Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
This is one of my favorite movies of the last 10 years or so. It is not necessarily one of the best movies of the last 10 years or so, but it is one of my favorites.
I am the sort of person who is equally comfortable in the past or the future (though not so much in the present, naturally). Indiana Jones or Han Solo, in other words. And what this movie accomplishes stylistically fits into that sense of historical futurism that is very dear to me. (Blade Runner is another favorite that marries noir and SF.)
Are there flaws in the film? Dear Lord, yes. But forget all that: there is a freaking Zeppelin moored to the Empire State Building, unloading passengers after a trans-Atlantic flight! A WWII-era fighter plane is battling robotic bad guys!
Having been an ardent viewer of old movies since I was a little kid, seeing the “tribute” shots hearkening back to those was a joyride full of happy moments. It’s obvious the filmmakers share that joy. It’s Saturday afternoons all over again.
And that’s the thing: this is supposed to be fun. It’s not supposed to be an Ironic Commentary On Historical Films, or Accurate At All Costs, or A Story For The Ages. It is just a movie that pays homage to some of the most entertaining bits of the early 20th Century. And in that regard, this reviewer gives it a 12 elements out of 14 - Magnesium