I saw Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow today. One of the local reviewers summed it up really well when he said “whatever else this movie may be, it’s very pretty.” Yeah. Eye candy.
I liked the plot in Aliens vs Predator better, though. And the “science,” such as it was, had to be supported at least in part by the same suspension-of-disbelief engine used to power The Matrix: Revolutions.
Several months ago there was some discussion about mecha, specifically the feasibility thereof, on the Schlock forums over at Nightstar. The conclusion by all right-minded folk was that any technology sufficient to produce anime-style mecha will suffice to produce smaller, more efficient, non-humaniform killing machines that can plow through three times their weight in comparable tech-level mecha with ease. Chalain summed it up best when he said (and I paraphrase) “If your technology is so superior to your enemy’s that you can get away with building giant killer robots, then you’re just building to the psyche factor, and what you SHOULD be building is giant killer robot CLOWNS.”
Well, Chalain and I saw Sky Captain together, and we determined that any universe in which giant robots are a valid solution to a military problem must ALSO allow for nose-prop aircraft that can also function as both gliders AND submarines, robo-planes that flap their wings to fly, and aircraft carriers that float on air rather than water.
What Sky Captain really needs, and I mean REALLY needs, is the Mike Nelson MST3k treatment. This film could become a cult classic on par with Rocky Horror if some talented writers would publish a list of things the audience should be shouting.
–Howard