Iron Sky (2012)

Face it, this wasn't meant to be the next grade 'A' MEGABLOCKBUSTER. This is a lower budget, independently made 'B' movie.... but what a 'B' movie it is. All things considered, it has great spacial effects, decent actors, a good script.... One of my favorite 'B' Sci Fi films of all time!

Very silly, a tad forced in places, and who gives a crap? Pure, B movie fun, as was intended. Amazing effects considering their $10 million budget. This movie was silly, had a message but delivered it with the subtlety of a giant rubber mallet. It was the funnest load of crap I've ever watched. Highly recommended.

(Note: this review was originally a reply to Hydra's review, but I decided to post it on its own.)

Buy Iron Sky (2012) Now

Many reviewers have referred to this movie as "camp" which I think belittles it unnecessarily. Rocky Horror Picture Show was camp. This is clever. Would I recommend it to absolutely everyone without reservation? No, it depends on your sense of humor. But these days when all Hollywood spews out are screenplays based on a novel, or a comic book, or a sequel or a reboot or a remake, I found this wonderfully refreshing. (When Fifty Shades of Gray comes out we can look forward to a movie that was based on an atrocious novel that was adapted from a fan fiction that was inspired by the equally atrocious Twilight novels...ugh.)

Keep in mind I only watched this to humor my husband, fully expecting to roll my eyes and scoff the entire time. Instead I found myself highly entertained for the full 90 minutes. Personally I enjoyed the special effects, realistic when appropriate and other times quite lyrical. And the direction overall generated lots of energy. I thought the acting was truly excellent, everyone sold their roles (with the possible exception of the "mad scientist" who did cross over the line to camp.) Special mention must be given to the actress who played the main character, Renata. From a female perspective I found her to be completely believable and sympathetic as a woman of both intelligence and innocence, indoctrinated to prejudice and yet when confronted by a black man for the first time her reaction is a very human mixture of curiosity and compassion. A woman bound by duty to a genetically matched mate, yet longing for a spark of romance from the insensitive clod. A gentle schoolteacher, who, it turns out is fully capable of kick-ass moves when the occasion calls for it.

No, this is not Saving Private Ryan. And should I review that movie I would give it 5 stars for cinematic brilliance, though I didn't enjoy watching it and have no intention of viewing it again. Such is the dilemma of ratings. If you're looking for something fun, different and likeable, take a chance on Iron Sky.

Read Best Reviews of Iron Sky (2012) Here

The publicity material for this film might give some the false impression that it is to some extent an adventure movie, if a tongue-in-cheek one. It isn't. "Iron Sky" is black comedy from beginning to end. It has moments of genuine comic genius, though to get to them you have to watch a fair amount of material that is very silly indeed.

Any supporters of the GOP "Tea Party" or fans of Governor Sarah Palin should probably avoid this unless your sense of humour is extremely good at laughing with or at people who are ridiculing things you believe in. And anyone who had assumed, from the way this film is advertised as a battle against a nazi threat, that it would be an opportunity to enjoy a guilt-free heroic battle against a dangerous and utterly evil foe a bit like a film version of David Drake's novel "Fortress" which was recently republished in "Loose Cannon: The Tom Kelly Novels" may be rather disappointed.

We are told at the beginning of the film that it is 2018. There is a new female US President, (played by Stephanie Paul), who is in the middle of her first term and campaigning for re-election. Stephanie Paul and the producers of the film go out of their way to indicate in almost every possible way other than actually using her name, that the President is based on Sarah Palin. It would probably be fairer to say, on a caricature of Sarah Palin as those who are least fond of the former Alaska governor might see her.

The President has re-started the Apollo programme, and the U.S. astronauts who land on the far side of the moon are horrified to run into a moonbase full of nazis.

Apparently in 1945 elements of Hitler's third reich escaped to the moon, and for seventy years have been rebuilding their strength, ready to strike back ...

Don't switch off before the end of the credits. When the camera starts to pan out as the hero and heroine embrace at the end of the film, their location is seen from further and further away, e.g. from out in space. As the first credits appear on the screen something rather important can be seen happening if you watch the earth closely. At the very end of the credits another image appears in the camera view which appears to be meant as a hint about where the future of the human race lies.

Several of the best jokes in the film are inspired by the Charlie Chaplain film "The Great Dictator" which is openly referred to in "The Iron Sky." There is also an obvious parody of the section of the film "Downfall [Blu-ray]" which has inspired a thousand Youtube spoofs.

The film sends up politicians in general, not just openly Nazi ones partly by drawing attention to the parallels between the actions of world leaders in general and those of NSDAP leaders.

I don't want to give away the jokes in the film, but another point to watch out for is that the viewer should watch closely, immediately after the President gives the name of the USA's space warship, for the way that name is written on the side of the ship.

In more than one place in "The Iron Sky" there were things which would clearly have been a mistake or bad acting in a more serious film, but I wasn't sure whether the people who made this one were sending themselves up as a joke. For example, Gotz Otto, who plays the main Nazi character in the film, deputy fuhrer Klaus Adler, appears to have modelled his performance on the nazis from the UK TV show "Allo Allo" (Link: 'Allo 'Allo! The Complete Collection) set in occupied France, particularly Herr Flick.

Indeed, all the actors who play the Nazis from the moon in this film seem to have modelled their performances on characters from "Allo Allo."

The special effects are reasonably well done, though again I wasn't certain whether the film-makers had overlooked certain basic laws of physics or were sending themselves up. one example would be spaceships which were converted Zeppelins. The example I gave in the first draft of this review, which has sparked a vigorous debate in the comments (see below) was that handguns which appear identical to WWII german luger pistols appear to work perfectly well on the moon in extremely low temperatures, one sixth gravity, and the absence of an atmosphere. And with the recoil not affecting those who fire them in the moon's one sixth gravity any differently from how it would on earth. There are an amazing range of comments on this from people who probably know a lot more about guns than I do, though I'm not aware than any of the Apollo missions tested it by firing a gun on the moon. I had the impression that the creators of this film were not aiming at realistic depiction of the science of such issues, they were simply having a laugh.

Whatever else you may say about it, this film is certainly different. There were points while watching it when I was quite literally rolling around laughing. There were other points when I was on the verge of getting up and turning it off. I suspect this will be one of those films which some people love and others hate.

Want Iron Sky (2012) Discount?

This movie is a hit around the world except in The USA!....I'll buy it from the British if i have too...but it amazes me how slack distribution companies in the USA have not featured this as one of the best new movies of the year....Tell me it is coming soon, please!

Save 36% Off