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When giant flying robots invade 1939 New York, Joe "Sky Captain" Sullivan (Law) comes to the rescue, taking one back to his private airbase, where technical whiz Dex (Ribisi) can figure out who sent it. Meanwhile, tenacious journalist Polly Parker (Paltrow) unearths her own clues and makes a deal to help Joe in exchange for the story. They track the secretive Dr Totenkopf (a digitally resurrected 1939-vintage Olivier) to the Himalayas and then to a secret island where, with the help of a British pilot (Jolie), they discover the scary truth behind the doctor's plan for a world of tomorrow.

Writer-director Conran has an invigorating style that's simply magical. Everything is animated except the actors, and it's done in a 1930s noir style that looks astonishing, building a retro vision of the future and then filling it with references to films of the period (Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon and especially The Wizard of Oz) as well as later movies that hark back to the serial-movie format (Star Wars and Indiana Jones). In some ways this film would simply not exist without all the bits and pieces Conran lifts from other places, but he assembles them so well that it's a joy to watch. And he also maintains a charming, self-deprecating style that focuses on the characters and their interrelationships.

Law is terrific as the dashing hero, and his sparring matches with the feisty Paltrow are great fun. Their relational history gurgles underneath every scene between them--sometimes corny but also hilarious and romantic--and they play it perfectly. Ribisi and Jolie both fill their standardises roles superbly and add marvellous little touches. Conran orchestrates all of the action with a focus on the characters, which makes the film not only deeply entertaining but also exciting, witty, wondrous and so thoroughly engaging that we can only hope he takes us back into this world again one day.