# Sky Captain And The World of Tomorrow!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-captain-and-the-world-of-tomorrow/247726
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [May 29, 2004, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-captain-and-the-world-of-tomorrow/247726 "2004-05-29T23:49:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)
#### Post date: [June 1, 2004, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-captain-and-the-world-of-tomorrow/247726/41 "2004-06-01T16:24:45Z")
Hey, any movie with giant metal robots, P-40s, and dirigibles can’t be all bad.
Brian
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [June 1, 2004, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-captain-and-the-world-of-tomorrow/247726/42 "2004-06-01T17:15:05Z")
> [@N9IWP](#):
>
> Hey, any movie with giant metal robots, P-40s, and dirigibles can’t be all bad.
> Brian
Dirigables, or Zeppelins?
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### Author:  [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)
#### Post date: [June 1, 2004, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-captain-and-the-world-of-tomorrow/247726/43 "2004-06-01T17:24:07Z")
Zeppelins \*are \*dirigibles–but not all dirigibles are zeppelins.
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### Author:  [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2004, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-captain-and-the-world-of-tomorrow/247726/44 "2004-06-02T01:12:40Z")
Exploding airships! Giant Flying Killer Robot! Intrepid Aviators!
There is no way this can be bad.
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### Author:  [@Evil\_Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Death)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2004, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-captain-and-the-world-of-tomorrow/247726/45 "2004-06-02T07:59:19Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#):
>
> Exploding airships! Giant Flying Killer Robot! Intrepid Aviators!
>
> There is no way this can be bad.
Yes, there is. All they have to do is think exactly like you just did.
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2004, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-captain-and-the-world-of-tomorrow/247726/46 "2004-06-02T13:21:13Z")
> [@Dr. Rieux](#):
>
> Zeppelins \*are \*dirigibles–but not all dirigibles are zeppelins.
I’ve always suspected you of being a Dirigible-Sympathizer, & now I have **]i]proof**\*!!
Tell it to the FBI, my Inflatable Comrade! 😉😃
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2004, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-captain-and-the-world-of-tomorrow/247726/47 "2004-06-02T13:30:43Z")
> [@Evil Death](#):
>
> Yes, there is. All they have to do is think exactly like you just did.
Heh, somehow I feel like I’m gaining insight into George Lucas’s mind. “My new movie has a pod race! And giant fish! And Jamaican aliens! And computer-generated aliens galore! There is no way this can be bad!” Of course there is. It could be a humongous cheese-fest.
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### Author:  [@Winston\_Bongo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Bongo)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2004, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-captain-and-the-world-of-tomorrow/247726/48 "2004-06-02T15:46:08Z")
True, it may be a cheese-fest, but one of the reasons I have high hopes for **Sky Captain** is because it appears that the filmmakers are actually playing it straight. And as bizarre as that sounds, I think it’s _exactly_ the right way to go. Too often “retro” style movies tend to look down on their own source material and play it all tongue-in-cheek, as if to constantly remind the audience “We’re hip to this old-fashioned cheesiness, folks!”
One of the best things about the old cliffhanger serials was that, no matter how absurd things got, they always played it straight, as if the future of the galaxy really \*did \* depend on Flash defeating Ming, or whatever. Yes, there was humor, but not the \*wink-wink, nudge-nudge \* kind. That’s one of the reasons the Indiana Jones and the original Star Wars films succeed in capturing the old “serial feel” so well – while they have their share of humor, the films respect the characters and take the story seriously within their respective universes.
I’ve read that \*\*Sky Captain \*\* does this as well, and that’s a good sign.
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### Author:  [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2004, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-captain-and-the-world-of-tomorrow/247726/49 "2004-06-02T16:02:20Z")
And maybe… Just maybe…
1920’s style death-rays!
::runs and hides!::
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### Author:  [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2004, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-captain-and-the-world-of-tomorrow/247726/50 "2004-06-02T22:49:58Z")
Bought the book today on my lunch break. If I get off the computer I might have it read tonight.
So far, as geektastic as I had hoped.
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### Author:  [@Balle\_M](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balle_M)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2004, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-captain-and-the-world-of-tomorrow/247726/51 "2004-06-03T01:59:23Z")
> [@SolGrundy](#):
>
> It was natural for me to believe that since this is the kind of movie I’ve wanted to see forever. All _The Rocketeer_ had going for it was great style and a kick-ass poster; it just kind of under-delivered.
