Not recommended under 8s, PG to 13.
This topic contains:
Children under 8 | Due to the filmu2019s continuous comic book violence and portrayal of scary beasts, the film is not recommended for children under the age of eight years. While some young boys may be attracted by the giant robots and special effects, they may find the storyline uninteresting. |
Children aged 8-13 | Parental guidance may still be required for some children in this age group, due to the level of violence. |
Children over the age of 13 | Children over the age of 13 should be ok to see this movie without parental guidance. |
This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and the associated consumer advice lines. Other classification advice (OC) is provided where the Australian film classification is not available.
Name of movie: | Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow |
Classification: | PG |
Consumer advice lines: | Medium level violence, Mature themes |
Length: | 106 minutes |
This review of the movie contains the following information:
Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) is an intrepid female reporter investigating the mysterious disappearance of six of the world’s leading scientists. After being mysteriously summonsed to Radio Hall, Polly learns that Dr. Totenkopf, an eccentric scientist who has not been seen for the past thirty years is the mastermind responsible for the disappearances. Before Polly is able to gain further insight, an air raid is sounded as a fleet of giant ninety foot flying robots land in Manhattan trampling through the city streets and crushing everything in their path. It is at this point that Joe Sullivan Sky Captain (Jude Law) a mercenary aviator with a P-40 Warhawk is called in to defend the city against the giant robots. Joe manages to disable one of the giant robots with a magnetic bomb, and the remaining robots retreat. In retaliation, a flock of giant bird-like robots attack and destroy Joe’s air base fortress, but not before Joe’s offsider techno wizard Dex Dearborn uncovers Dr. Totenkopf’s secrete base located somewhere near Nepal.
Joe “Sky Captain” and Polly head for Nepal in Joe’s P-40, and after encountering adventure in the mystical Shangri-La they pinpoint Dr. Totenkopf’s secret base on an uncharted Asian island. The pair set off for the island, but along the way the P-40 runs out of fuel and is forced to land on a British airstrip. In command of the airstrip is the fearless and very British Franky Cook (Angelina Jolie) who offers the resources of her all female amphibious squadron to hunt down Dr. Totenkopf. With her help, Sky Captain and Polly set out to infiltrate Totenkopf’s Island fortress and save the world.
Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.
Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.
Unrealistic comic book violence is employed throughout the entire film, with most of the violence being between robotic villains and humans.
Children could be at risk of concluding that violence is an acceptable means of resolving conflict as the hero and heroine are very attractive, the violence is almost always successful, and has no real life consequences.
Violent scenes included:
Children under five are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations.
Children under five could be frightened by some of the above mentioned scenes and by the following:
Children aged five to eight will also be frightened by scary visual images and will also be disturbed by depictions of the death of a parent, a child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.
Children in this age group may also be disturbed by the above mentioned scenes.
Children aged eight to thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened.
Due to the comic book nature of the scary visual images, most children between the ages of eight and thirteen years should be able to interpret the scary and threatening visual images presented in this film as non-realistic. The dull, colourless, sepia manner in which the film was produced should emphasise the non-realistic nature of scary images. However, some in this age group may still be disturbed by the level of violence.
Children over the age of thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic physical harm or threats, molestation or sexual assault and / or threats from aliens or the occult.
Children over the age of thirteen years should be able to cope with the content of this film.
There were no sexual references in this movie.
One scene involved Sky Captain and Polly waking up in bed, both naked with only the tops of their shoulders revealed. This occurred after they were involved in an explosion with their clothes being removed as a result of radiation contamination. The scene was presented in a comical light-hearted manner.
The film contains some mild sensuality in the form of Angelina Jolie wearing a tight fitting black leather flight suit.
There was no use of substances in this movie.
There was no coarse language in this movie.
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is a classic good versus evil saving-the-world pulp fantasy.
Values presented in the film that parents may wish to encourage include friendship, loyalty, endurance through adversity, equal gender roles.
Parents may wish to discuss the film’s continuous use of violence to resolve conflict, the non-realistic nature in which the violence was presented, and associated lack of real life consequences.
Tip: Leave out the first A, An or The
Selecting an age will provide a list of movies with content suitable for this age group. Children may also enjoy movies selected via a lower age.
Content is age appropriate for children this age
Some content may not be appropriate for children this age. Parental guidance recommended
Content is not age appropriate for children this age
Children and Media Australia (CMA) is a registered business name of the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM).
CMA provides reviews, research and advocacy to help children thrive in a digital world.
ACCM is national, not-for-profit and reliant on community support. You can help.
ABN: 16 005 214 531