love interest must track the villain to his lair, and save the world.

Angelina Jolie pops up in a brief cameo as Captain Frankie Cook of the RAF [a kind of female Douglas Bader circa the 1930s]. I suppose that's not the most unrealistic thing about this film.

Unlike Revenge of the Sith , this isn't just a handful of actors messing about in front of CGI backdrops. You see, in this film the CGI was done first. The SPFX weren't just thrown in to look cluttered and distracting. No, everything that happens does so to support the story. Even better, the actors are allowed to ACT. They get some wonderful pieces of dialogue. And the last line is PRICELESS!

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