A slew of names came to mind while watching this both the
first and second time I viewed it:

Flash Gordon, Hugo Gernsback, Phillip Wylie, Commander
Cody, Amazing Science Fiction, Captain Video, Island of
Dr. Moreau.

There were a jillion film quotes in it.

The dialog style is based on stock themes from the
period: Airborne hero, plucky reporter etc etc.

I watched the credits for the various production teams roll
and roll and roll. It was like every CGI house in the
world had a piece of this.

In another sense, I see this as a first-- an experiment
with these new techniques like Final Fantasy before it.

But what I've thought for many years now is: When will
they adapt the really great science fiction stories now that
the technology provides the means?

Phillip K. Dick's works have been mined in depth by
now and a few still remain.

But what about Niven, Farmer, Clark and Moorcock?

Sky Captain gives a bit of the flavor of Steam Punk as
did The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and even Equilibrium.

It's time to tackle something like The Difference Engine
by Gibson and Sterling. Or Neuromancer.

Lastly, I'm not real acquainted with a book series I've seen at
the Barnes and Noble which features a woman protagonist. The
costuming for this was brought back by the navvie gear of
the British fuel station team in Sky Captain.

So there's lots out there which should sell to the movie
going crowd. I just wish there were more of it.

And, please, somebody, finish the Dune films!