The author, John Marek, is a writer and executive director of the Anson Economic Development Partnership.
In the middle of the summer of 2004, I went with my wife and some friends to see “The Manchurian Candidate” starring Denzel Washington and Liev Schrieber. It was a remake of a 1962 film that generated some controversy in its time. The plot involved a brainwashed communist sleeper agent who assassinated an American presidential candidate. Many deemed it to be a little too close to the tragic reality of 1963 and it was rarely shown in the years after, but it was not banned as some claim. The 2004 version was so forgettable, on the other hand, that it could well have been banned and no one would have noticed. Indeed, the thing I remember best about it was the trailer for another film that played in the coming attractions.
“Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” was an homage to the sci-fi serials that ran on theater screens in the ’30s and ’40s but filmed with state-of-the-art digital technology. The result was a gorgeous sepia-toned movie with WWII fighter planes, ray guns, airships, giant robots and evil scientists that virtually no one saw despite a star-studded cast and serious marketing budget. The pitch meeting probably went something like, “Imagine Star Wars with a Raiders of the Lost Ark aesthetic.”
Although the film has largely faded into obscurity, the groundbreaking digital effects director Kerry Conran pioneered are in the DNA of every superhero blockbuster and indie space drama we see today. Other than the actors, almost nothing on the screen in Sky Captain is real. The performances were filmed against a green screen, and everything from city backgrounds to exploding dirigibles was added in post-production, a technique that is common now but revolutionary in 2004. At times, it shows. Think about the computer you had back then and you’ll understand that the capabilities of the technology might not have been up to the creative vision. Still, when it works, it is magical.
The plot revolves around the evil pre-WWII machinations of Dr. Totenkopf. Totenkopf plans to put select people and various species of animals on a rocket ship, fly them into earth orbit, then incinerate the planet so they can all return later and start a new master race. Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie star as the fighter pilot, journalist and airship captain, respectively, tasked with stopping them. It’s all cheesy retro fun, with all three actors gleefully chewing up the digital scenery.
Released in September 2004, the film was well-received by critics but earned only $58 million against a budget of $70 million and was considered one of the more prominent Hollywood flops that year. Time and streaming have been kind, though, and it has developed a small but devoted fan base over the years.
“Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” returns to Prime Video in November, and it’s worth a look, especially for fans of mid-century science fiction or folks who wonder what Angelina Jolie would look like sporting an eye patch.