Two of the year’s biggest effects-loaded sci-fi features invade home video retailers today with the release of Paramount’s live-action/CG hybrid, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, and 20th Century Fox’s comic-book inspired franchise bouillabaisse, Alien vs. Predator.
Shot entirely in front of blue screens, Sky Captain blends live actors with computer-generated environments and animated elements like giant flying, Fleischer-style robots. The film is set in a very stylized version of the 1930s and stars Gwyneth Paltrow as a New York City newspaper reporter investigating the mysterious disappearances of top scientists. Jude Law takes on the title role of Sky Captain, a hot-shot fighter pilot who swings into action when and army of mechanical monstrosities invades.
The project was a labor of love for writer/director Kerry Conran, who spent six years animating a six-minute short demo of the film, which he planned to make as a low-budget indie using his own effects studio, WOT. The demo got the attention of producer Jon Avnet and stars Law, Paltrow and Angelina Jolie. Paramount picked up the project and brought in an army of additional effects houses, including ILM, Stan Winston Digital, Café FX, Gray Matter FX, The Orphanage, Pacific Title Digital, Pixel Liberation Front, Ring of Fire, R!OT, Rising Sun Pictures, Hybride Technologies, Engine Room, EFilm, Luma Pictures and Rising Sun Pictures.
DVD features include the original six-minute short that got the film rolling and commentary by producer Jon Avent, filmmaker Kerry Conran and the vfx crew. There’s also a featurette titled Brave New World, a look at the film’s artwork, deleted scenes and a gag reel. The Paramount Home Entertainment release lists for $29.9 on disc.
Written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil, Event Horizon, Mortal Kombat), Alien vs. Predator (AVP) takes place in Antarctica, where a group of scientists use alien eggs to lure predators to an ancient pyramid and end up caught in the middle of the ensuing monster melee. The only cast member from previous outings to return is Lance Henriksen, who plays billionaire Charles Bishop Weyland, the human model for the android Bishop character he played in Aliens.
Bringing the extraterrestrial exhibition match to the screen was the work of effects houses ADI, Cinesite, Moving Picture Co. and Double Negative, working under Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor John Bruno (The Abyss, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Batman Returns).
The AVP disc Includes the theatrical version and an extended version with a new beginning. Bonus materials offer commentary by Anderson, Henriksen and co-star Sanaa Lathan. There’s also effects commentary from visual effects supervisor John Bruno (theatrical version only), Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr. (alien effects). In addition, fans get deleted scenes, a making-of featurette, a Dark Horse comic-book cover gallery and a DVD-ROM featuring the first edition of the AVP comic book and an exclusive 16-page preview of the upcoming AVP graphic novel. The Fox Home video release is priced to own at a suggested $29.98 on DVD.
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