Maybe I’m not in a super-critical mood right now. Or maybe I just read too many negative reviews that lowered my expectations. But unlike so many other reviewers, I really liked Sky Captain.

There really seems to be no good category to place this movie and for me that was some of the appeal. Is it sci-fi? Is it action? Is it a return to film noir? You can’t really identify it as similar to anything else from either the past or the present… and in my opinion that alone makes it refreshingly interesting to watch. The plot was no worse than plenty of other action films out there and in many ways it merely served as a vehicle for some extremely lush eye-candy in the way of showcasing the technology.

I think the biggest drawback is the need to make a concerted effort to “suspend your disbelief” while watching Sky Captain fly around in his WWII vintage plane that turns out to be more high tech than anything we have currently. During the first 15 minutes, I also found myself obsessing on what details were real and which were computer generated. Then I couldn’t stop studying the actors’ eyes to try and spot the instances where they weren’t exactly looking at what they were meant to be seeing. However, once I noticed some of the more surreal plot inaccuracies, like the several quick trips by car between Manhattan and some remote Sky Captain outpost which looked like a secluded lakeside in Switzerland, I realized that I needed to stop fighting against the movie and judge it solely on its ability to entertain, because despite the predictable plot and places where the technology clearly stumbles, it is highly entertaining.

I usually hate Gwyneth Paltrow summarily, but I thought she was a good fit for the role of Polly Perkins, newspaper reporter. The dark red lipstick and the sepia tones accentuated her “classic” looks. Similarly, Jude Law is perfectly cast. He is debonair and yet caustic. I can’t think of a better person to pull off Sky Captain. And while the characters aren’t very fully developed, I believe that criticism misses the point of why this particular movie is revisiting an almost defunct genre. Setting such a technologically forward thinking film in the past juxtaposes a sense of nostalgia with this amazing display of innovation. The whole movie seems like something that has been done before and yet at the same time it is entirely different from anything you have ever seen. The characters were essentially a homage to the archetypes of “brassy newspaper reporter,” “debonair tough guy outsider,” and “evil deranged scientist.” The addition of the little quirks in their personas showing their human frailties, however, was a very 21st century tinkering with the genre that allowed for a playful element of humor.

Of course, I can’t end the review without mentioning the small part played by Angelina Jolie. Her character is another modern twist that plays with the older genre. As unlikely as it would seem for that time period, Jolie plays Frankie, a British officer of an elite sky/naval unit. She is tough, sexy and in command. I loved her scenes which almost bordered on camp as she stomped around in tight black leather with (yet another) eye patch. As far as I’m concerned, she was one more bit of the fun feast for the eyes .

Any serious movie fan will need to see this movie. It may not be the best movie of the year, but it certainly is visual delight and bold effort .

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