Iron Sky (2012) (DVD review).
Now ‘Iron Sky’ is a film that you’re not likely to see on TV. At the end of 1945, a fraction of the Nazis party escaped to the dark side of the Moon, formed a colony, mined helium-3 and waited for their return to Earth and the Fourth Reich. That is, until 2018 when the lady American President decides to send a spacecraft to Earth as part of her campaign to get re-elected, especially as one of the two man crew is a black dude, James Washington (actor Christopher Kirby). He’s the only survivor, too, as his crewmate is promptly shot looking down at the Nazis installation. Washington’s very colour is the one thing that saves his life as these Nazis have never seen a man of colour before but their chief scientist changes him to Aryan white and thinks he’s brainwashed him at the same time. He’s also astonished by Washington’s mini-computer which briefly charges up their computer. It is time for war.
However, their current fuhrer want an assessment of Earth first and sends his deputy, the ambitious Klaus Adler (actor Gotz Otto) with James Washington as his guide to Earth, unknowingly his soon-to-be wife chosen to further the Aryan race and daughter of the mad scientist and teacher, Renate Richter (actress Julia Dietze), also sneaks on-board. If you’re wondering about their spaceship. Remember those experiments we have in our reality the Nazis had with anti-gravity and flying saucers. Here you see where they went and I real…er…masterstroke.
Washington is supposed to get Adler and Renate to the US President (Stephanie Paul) but captures her head of PR, Vivian Wagner (actress Peta Sergeant), instead. Although initially captured, she sees the potential of using their tactics to ensure the President is re-elected and Adler gets a sense of power. Later, when the fuhrer arrives and wants to know what is going on, he gets assassinated by Adler who returns to the Moon while the war rages on Earth.
Did I say Washington had gotten away and forgotten, living as a vagabond trying to convince people of the Nazis on the Moon when he re-meets Renate and after getting her to watch the full version of the Charlie Chaplin film ‘The Great Dictator’, gets her to turn against her Nazi upbringing. They also return to the Moon, him to get his colour back and her to stop Adler by using the spaceship that originally got them to Earth. From there, you’ll have to watch for yourself.
‘Iron Sky’ as revealed by the end credits is a fan funded project. If you haven’t gathered from the synopsis, is an incredible send-up black comedy with shades of ‘Dr. Strangelove’ included in the mix. It is nicely plotted with competent actors and some top notch special effects. Clearly, the funding went into the product and it really is incredibly funny and intelligently written film. All the characters are intelligent and incompetent all at the same time. It lives in such a grey zone that you would think it was possible which shows some clever Science Fiction satire in action. Can there be such a thing as WW2punk?
GF Willmetts
July 2013
(region 2 DVD: pub: Revolver REVD2976. 89 minute film with no extras. Price: about £ 3.50 (UK) if you know where to look)
English and German sub-titles.
cast: Julia Dietze, Christopher Kirby, Gotz Ott, Stephanie Paul and Peta Sergeant
check out websites: www.revolvergroup.com and www.ironskyfilm.com