Under-delivered???
My God man…_The Rocketeer_ had a Zeppelin, Gee-Bee racers, a Broomhandle Mauser, Nazis, Jennifer Connelly, and a bitchin’ autogyro.
What more could you ask for? (And don’t say “a plot”)
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### Author:  [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2004, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-captain-and-the-world-of-tomorrow/247726/52 "2004-06-03T02:16:07Z")
The world needs more autogyros…
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### Author:  [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2004, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-captain-and-the-world-of-tomorrow/247726/53 "2004-06-03T02:31:27Z")
Yes, the autogyro has a certain indefinable something that helicopters and planes lack.
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### Author:  [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2004, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-captain-and-the-world-of-tomorrow/247726/54 "2004-06-03T03:00:27Z")
> [@Balle\_M](#):
>
> Under-delivered???
>
> My God man…_The Rocketeer_ had a Zeppelin, Gee-Bee racers, a Broomhandle Mauser, Nazis, Jennifer Connelly, and a bitchin’ autogyro.
>
> What more could you ask for? (And don’t say “a plot”)
Three words: Jennifer Connelly naked.
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### Author:  [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2004, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-captain-and-the-world-of-tomorrow/247726/55 "2004-06-03T03:02:37Z")
For some reason, the title of this movie reminds me of the pilot to Futurama.
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### Author:  [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-captain-and-the-world-of-tomorrow/247726/56 "2004-06-03T03:14:42Z")
Me too. I suspect this is because they draw from the same science fiction pulp and radio and film serial sources.
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### Author:  [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2004, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-captain-and-the-world-of-tomorrow/247726/57 "2004-06-03T03:24:43Z")
This movie could be either really great or really bad. I hope the former. All it needs is an autogyro and rocket packs. Not to mention some cool wrist radios.
Something inherently cool about 1930’s sci-fi. I don’t know why.
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### Author:  [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2004, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-captain-and-the-world-of-tomorrow/247726/58 "2004-06-03T03:26:35Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#):
>
> Somebody in Hollywood is taking a chance!
Yet another adaptation of existing material that has already found an audience counts as a “chance”?
> [@pesch](#):
>
> I’m betting this will suck like a $300 Hoover. It’ll look purdy,
Yes, that’s the point.
> [@](#):
>
> but the one thing I’m not seeing in the Wired article and elsewhere is any mention of the story.
Oh God! :rolleyes: If you want a story, try the library. Movies’ main draw are MOVING PICTURES.
> [@](#):
>
> I’ll probably still see it, because I love the look and feel of those old movies.
Look and feel of _what_ old movies? Movies never looked like that before! They’re just wearing old-timey clothing. It’s called a period piece.
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### Author:  [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2004, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-captain-and-the-world-of-tomorrow/247726/59 "2004-06-03T03:48:56Z")
> [@pizzabrat](#):
>
> Yet another adaptation of existing material that has already found an audience counts as a “chance”?
Yes, it does. It might not count as “originality,” but it still counts as a “chance.” A movie needs a significantly larger audience than a book to be successful, especially when it’s something as F/X intensive as this movie appears to be. It seems to me that the studio is taking a considerable risk in the assumption that, in scaling a book up to movie size, the interested audience will likewise scale up.
> [@](#):
>
> Oh God! :rolleyes: If you want a story, try the library. Movies’ main draw are MOVING PICTURES.
You don’t see a lot of movies, do you?
> [@](#):
>
> Look and feel of _what_ old movies? Movies never looked like that before!
I assume you’ve never seen any of the old Republic serials? The name Flash Gordon ring a bell?
> [@](#):
>
> They’re just wearing old-timey clothing. It’s called a period piece.
A period piece? Huh. Somehow, all the history classes I took managed to overlook the period in history where the Earth was invaded by giant robots.
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### Author:  [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2004, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sky-captain-and-the-world-of-tomorrow/247726/60 "2004-06-03T04:23:42Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Quote:
>
> > [@](#):
> >
> > Look and feel of what old movies? Movies never looked like that before!
>
> I assume you’ve never seen any of the old Republic serials?
…no. ☹
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