Film: Iron Sky
UK Release date: 28th May 2012
Certificate: 15
Director: Timo Vuorensola
Starring: Julia Dietze, Christopher Kirby, Gotz Otto, Tilo Pruckner, Peta Sergeant
Running time: 93 mins
Genre: Sci-fi
Country: Finland/Germany/Australia
Reviewer: Adam Wing
As far as killer concepts go, you don’t get much better than
this. The idea has been knocking around for years, but it took the combined
efforts of Finland, Germany and Australia to finally get it off the ground.
Produced in collaboration with online film enthusiasts - who were invited to
share their ideas and input - Iron Sky is the latest in a new wave of
‘participatory cinema’. Too many cooks can spoil the broth though, and if
Snakes on a Plane proved one thing, it’s that you need more than a kick-ass
trailer to keep your audience enthused. Iron Sky has a killer concept, but can
the filmmakers stretch an ingenious concept over 90 minutes and milk it for all
its worth?
In the last moments of World War II, a secret Nazi space
programme made a daring escape into outer space. In the 70 years since then,
they have been living on the dark side of the moon, building weapons and
plotting revenge. When an American astronaut stumbles upon their secret Moon
lair, the Fuehrer (Udo Kier) decides that it’s time to go back and conquer
their old stomping ground. Ruthless army leader Klaus Alder (Gotz Otto) leads
the charge against an unprepared civilisation, and the world is forced to unite
in order to repel an invasion so ridiculous, it’s astonishing this movie wasn’t
made sooner. Things are about to get very Nazi because Iron Sky is available to
buy on DVD courtesy of Revolver Entertainment.
Despite a promising opening, and a handful of witty lines,
Iron Sky loses its way very quickly. The movie trailer – as is often the case -
is a lot more fun than the film itself, armed with more humour than the rest of
the movie put together. The potential of the premise seems lost on the
filmmakers, who fail to make the most of an ingenious concept ripe with comedy
mileage. Nazi’s from space should be really funny, right? Not in the hands of
Timo Vuorensola they’re not, who opts for cheap gags, repetitive themes and
lazy plotting. Considering the film has been in production since 2006, and a
Nazi revenge mission leaves itself open to all kinds of satirical swipes and
humour, it’s bitterly disappointing to find that Iron Sky is a laugh-free zone
from the moment it touches down.
Rather than go for the comedy jugular, too much time is
wasted on lacklustre story arcs and meandering relationships. A lot of time is
spent following former male model/black astronaut James Washington (Christopher
Kirby) and Earth specialist Renate Richter (the striking presence of Julia Dietze).
Their story arc revolves around Richter’s return to Earth with Washington (now
white) and Nazi commander Klaus Adler, in search of a device similar in power
to Washington’s smart phone. Renate’s father wants to integrate the device into
their space battleship because its power far outweighs anything they’ve
developed themselves. Why is Washington white I hear you ask? Because everybody
wants to be white, right? That’s about as sophisticated as it gets in Iron Sky,
you’ll have to get used to that I’m afraid. Dietze looks absolutely great and
the camera loves her, but true inspiration is few and far between.
The President of the United States (Stephanie Paul) and her
aide, Vivian Wagner (Peta Sergeant), play it tongue in cheek throughout, and
their performances better suit the mood of the picture, but yet again they’re
let down by a script that embraces weak gags and bloated story arcs. Vivian’s
unrequited lust for Adler is tacked on for good measure, because why waste your
time on political sideswipes when you can fill the screen with Stephanie Paul’s
heaving bosoms? Udo Kier and Gotz Otto - as chief villains of the piece - are
the only highlight in an undercooked movie experience that wallows in wasted
potential. They bring genuine menace and gravitas to a film that - for the most
part - feels as light as a feather. The CGI effects are really impressive and
the action sequences are exciting enough, but there’s nothing going on beneath
the glossy surface that’s really worth shouting about.
A great concept doesn’t always mean a great film, and Iron
Sky squanders every opportunity it gets to make a lasting impression. Six years
after production began (that’s one joke per year), Iron Sky crash-lands on DVD
with a disappointing thud. There is still hope for the future (both a prequel
and a sequel have recently been announced) but here’s hoping they remember to
pack the jokes next time they visit.
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