Posted on 09/18/2004 6:02:46 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is full of visions of the dark, soaring New York cityscape, dogfights in the sky and the majestic Himalayan mountains. But what was the movie set like for the actors? A whole lotta blue. Thats because Sky Captain, despite its grandiose appearance, was filmed entirely against a blue screen with digital effects filled in. Though real actors star in it, almost everything else is fake. Think Roger Rabbit in reverse. While computer generated imagery has for years been a large presence in movies, Sky Captain is the first major motion picture made entirely digitally with living, breathing actors. Only what they touch is tangible. The movie, opening nationwide Friday, is set in a late 1930s New York beset by hundred-foot tall robots. Soon reporter Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) along with ex-beau Sky Captain (Jude Law) set off on a journey to stop a mad scientists plot to destroy the world.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
ERB actually wrote the Warlord of Mars books in the first two decades of the 20th century; they were "old hat" by the 20s. I read all 12 in high school, and I thought he ended the series far too abruptly.
Oh come on! It was a comic book tale. Visually stunning, with faded chroma, seamless effects, and a few continuity glitches.
Paltrow was more than fairly hot. The gagetry was phenomenal.
As far as the P-40 goes, most of them did not fly well under water, so I assert that while the plane sported a toothy grin, it was not a P-40. It was a fun movie. Don't try to be serious about this kind of movie.
"Why do they use a blue screen (as opposed to some other color)?"
Sometimes it's green, but in either case, it is a shade rarely found in nature, so it is easy to isolate the actors. It is a technique called 'chroma key' and is sometimes referred to as a 'mat shot'. Same thing the weatherman uses.
As for Gynneth however . . . maybe its a regional thing but her voice made me want to slash my wrists.
There are a lot of really cool inside jokes scattered through the film for fans of 1930s stuff. Several of the scenes during the attack on NYC, especially the line of police with Thompsons, were lifted directly from an old Max Fleischer Superman cartoon from 1938 (I think), titled The Mechancial Monsters.
At various times in the film, in little background elements, you will see a Tokyo newspaper with a photo of Godzilla, the SS Venture at the bottom of the sea, complete with bent cage (the ship that found King Kong), some interesting arifacts in Totenkopf's lair (Excalibur, for example), and some familiar sound effects from the War of the Worlds movie are used for the robot laser beams.
The story is pure 1930s serial. If you hate that sort of melodrama, you will not like this story. No real depth or irony; jsut fun and action.
As to the actors - Jude Law is not a favorite of mine, and was miscast in this movie. I normally do not like Gywnneth Paltrow, but I thought she did a pretty decent job in this film. Angelina Jolie does fine (horrid accent) for the three minutes she is in the film. The guy who played Dex was OK; just the right level of 1930s Gee-Whiz comic releif in that part. The other actors (all no-names) did acceptable work, but there was not really much available for the non-lead actors.
Then you should LOVE the new 2005 Chrysler 300.
Now there is a car that should have Doc Savage at the wheel!
Voice actors only! Maybe Hollywood will develop another Mel Blanc.
No running boards! How would he stay on?
There are also LOTS people who hate Anime. Cowboy Bebop, Vampire D, Last Exile..etc. That doesnt mean its bad. If its not your thing..move along. Don't spoil it for those of us who LIKE it.
Please see post #31
Strong grip?
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