I had no expectations concerning this movie and therefore did not experience any disappointment. In fact, I found myself intrigued with the plot and character development. The only way to approach this movie is to put it in the historical perspective it successfully attains. Older viewers will be inexorably reminded of the serials of the '30s and '40s, middle agers will see the thread of DC comics and other icons of the 50s. Paltrow's character exudes the subdued sensuality of Veronica Lake. One almost expects a voice over narration ("meanwhile, in their hidden fortress....") but the film does quite well without stooping to such a retro trick, assuming that the audience is smart enough to supply their own narration. With theater tickets being as high as they are, I doubt if I will see this film on the big screen again (but then, I might) but I am eagerly awaiting it's release on DVD. A quality film experience which depends on story and character rather than sex, smut, and violence. I was thoroughly entertained.… Expand

As a visual artist, I respond to the dream- like images created in Sky Captain. As a writer I agree that the snappy dialogue is sparse and the plotline thin - however, I believe that certain projects begin to surpass their end result and compromises must ensue. There is nothing 'crass' about paying homage to what has come before. The point of this film lies somewhere over the rainbow between nostalgia and innovation. Remember, even Lucas found it necessary to go back and tweak the original Star Wars! … Expand

Boring with some good effects but generally dull.

Visually I found the movie very appealling. Though some of the 30's appeal became tedious. Overall pace of the movie is much to slow to be considered an exilharating adventure.

Obviously this is another one of those love it or hate it films. I'm not a fan of action movies, but this really isn't an action movie. Its an homage to old cinema. I loved it. Sure a few things might not've made sense, but its just supposed to be a fun film. And if you'd just sit back and stop picking at every little detail, you'd realize how much fun it is. This movie is meant to be simple in the way the films that inspired it were. Its silly. Its awesome. Its like nothing you've ever seen before. The visuals are fantastic. I loved every minute of it. The score was great. The actors were great, ESPECIALLY Gwyneth Paltrow, who got the "take-no-s..t" female reporter role dead on. One of the best actresses in Hollywood. Most people seem to have too high expectations for this movie to be "deep" or something. Why? That's not what its supposed to be. How could one even get that impression from the previews? And that Adam L. guy on here! What's his problem? He dares critique a movie he admits to falling asleep during? How dare he! For shame, sir! I bet you're the type that thinks "O Brother, Whereart Thou" was a great film. "O Brother" indeed! … Expand

Well... you can add my name to the growing list of viewers here who thought this movie sucked. I used to have faith in Hollywood critics, but after reading the reviews above, i'm starting to think they have their heads up their arses. Watching this movie.... i remained completely disengaged the entire duration. Bad, corny acting and dialogue; contrived plot; boring boring action scenes; hideous musical score. Worst of all... this movie tries to cram in elements from many past action movies but fails to be half as good as a single one of them. Maybe i'm missing something here, maybe if i went back and saw this again i'd agree with Mr. Ebert.… Expand

This movie was filled with your predictable adventure crap. So utterly predictable its, mine blowing. You've seen it all before, You know what they want to say before they say it. You know who is alive and who is dead, You know what they have to do. But you dont know how they manage to do it with such ease. You dont know how they can fight robots without even twitching. You dont know how they have no plan what and go along and conquer everything. Its like they've all done this before. whew... Jolie was good, she didnt seem Generic, and she saved me from Gwyneth Paltrow---- Gosh she was annoying. It was so annoying, I talked out loud, and got angry at her. Did the director want us to like her, or dislike her? Why was Jude law involved with her anyway? She was sooo fricken annoying! A guys worst nightmare. See the Indian Jones movies again instead of this one.… Expand

I fell asleep way too many times while watching this- great style and effects, just not interesting for a second.

This is one of the worst movies I've ever seen, utterly unbelieveable on many levels. The cinematic style was annoying, and the script was terribly predictable. I was really surprised to see such great actors in such a bad movie.

May be the single worst entertainment product I have ever witnessed. Shame on everyone involved.

