Knight at the Movies ARCHIVES
Exploring New Terrain:
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Latter Days DVD
9-22-04 Knight at the Movies column
By Richard Knight, Jr.























In this installment of Jude Law, Movie Star, the golden haired chameleon ably steps into Harrison Ford/Indiana
Jones territory for an episode titled
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.  First time director-
writer Kerry Conran’s movie is a comic book brought to artificial life (the whole is presented in computer
generated sepia tone) and while it’s not quite as rousing as the visuals promise and the story’s not particularly
original (it’s a
Raiders of the Lost Ark-style homage to the cliffhanger serials of Hollywood’s golden era), it’s fun
while it lasts.

The visual pyrotechnics afforded by an entire movie created on computer (save the actors) and the mad scientist
playing God story naturally lend themselves to scene after scene of the leading characters shown from a bird’s eye
point of view as specks against the huge looming robots, the skyline, mountains, clouds, and horizons.  There is
more than a hint of
Metropolis and old Speed Racer cartoons here while the retro sepia style and the script’s re-
invention of the past is diverting – for awhile.

But after the visual panache wears off then what?  Well, there’s Jude Law, Movie Star.  Future episodes of this
versatile British variety show as actor include
I Heart Huckabees, the remake of Alfie, Closer (with Julia Roberts),
the
Harry Potter competitor, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, and Scorsese’s Howard Hughes
bio-pic,
The Aviator (in which he plays Errol Flynn).  All are due to arrive by the end of the year but unlike other
screen hog film stars, Law probably won’t wear out his welcome – because, the dazzling leading man looks aside,
he’s a terrific character actor that’s a lot of fun to watch (as
Gattaca, A.I., Road to Perdition, and Cold Mountain
attest).  He offers further proof here as heroic Joe “Sky Captain” Sullivan.

One of Law’s best performances was in
The Talented Mr. Ripley and he’s re-teamed with his co-star Gwyneth
Paltrow from that underrated thriller.  It’s a re-imagined 1939 as Sky Captain takes off and Paltrow, nice and
spunky as Polly Perkins, star reporter (sister under the skin to Lois Lane), meets up with a mysterious scientist at
Radio City Music Hall.  The scientist fears for his life and hands a brief case full of Mystery Blueprints to her in the
upper balcony (while a clip from
The Wizard of Oz plays) but just then the city is attacked by giant robots that bear
a striking resemblance to Denslow’s original Oz illustrations of the Tin Man and the scientist disappears.  

Now it’s up to Law and Paltrow to track him down, along with their kidnapped eccentric genius inventor pal Dex,
save the world from Total Domination by the stereotypical Madman, and end up back in each other’s arms.  The
pair is aided by Angelina Jolie, dressed in black leather with a matching eye-patch and oozing dark glamour, who
commands a British landing strip in the sky (very much in keeping with William Cameron Menzies
Things To Come
and the
Flash Gordon series).  After an underwater battle, they end up on an island that isn’t on the map (as in so
many of the Bond pictures) for a rousing finish.

Sky Captain offers a new technique applied to an old movie formula – an interesting conundrum that alone makes
me recommend it.  Could it be this generation’s version of 3-D or Cinerama?  Will it look and feel in 20 years the
way
Tron, Disney’s early 80s attempt at combining computer animation with actors, does now?  Like an odd curio,
recalled with a mixture of guilty affection and embarrassment?  I wonder.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The set-up in
Latter Days, just out on DVD from TLA Releasing is this: Aaron is a Mormon with a fabulous body,
sent out on his two-year mission to of all places, West Hollywood.  Christian is a waiter with a fabulous body who
picks up a different trick every night and by coincidence lives in the apartment complex where Aaron and his
brethren are housed.  Christian’s roommate and fellow waiter, Julie, bets him that he can’t bed the cute little future
man of the cloth.  With $50 at stake, Christian is immediately on a mission for the missionary man

Through the most contrived of circumstances the two end up in Christian’s bedroom, with Christian stripped down
to his International Male black jock strap.  He knows that Aaron wants sex but it quickly becomes apparent that
Aaron only wants it if there’s love, too.  “There’s nothing to you, you’re nothing but a marshmallow Peep,” Aaron
says, storming out, when he realizes that Christian is a girl who just wants to have fun.

There are many plot twists and turns that follow in the course of true gay love in this well-acted, terrifically
enjoyable little comedy-drama, the first written and directed by
Sweet Home Alabama screenwriter C. Jay Cox.  
Steve Sandvoss brings just the right combination of naiveté, youthful exuberance and conflict to the leading role of
Aaron while Wes Ramsey matches him as Chris, the party boy who doesn’t want to grow up.  Ample support is
offered by Hollywood veterans Jacqueline Bisset, as the wise, accepting owner of the restaurant where Chris
works, and Mary Kay Place as Aaron’s horrified mother.

The DVD offers an interesting “Making of Featurette,” deleted scenes, music videos (Rebekah Johnson as Chris’s
roommate is an aspiring singer/songwriter) and a thoughtful commentary by director and stars.  A great addition
to the gay movie canon, it’s easy to see why this has been a big hit on the festival circuit – both gay and straight.  
www.TLAReleasing.com  
Dazzling new technology can't replace a good story, a gay Mormon and a West
Hollywood party boy fall in love: need I say more?