Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow opened on this day 20 years ago. The film was revolutionary as it was the first major motion picture to use entirely digitally created backdrops, beating movies like Sin City and 300 to the game. Unlike those titles, however, Sky Captain didn’t impress at the box office, grossing $37 million over what was reported to be an $80 million budget (something that first-time director Kevin Conran has publicly disputed to be accurate).

One reason for Sky Captain dive bombing financially may have been Paramount having no clue how to market it. They made the baffling choice to try to sell it as an edgy action flick, and “edgy” is one of the last words you can use to describe this film. Sky Captain is a glorious love letter to retro cinema, filled with humor and adventure, and really it should have been a huge hit. But from this trailer, you would think it was trying to be like Independence Day.

Anyway, it probably shouldn’t surprise you to learn that I was a big champion for this movie. It really is so much fun, and absolutely blew me away when I saw it in theaters. It’s currently streaming on Pluto TV for free, and hey, who doesn’t like free stuff? Also, you don’t have to take my word for it. Listen to Roger Ebert’s incredibly enthusiastic review.

Have a great night, y’all!