# Semi-obligatory "Sky Captain" Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 14, 2004, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semi-obligatory-sky-captain-thread/264434 "2004-09-14T15:56:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TwoTrouts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@TwoTrouts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoTrouts)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2004, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semi-obligatory-sky-captain-thread/264434/21 "2004-09-15T14:14:42Z")
I am one of those eagerly awaiting this movie! I do hope they manage to do this right and that it doesn’t suck. The robots look like the tentacled main characters of the old \*Prof Jameson \* science fiction series of books I read as a kid, and the film seems to be reaching for a \*Doc Savage \* atmosphere. I remember feeling this sort of anticipation before the original \*Star Wars \* movie came out, and that worked very well. Cross your fingers!!! ---
**Author:** ![av8rmike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@av8rmike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/av8rmike)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2004, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semi-obligatory-sky-captain-thread/264434/22 "2004-09-15T15:09:23Z")
> [@Kilt-wearin' man](#): > > Man, it’s gonna be cool…and so many people just aren’t going to “get” it. Can you or **N9IWP** explain what this means? Like, people are going to think it’s bad because they can’t suspend disbelief? Or, won’t “get it” in some other way? ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2004, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semi-obligatory-sky-captain-thread/264434/23 "2004-09-15T15:22:36Z")
I’ve been jonesing to see this one since… Hrm… .Last year? When it was still going to be a summer movie…? Anyway, I think -most- of my friends are going to get it, except for one; “He’s got a plane? That makes him a hero?” :rolleyes: **Zebra** , I’ve heard an interresting rumor about the identity of the villain, actor-wise. Any chance you could confirm or deny it without spoilering? ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2004, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semi-obligatory-sky-captain-thread/264434/24 "2004-09-15T15:37:10Z")
> [@ArrMatey!](#): > > **Zebra** , I’ve heard an interresting rumor about the identity of the villain, actor-wise. Any chance you could confirm or deny it without spoilering? I’m not Zebra, but I’m pretty sure about what you’re referring to, and the answer is yes. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2004, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semi-obligatory-sky-captain-thread/264434/25 "2004-09-15T16:59:43Z")
> [@av8rmike](#): > > Can you or **N9IWP** explain what this means? Like, people are going to think it’s bad because they can’t suspend disbelief? Or, won’t “get it” in some other way? Well, I think the fact that it harkens back to an archaic genre (the unironic period serial action movie) means that those not familiar with that genre are likely to miss many of the references and allusions that (I suspect) play a big part in one’s enjoyment of the film. This isn’t to argue that you can _only_ enjoy it on that level, but the tone, style of dialogue, and narrative conventions are going to be particular enough that people might quickly dismiss it as “weird” or “lame” simply because it’s different than what they’re used to. To be perfectly honest, the movie-going public typically isn’t receptive to movies that challenge their expectations too greatly, and I think _Sky Captain_ runs the risk of being obscure enough in its origins and sensibilities that, even if it is brilliant in its own unique way (and I’m hoping it is but not claiming so), it still may not connect with a public who’s more used to Will Smith wise-cracks and new-fangled technology with easy-to-follow plots. This would be a shame, but there are plenty of other terrific movies with big-name stars (_Eternal Sunshine_ being the most recent example) that fail to find a larger audience, and I don’t think there’s any question that _SC&tWoT_ was going to be a very risky enterprise. I can see it being a bomb but hope it’s accessible enough to become a hit (even a modest one). ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2004, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semi-obligatory-sky-captain-thread/264434/26 "2004-09-15T17:17:04Z")
> [@ArrMatey!](#): > > I’ve been jonesing to see this one since… Hrm… .Last year? When it was still going to be a summer movie…? Anyway, I think -most- of my friends are going to get it, except for one; “He’s got a plane? That makes him a hero?” :rolleyes: > > **Zebra** , I’ve heard an interresting rumor about the identity of the villain, actor-wise. Any chance you could confirm or deny it without spoilering? Not really. You’ll see what I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Kilt-wearin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kilt-wearin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilt-wearin_man)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2004, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semi-obligatory-sky-captain-thread/264434/27 "2004-09-15T18:27:29Z")
