Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (DVD)

Sky Captain Upon Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow's release I not only had a chance to screen the film, but I also had the chance to visit with Kerry Conran about his visionary epic and he had a lot of things to say, but the one thing that I really wanted to see after the interview was a six-minute short Conran created. The short film was Conran's original vision of Sky Captain, a short he created using a blue screen in his apartment and his computer, and now that I have seen it there is no doubt it is the number one reason this film was made.

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is a futuristic look at an unknown world of yesterday in which flying robots and king size monsters become everyday fare. A world at the risk of extinction thanks to the dangerous Dr. Totenkopf and the only one that can save us is the Sky Captain and his flying legion.

Sky Captain was an okay watch on the big screen, but on DVD it turns into a feature length Saturday morning cartoon that is fun to watch on repeated viewings, just not too close to one another.

Starring Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie, Kerry Conran's visionary directorial debut satisfies on a visual level but the story just doesn't hold up well enough for this to be called a great film, but it is fun nonetheless.

As far as the Special Features on the disc go it is really a toss-up for me considering I had read just about every bit of press there was to read on this one, but for those virgin to the whole story it can be good fun.

First off, you get two commentary tracks, one with producer Jon Avnet and another with Conran and his visual effects crew. On a film that is 99% CGI effects you would think the second commentary would be more enjoyable, but Avnet was overlooking every inch of this film during its creation and he is able to point out the unique qualities of the film without geeking out, making his commentary far superior.

Beyond the commentaries you also get a couple of deleted scenes with their unfinished effects, a gag reel, three making-of featurettes and of course, the original six-minute short I referred to earlier, which is also the number one reason to get this DVD.

Yeah, its six minutes, but Conran's original intent with this story was to make it in his home, with virtually no budget and a blue screen in his apartment. Seeing this short will automatically help you believe that you can do anything if you really want to get it done. While it doesn't have the grand scale of the actual film it was enough to make my jaw hit the floor, and a definite must-see. It also led me to believe that it may have been an even more enjoyable film had it been made independently, without big names as the cast.

Buying this DVD isn't something I can necessarily recommend, but renting it is a must, for the six-minute short alone, it was the first thing I watched and the last. This movie will appeal to a wide range of audiences, just as it will turn-off several people from the very beginning.