Being just a little tired of movies that substitute comic book plots for real subject matter, that recycle long-dead genres in place of coming up with original premises, and that give actors blue screens to play against instead of other actors, I walked into Kerry Conran's computer-generated 1930s/40s pastiches with somewhat diminished expectations--and lo and behold, Conran went below and beyond every single one of them! This is a movie that is so relentlessly misguided and wrongheaded in every conceivable way that it actually invents a few NEW ways to be misguided and wrongheaded! Faintly reminiscent of Michael O'Donoghue's elaboratye Art Deco parodies in early 1970s issues of National Lampoon , this has all of their archness and none of their wit. The color schemes and art design are obviously done with a lot of ambition but end up making the film look like one of those patchy, ultra-cheesily colorized VHS versions of such public domain favorites as It's A Wonderful Life and Night of the Living Dead that flooded video stores at rock-bottom prices before even undiscriminating viewers and renters screamed foul. When I wasn't bored to tears, I was shocked at how Conran had so completely locked such lively and distinctive actors as Jude Law, Angelina Jolie and Giovanni Ribisi into his no-wiggle-room approach that all of them give hugely, depressingly joyless performances. Then there's Gwyneth Paltrow, whom I normally really like, who as a pushy reporter gives the most aggressively irritating performance I've seen so far in any movie this year. (And if you think that the actors had an insurmountable dilemma having to work against nonexistent computer effects that were filled in later, think again: Bob Hoskins faced the same challenge in Who Framed Roger Rabbit 16 years ago...and met it with a delightfully quirky, original portrayal.) But then, Sky Captain has fundamental problems that plumb far below Conran's execution: it's his concept that is fatally and irreparably flawed. If you're going to reproduce an old genre (in this case, the futuristic serial) to modern audiences, there are two ways to go about it: you can either be fundamentally faithful to the source but make it your own, adding your personal sensibilities and technology to it and rechannel the material into the best movie you know how to (the obvious examples here are the Star Wars and Raiders movies)...or you can recognize their fundamental absurdities and have some fun with them (as Larry Blamire did earlier this year with his incredibly accurate, lovingly rendered Edward D. Wood parody The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra). If all you're going to do is regurgitate everything that's already been done, particularly with the money that Conran and Paramount spent, then far, far better to rerelease some of the originals and donate the money you would have spent to a good charity. Enough said...but wait! Just when you think Conran has plumbed the depths of stupefying unwatchability, he digs a little deeper, as Sam Kinison used to say. The controversial issue of digital reproduction of dearly departed famous actors and personalities (the movie buffs' version of the stem cell research debate) CAN be put to responsible use; the way that Alex Proyas allowed us to enjoy Brandon Lee's last performance in The Crow is a top-notch example of that. More often, though, the result is as despicable and grotesque as the use of Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne to sell soft drinks. I sincerely hope that the estate of Sir Laurence Olivier can put several children through college with the blood money they were paid to desecrate his image; only the fact that despite Paramount's desperate rescheduling Sky Captain ended up STILL becoming a resounding (and deserving) flop prevents me from being convinced that this grave robbery is a sign of the Apocalypse.… Expand

Please people, stop trying to cut up every single facet of the movie and killing it. The movie was fun, from the opening titles to the end, it was fun. Sure the story line was simple, but that was the point of it. It was just a beautiful work of fun. Just because it doesn't meet certain snobby standards of film-making doesn't make it a horrible film. Jesus, you guys are reviewing this worse than Garfield!… Expand

Some say its awsom some say it sucks i think it was good but what do i know imm just some one that went to see the movie and its done in a 1930's-50's style all befor my time of course but what did you expect of course its gonna be a little blury and some minor stuff but if you quit complaining and start watching the movie for what it is and is about you will enjoy it but if you complain and think it is going to be bad from the start the your going to hate it so try to keep an open mind.… Expand

Sky Captain was a visual treat with its nostalgic look and stunning action sequences. The interplay between Polly Perkins & Sky Captain remained consistently unsentimental.

Wait for the DVD and play it with the sound off. Visually stunning: scifi meets sepia tones. But the plot/dialogue is a step below the average comic book and not quite camp enough to be funny. Best line: "Is that light supposed to be on?" as the plane runs out of gas.

The effects are startling and wonderful, but there's better actingin the original Buck Rogers reels. And its called a plot, people. Cool CGI is neat, but I don't like the paying seven bucks to watch somebody else play a video game. I can't believe so many respected reviewers gave this movie high marks. Did somebody slip these guys some bad LSD? I'd rather sit through a German snuff and scat film than watch this kind of computer-driven souless crap. Finally, Plan 9 From Outer Space has a rival. … Expand

Effects and the graphic concept is OK, but there is no script, poor acting and directing is all over the place. The director has no experience so probably all the advisors and producers "helped" him to direct. The actors can't even pronounce Totenkopf the same way. The score is really miserable and completely out of concept. One would expect something in the same style as the visuals but instead there is the worst kind of mainstream hollywood crapola.… Expand

The film has amazing visuals, but the plot and characters are not involving ? I found myself not caring about either. This amounts to great ingredients in an otherwise burned cake - to bad because it had wonderful potential.

