Movie connections for
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) More at IMDbPro »

Version of

The World of Tomorrow (2005) (V)

Spin off

The Flying Legion Air Combat Challenge (2004) (VG)
 -  This is a video game version of the film.

References

Metropolis (1927)
 -  Art deco/German Expressionist depiction of futuristic city. Beautiful and dangerous female android.
King Kong (1933)
 -  The opening scene in this film involves a zeppelin docking at the Empire State Building. In a New York Times article, he recalled the time when he saw a scene in King Kong with a mooring mast seen at the top of the building which is likely what inspired him for this scene. The ship which carried King Kong in the 1933 film can also be seen as a shipwreck in one scene.
The Invisible Man (1933)
 -  Polly on Totenkopf: "He's the Invisible Man."
Hindenburg Disaster Newsreel Footage (1937)
 -  The opening scene has a zeppelin named the "Hindenburg III." Also a reference to the radio broadcast is made ("Oh, the humanity!")
Lost Horizon (1937)
 -  characters visit 1930s version of Shangri-La
Buck Rogers (1939)
 -  A few Buck Rogers comic books are shown on Dex's table.
Wuthering Heights (1939)
 -  In the background of one of the shots in New York City, it can be seen advertised on a movie theater marquee.
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
 -  Kerry Conran, in an interview, cites Oz's flying monkeys as the inspiration for the film's ornithopters. Also, the film goes from a drab-noir color scheme and progresses into more vibrant "Technicolor" colors, as Oz does.
Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941)
 -  Dex's first line is "Shazam!"
Citizen Kane (1941)
 -  The villain, Dr. Totenkopf's castle is shown in a photograph. The photograph is actually of Kane's castle in the film.
The Mechanical Monsters (1941)
 -  The design of the flying robots in the first action scene is based closely on the mechanical monsters in the classic Superman cartoon by Fleischer studios, including the sillouetted transformation of the robots' arms into wings.
Kings Row (1942)
Captain Midnight (1942)
 -  "Sky Captain"'s creators openly acknowledge a debt to pulp culture; Captain Midnight is the best known aviation hero, and the costuming in this serial seems to be directly quoted in it based on promotional images from the film
King of the Rocket Men (1949)
 -  The hovering robots at the end of the film have controls on their chest plates, similar to those in King of the Rocket Men. Kevin Conran (Sky Captain production designer) credits the serial as the source of where he got the idea.
Strangers on a Train (1951)
 -  The scene where Polly's camera falls into a draining grate is nearly shot-for-shot remade from the scene where Bruno Antony drops a lighter under a drainage grate.
The War of the Worlds (1953)
 -  The giant robots' laser beams make the same noise as those of the ships in "War of the Worlds."
Gojira (1954)
 -  When other cities attacked by the robots are shown, briefly, in Tokyo, the shadow of a giant, Godzilla-like lizard can be clearly seen.
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
 -  When Polly Perkins talks about Dr. Totenkopf she says that he "was at work on what was darkly hinted to be a doomsday device", a line straight from Dr. Strangelove.
Planet of the Apes (1968)
 -  When Joe, Polly and company arrive at the abandoned mine, the establishing shot from "over the shoulder" of the mine tower is identical to the reveal of the Statue of Liberty in The Planet of the Apes. The tower even has antennae that mimics the Statue's crown.
THX 1138 (1971)
 -  The door to Dr. Jennings place has the number 1138 on it.
Marathon Man (1976)
 -  Right after Laurence Olivier is seen as Totenkopf in a holographic projection, Sky Captain asks Dex the famous line, "Is it safe?" about the booby-trapped doorway.
Star Wars (1977)
 -  When Sky Captain lands his plane on the British flying skyport, he is directed to land on runway 327 (same Hanger used by Han Solo).
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
 -  reference to "landing platform 327" (Bespin/RAF Aerial Landing Strip)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
 -  Polly says to her editor "You know what a careful girl I am" when leaving for Radio City as he tries to dissuade her from going. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones says to Marcus Brody "You know what a careful guy I am" while packing for his trip.
Tenkû no shiro Rapyuta (1986)
 -  At the beginning of "Sky Captain..." a zeppelin docks at the Empire State Building just in the same way of the airship in "Tenkû no shiro Rapyuta". Another reason is the look of the giant robots and their particular way of flying (the arms changes in wings in the same way in the two movies)
Titanic (1997)
 -  Ship appears in the underwater "graveyard" sequence.
Nick Fury: Agent of Shield (1998) (TV)
 -  Angelina Jolie, the eyepatch, the airbase and that entire set-up are all in homage to Nick Fury
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
 -  Villain with double-ended electrified baton battles the hero over a precipice. Also shots of villain in black cloak
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)
 -  Sky Captains's line "Why won't you die?" is a line from the second Austin Powers film when fighting one of the goons.
The Iron Giant (1999)
 -  In Sky Captain's hanger, Iron Giant is one of the discarded robots
Titan A.E. (2000)
 -  The spaceship full of animal samples to create another earth

Referenced in

The Benchwarmers (2006)
 -  on shelf in video store
What's Going on Up There? (2007)
 -  Eric Adkin's references this film during his interview. Adkins was the DP for Sky Captain
"The Soup: (2007-08-31)" (2007)
 -  Joel calls "The Pickup Artist"'s Mystery "Sky Captain of Tomorrow"

Features

The Wizard of Oz (1939)
 -  The movie is shown playing at Radio City Music Hall in one scene.

Featured in

The Flying Legion Air Combat Challenge (2004) (VG)
 -  Before each level, short clips of scenes from the film are shown.
"The Oprah Winfrey Show: (2004-08-26)" (2004)
 -  Jude and Gwyneth were there to promote the movie in this episode
"Troldspejlet: (#32.10)" (2004)
 -  reviewed + footage used
Brave New World (2005) (V)
 -  Making-of documentary of Sky Captain, features scenes/clips from the final film
"Troldspejlet: (#33.10)" (2005)
 -  DVD release reviewed + footage used

Spoofed in

"Saturday Night Live: Jude Law/Ashlee Simpson (#30.3)" (2004)
 -  The "Dreamscape Studios" skit is a parody (with Jude Law as Sky Captain)

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