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The World of Tomorrow (2003)
Impressive and a technical marvel
In 1930's New York, its leading newspaper, The Chronicle, prints an article written by ace reporter Polly Perkins reporting the disappearance of a scientist. As Polly clicks away on her typewriter, air raid sirens go up - the city is being attacked. Desperate to get another good story, she goes to the center of the panic when the attackers, which are revealed to be giant robots, hit. As they march down Fifth Avenue and all hope seems lost, there's only one to call for help...Sky Captain and his Flying Legion!
"The World of Tomorrow" is Kerry Conran's brainchild, and the original version of his first feature film, "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" (2004). Presented in black and white, the short is entirely CGI with the exception of its actors and falls nothing short of impressive. Of course, to fully enjoy it, one must watch it knowing some of its back-story: around 1994, Conran decided he wanted to independently make a film in the style of 1930s sci-fi serials (a la "Buck Rogers" (1939) or "Flash Gordon" (1936)). Only with the help of a few friends and family, he set up a blue screen in his own apartment and shot friends as the actors of the film. He then animated and rendered all of the visual effects (in other words, everything else that is seen in the short) alone, on his personal Macintosh computer. Painstakingly working through morning, noon and night for 4 years, Conran had only completed 6 minutes of footage by 1998, until he was discovered by Jon Avnet, who agreed to finance the project that was eventually to become "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow." The film, while it has A-list Hollywood actors and uses considerably more advanced technology, retains the style and spirit of the short as well as uses the same process of filming the actors alone on blue screen and animating everything else. The short itself was not shown to the public until the DVD release of "Sky Captain" in early 2005.
Essentially, the short is nearly shot-for-shot the first few scenes of its offspring. While some may seem a bit turned off hearing this having already seen the final film, watching the short is still a completely different experience. The real effect comes when one thinks about how this was all done on a single computer; merely as a labor of love. It is clear that Conran is enthusiastic for what he does. While it is also clear that this isn't a professionally-done film some of the effects are a bit hokey-looking, many cheap sound effects are used, etc - the visual and sound effects are overall quite impressive, as well, given the circumstances and the period of time in which they were done. It is also interesting to see how much of the short survived in the final film; with the exception of a few added sequences, it's pretty much there in its entirety.
The short ends with old-style title overlays, making the short a promotional trailer of sorts for a presumed full series. Unfortunately, however, Conran never got to complete this particular project, after working on "Sky Captain" and his upcoming feature films. In some ways, however, it's satisfying enough that the short is left unfinished and the reason for the elements of the story remains left to the imagination.
Overall, "The World of Tomorrow" is groundbreaking, perhaps even more so than the much more popularized "Sky Captain." Even if you weren't a big fan of the film, you should give this short a chance, if only to see the result of long hours of dedicated work with limited tools. Aspiring filmmakers who are interested in making their own independent film should also check this one out, and who knows, some day they might find themselves following in Conran's footsteps.
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
Brings Out the Imagination in Us All
Mechanical Monsters! Winged Terror! The End of the World! These are just a few of things that will flash through your head as you're thrust into the fantastic world of "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow," a world inspired by comic books and pulp serials from back in the day...back when a movie ticket only cost 25 cents, when the whole family would gather in the living room to hear this week's radio drama, when kids of all ages would eagerly line up at the magazine stands, chewing their wads of Dubble Bubble frantically, waiting to get their copy of the latest "Buck Rogers."
You must realize that I've been anticipating this film for at least 8 months, so there's no doubt that some bias probably plays a role in my review. However, I am happy to say that I enjoyed this film immensely. Although I had read the novelization by K.J. Anderson previously before seeing the film, it still managed to keep me sitting on the edge of my seat from beginning to end as I eagerly awaited what was going to happen next for our on-screen duo, as was most of the audience I saw it with.
The story is loads of fun, as it should be. It's a thrill ride, keeping you excited as much as possible, with something new at every dip and turn. Yes, there are a few (although I resent using this word) "corny" lines, clichés, and some silly running gags in the script, but they're very forgivable, sometimes even appreciated, and they just add more to the serial feel that the film is giving. This film also has plenty of humor...and GOOD humor, at that. Unlike something you'd find in a Wayans Brothers comedy, full of sexual "dirty" jokes in every line...the gags in this are original and have decency, the one-liners are classic, the final line is priceless (but that's all I'll say)...and it's all played at just the right places. My only drawback with the script is, probably as a result of things being cut, various things went unexplained, and as a result created some errors with continuity. Hopefully a director's cut is in order; I believe Kerry Conran has shown interest it doing one.
I will admit I'm not all that great at spotting acting performances, though I enjoyed each actor's portrayal of their character in this film. Jude Law is dashing as Sky Captain, and I can't have seen any other actor in the role. I will say I was a bit unsure about Gwyneth Paltrow at first, but thankfully, I was wrong, and although she doesn't give the strongest performance in the film, she does a very good job...and her character, although annoying at times, is very hard to forget. Giovanni Ribisi and Angelina Jolie nearly steal the show, and it's too bad they didn't have some more screen time, along with all the other actors in the film. The cameo appearance of Laurence Olivier as the villain is a very interesting approach, but in my opinion, it's understandable to the context.
The film's visuals? Spectacular. There's not much else to be said. As many know by now, almost everything in the film save the actors and a few props was CGI, with maybe one set that was built. And, if I do say so myself, the efforts of the filmmakers have definitely paid off; it makes the film's look ultimately breathtaking, and adds more to the comic book-feel. The merge between the live action and CGI is almost seamless and proves that CGI doesn't have to look realistic to be "good," as is the common thought nowadays. Another clever effect that was done to the film was to change the coloring in certain scenes. As an example, in the scenes that take place in New York, the coloring is very subdued, dark, giving a noir-ish mood. As the film progresses, and they move to more exotic locations, the color becomes brighter, more vibrant and "Technicolor-like," which dazzles on the screen. I'd be very surprised of the film wasn't up for some Academy Award nominations for at least either art direction or visual effects. Not to be missed is the film's score, composed by Ed Shearmur. It captures the mood of the film perfectly, announcing its presence with its full orchestrals in the opening titles and continuing through to the end of the film.
What the film really does, though, is makes us use our imaginations, something we don't see too much anymore. As you watch, your inner child is brought out...you feel like you're 10 years old once again, when imagination was unlimited. It is with this state of mind that "Sky Captain" should be seen in, in order to fully appreciate the splendor of its story. Just sit back, relax, and let yourself become lost in the world that Kerry Conran has created. The film ends with a very nice rendition of the Wizard of Oz classic song, "Over the Rainbow," and while it doesn't have that much relevance to the film (other than the fact that there are quite a few "Oz" motifs), it's oddly appropriate to the message.
You may hear hard-boiled critics complaining about the story being "too simple," "dull," "unoriginal..." but heck, I don't go to the movies expecting to find out the meaning of life, I go to have a GOOD TIME (as most people seem to forget), which I definitely did while seeing this film. Don't let other dissuading reviews keep you from seeing this-- give it a chance, see it yourself, and form your OWN opinion. You might be surprised!
In short, "Sky Captain" may very well be one of the best films of the year. It has class, thrills, comedy, romance, in the style of "Buck Rogers" and "Indiana Jones"...a wonderful, stylish adventure film that's not to be missed and should be enjoyed by all...the young, and the young at heart.