Visually, this movie is on par with anything released this year. It is obvious that the director has a keen eye for creating interesting images. It is a shame the story and characters are weak. His work reminds me of David Twohy of Pitch Black/Riddick fame--a director that is quite good at creating compelling images, but weak on story and character. The plot holes in this movie are as sizable as any I have seen in some time. I would love to overlook them and just enjoy the spectacle, but I was unable. I agree with several other reviewers....I was hoping that Polly Perkins would be killed. I wish I could recommend the movie, but I feel it is not worth the money movies cost these days. … Expand

This movie is a novelty at best... I would have enjoyed it more sitting on my couch in the rental mode. There is no real drama in this movie with a linear plot and actors who give a shallow performance. You won't be sucked in at all... at best you'll periodically enjoy the visuals but in my book that doesn't make a good movie. Also what's up with metacritic and their interpretations of the reviews ? You can't just go by score anymore... sometimes they give 2 reviews the same number and if you read the review you see how vastly different they can be. Ebert is all over the board ... one week 100 then next 20 ! This site is losing it's usefulness. … Expand

Thank You All. (average movie goers) For restoring my faith in humanity. Im SO releaved that so many REAL people saw this movie the way that I did. Critics are idiots sometimes. I basically agree with every point made by average users who gave this movie a "5" or below. They have already said it for me. Dont see this movie, maybe send your 11 year-old to it, and take a nap at home. (other wise you will be paying money to take a nap in the theatre, like I did ! ) … Expand

My date loved it but I wasn't so impressed. I'll give up a lot of plot and acting for a 'pretty' movie, but Paltrow's acting was horrid, no wonder its Jolie's image everywhere even though her role in the film is small the plot was by no means original and I'm tired of kitch and cheez. Its worth seeing on the big screen, just wait for the discount theatres.

I don't know what the others who gave this movie a bad rating saw or didn't see when they watched this movie. I just know that I had fun watching this movie and that all I ask of a movie like this one.

To the extent that the cinematography, premise, and overall artistic inventiveness succeeds, it earns a couple points. Otherwise, the plot is terribly punchy, porous, and illogical. Yeah yeah yeah, "It's a comic movie, it's not supposed to be logical," but the characters' decisions and the plot's movements are so unreasonable, it leaves the viewer in the dust, asking "what? why???" Well, at least the viewer older than 14 or so.… Expand

Thank you guys for giving this movie a 3. It was an abination yes, not not a total abomination. But I cant get pass the abomination part. Paltrow was sooooooo annoying. I just hated every single word that came out of her mouth, and the Movie is sooo Generic and so lifeless, you never care about the characters, you never wonder if they are in danger or not. In the first scene when they were being chased by the bat planes, they were having a good time and making a joke of it. Those guys arent even afraid of Giant robots. When Jude law ran over to that robot and pushed it down after shooting it in the leg. I spit out my sprite. I mean, how the hell could he do that. It was so fricken comical it wasnt even funny. Anyway, Somebody here mentioned to see the Indiana Jones movies again. Please do that instead of watching this.… Expand

If you love the old pulp serials, you will love this film. If you don't you will most likely be unimpressed. If you don't know what they were, give Sky Captain a try.

This was the most God-awful piece of canine dung I have seen in quite awhile. People are raving about the CGI, but to me, it was so GLARINGLY computer generated you couldn't even be convinced to slip into the fantasy of it. And Gwyneth Paltrow - I wished and prayed for her death for the entire hour and 47 minutes, but it, unfortunately, never came to pass. The acting was absolutely the worst. And what in the name of all that's holy was the relationship between Jude Law and the kidnapped "Dex?" Were they brothers? Lifelong friends? Gay lovers? Everytime the man's name was brought up, Jude Law was looked at like he had antennae growing out of his head. This was only the most miniscule of the many major discrepancies and unexplained nuiances. There were so many holes in the plot, I refer to this film as not only grade F government cheese, but SWISS cheese at that. Some have said that those under 14 might enjoy it. My 11 year old sat agasp at the horror of this film - she asked halfway through if she could go sit in the lobby for the remainder. She also couldn't get past Jolie's enormous lips - who could? She wanted to know how it was their clothes were burned, they didn't bring anymore with them and yet Sky Captain has a flight jacket and Polly has her cute little 40's suit and high heels? If you could get that wardrove in Shangrilah, couldn't she have found a place to pick up a couple extra rolls of film? My poor husband couldn't even sleep last night - worse yet, it was his birthday. Turning 35 was made all the more horrifying by sitting through this stinker. The only way this movie could POSSIBLY be redeemed is from a good rework by the gang at Mystery Science Theater. Too bad the show isn't still on the air..... … Expand

This movie was so tepid and un-inspiring. The visuals were good at times, but really felt like they were useless, considering the cellophane acting that was passed off as a character. The story couldn't have been more predictable and the timing almost like a clock. Those that have even dared compare this movie to the Indiana Jones series best watch them again. At least thier plot lines weren't as predictible as Sky Captain. Truely disappointed.… Expand