Virtually unknown, writer/director Kerry Conran sold producer Jon Avnet on the initial idea of this visually stunning film with a mere six minute demo made on his computer.

Unlike anything seen onscreen before, "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" is a hybrid of computer generated images and live actors that lifts filmmaking to a whole new technical level. When Gene Kelly danced with the animated Tom and Jerry in 1945s "Anchors Aweigh," audiences were spellbound. Only nine years ago "Toy Story" took everyone’s breath away with its life-like CGI animation. "SCWT" is equally groundbreaking.

The principal actors completed their performances totally with the use of blue screens, the final background constructed entirely with digital photos, models and archival material. That mega-stars like Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow actually signed on with an untested director/writer for this type of experience is a testament to that six minute demo flick and producer Jon Avnet’s powers of persuasion.

Set in a New York-like metropolis around 1930, "SCWT" centers on plucky reporter Polly Perkins (Paltrow) and her estranged ex-boyfriend, flying ace Joe "Sky Captain" Sullivan (Law). The duo meet again as Polly is escaping from an invasion of building-sized robots and Joe is busy destroying those menacing machines. Apparently Polly has been tipped off to the fact that the world’s greatest scientists have been mysteriously disappearing and this insurrection of robots is related. Reluctantly, Joe agrees to let Polly (ever anxious to scoop a story) accompany him to Nepal, in search of Dr. Totenkopf, the "mad scientist" bent on destroying the world. That long-dead Laurence Olivier plays Totenkopf merely adds to this film’s campy fun.

Part "Raiders of the Lost Ark," part "Star Wars," and part old Superman comics, "SCWT" ’s strong suit is not its logic-challenged plot but the look of this stylized actioner. Sepia tones wash over the screen, with Paltrow’s ruby-red lips jumping off the frame. Camera angles are sharply extreme, reminiscent of classic 40s serial adventures. The characters’ faces are lit and toned as to blend effortlessly into the vast world of CGI—an amazing effect.

Characters’ personalities are painted with the broad brush of comic book legends. Polly is both beautiful and brave, risking everything for the perfect shot. She rips her skirt to run faster in her high heels (go figure!). Joe is daring beyond reason, a waft of curly Superman-like hair brushing against his forehead as he jumps with both feet into the fray. There is an appealing banter between these two—dripping with 40s innocent sexual tension—that gives SCWT a clever comic edge.

A technical tour-de-force, "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" is a visual feast that defies comparison. Men wear hats and women gallop through the jungle in tight skirts and high heels. Planes go underwater, robots fly and a deceased Olivier gives an Oscar-worthy performance. Yes, this is truly one-of-a-kind.