> [@av8rmike](#): > > Can you or **N9IWP** explain what this means? Like, people are going to think it’s bad because they can’t suspend disbelief? Or, won’t “get it” in some other way? It’s total fantasy, meant to be fun. A lot of people are incable of dealing with that. This is a movie set in an “alternate” version of 1939 - it apparently opens with the Zeppelin _Hindenburg III_ docking on the airship mast at the top of the Empire State Building - and the viewer will have to be willing to leave cynicism at the door to get into it from what I’ve seen. Audiences don’t seem willing to let themselves be imaginitive anymore, and anyone looking for a realistic story about how a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk would really have fared against 60-foot-tall tentacle-armed robots in New York City is going to be disappointed in this movie. So, yeah, I think a lot of people simply won’t “get it” and will leave the theater confused about what the movie is “supposed to be about”. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2004, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semi-obligatory-sky-captain-thread/264434/28 "2004-09-15T20:35:17Z")
> [@](#): > > …I’ve heard an interresting rumor about the identity of the villain, actor-wise. Any chance you could confirm or deny it without spoilering? I happen to know who the plays the villian of the piece, and apparently it’s his best performance in years. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2004, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semi-obligatory-sky-captain-thread/264434/29 "2004-09-15T22:56:37Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > I happen to know who the plays the villian of the piece, and apparently it’s his best performance in years. 😉 I’m glad they dug him up for this. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semi-obligatory-sky-captain-thread/264434/30 "2004-09-15T23:21:07Z")
At Best Buy you can get a free DVD with the trailers a behind-the-scenes documentary (it is about 20 minutes I think), some PC game, and something else I cannot remember. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semi-obligatory-sky-captain-thread/264434/31 "2004-09-16T03:35:21Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > I happen to know who the plays the villian of the piece, and apparently it’s his best performance in years. 😉 Spoiler box, please? You have me intrigued. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semi-obligatory-sky-captain-thread/264434/32 "2004-09-16T04:49:53Z")
They haven’t been hiding it. The id of the actor playing the villain gets brought up in every interview I’ve seen for the movie. Laurence Olivier appears in a computer manipulated performance. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semi-obligatory-sky-captain-thread/264434/33 "2004-09-16T08:49:37Z")
I like the idea of this movie, but I’m deeply worried about the visuals - I just watched the trailer and there’s a scene where the camera is following a bunch of alien robot bird-type things through an air-raid on what looks like a group of parked fighter planes or similar. Trouble is that it looks too much like a video game. I’m really hoping this is just because of the small window in which I viewed the trailer. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semi-obligatory-sky-captain-thread/264434/34 "2004-09-16T09:08:56Z")
> [@Silentgoldfish](#): > > They haven’t been hiding it. The id of the actor playing the villain gets brought up in every interview I’ve seen for the movie. > > Laurence Olivier appears in a computer manipulated performance. I’ve not read anything about the movie and had no idea there was anything special about the villain until this thread. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semi-obligatory-sky-captain-thread/264434/35 "2004-09-16T10:14:36Z")
I take back what I said above; I just watched the high-bandwidth trailer at [http://www.virtuetv.com](http://www.virtuetv.com) and it looks far more satisfyingly realistic. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semi-obligatory-sky-captain-thread/264434/36 "2004-09-16T11:01:09Z")
So it will include 1920s-Style death Rays? If so, I am so there. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semi-obligatory-sky-captain-thread/264434/37 "2004-09-16T11:20:43Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > So it will include 1920s-Style death Rays? If so, I am so there. **LOTS** o 1920 Style Death Rays. ---
**Author:** ![Balle\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/13edae/32.png) [@Balle\_M](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balle_M)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semi-obligatory-sky-captain-thread/264434/38 "2004-09-16T13:38:34Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > **LOTS** o 1920 Style Death Rays. Damn…I was hoping for 1939-Style Death Rays. Preferrably autogyro mounted. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semi-obligatory-sky-captain-thread/264434/39 "2004-09-16T14:03:50Z")
I have a friend who went to see an early screening of it this week – she said it ROCKS and is everything she hoped it would be! Man, I am so up for this one … ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semi-obligatory-sky-captain-thread/264434/40 "2004-09-16T20:53:43Z")
> [@Balle\_M](#): > > Damn…I was hoping for 1939-Style Death Rays. > > Preferrably autogyro mounted. I had forgotten about that. If I am elected President in 1940, I promise an Autogryo in every Garage and that our Great Zepplin Airforce will keep our enemies in check! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semi-obligatory-sky-captain-thread/264434.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semi-obligatory-sky-captain-thread/264434.md?page=3)