Film Forum

Episode Recap

Episode 3

9/21/2004

Films Reviewed: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and Silver City

Commentary: What George Lucas did to Star Wars

Featurette: Behind the scenes of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Regarding Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow:

Matt: Sky Captain is a lot of fun to watch, and a technical marvel to boot.  The acting is convincing enough to make you believe it took place in a real world and not in front of a blue screen.  But why was everything so brown?  Still, it gives you a bang (and then some) for your buck.  Three stars.

Aron: Everything was in brown because of all the blue screen work (Matt: "Okay, but can't computers add blue even though it wouldn't matter?").  But the film is a lot of fun to watch in a throwback to the serials of the late 30's and 40's.  Jude, Gwynneth and Angelina give spirited performances and capture that period's spirit.  Three stars.

Average Rating: *** (out of ****)

Regarding Silver City:

Aron: As far as satire goes, this one starts off to be very clever.  Unfortunately, the satire turns sour and the film goes sour along with it.  While Chris Cooper (a member of John Sayles' acting stable) does a fine job as a bumbling politician, it needed to be more than that to work.  A real disappointment.  Two stars.

Matt: I am going to have to concur with Aron on this, but from another angle.  Again, Chris Cooper is quite the actor.  But his character got in the way of what could have been a riveting mystery regarding pollution.  If Cooper's character had been a nature TV show host instead of a stupid politician, this movie would have been a lot better.  Danny Huston, a relative of John and Anjelica, is also good as the investigator.  Two stars.

Average Rating: ** (out of ****)

Commentary:  At (long) last, the original Star Wars trilogy was released on DVD this week.  Aron and Matt took a look at what George Lucas has created and since tinkered with.  While it may look fantastic, Greedo still fires first.  And Sebastian Shaw is no longer a dead Anakin Skywalker.  Still, they are fundamentally the same films.

Featurette: Behind the scenes (or blue screens) of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, starring Jude Law, Gwynneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie.