IRON SKY

Finland/Germany/Australia, 2012, 93 minutes, Colour.
Julia Dietze, Christopher Kirby, Goetz Otto, Peta Sergeant, Stephanie Paul, Udo Kier.
Directed by Timo Vuorensola.

If you are a fan of B-Budget? (and B-mentality) science fiction movies and cherish some of those corny images from the past, the absurd stories, the (very) limited sets and special effects, then this is the film for you. If not, you might get stuck in the intentionally (and often successful) ridiculous situations and dialogue, perhaps inclined to take it more seriously than should be and dismiss it. To that extent, Iron Sky is quite a specialised film with a target audience.

Of course, it is absurd, but this reviewer found some of it quite funny, generally keeping a smile on my face.

Nazis on the dark side of the moon! They went there in 1945, escaping from Hitler’s downfall to begin the Fourth Reich. Unfortunately, their technology (especially over-large computers and a deadly space ship called Gotterdamerung) belongs to the 1940s – though the screenplay then gives them some flying saucer space ships which let them get to earth in next to no time, no accommodation to gravity or space suits needed: it is that kind of film.

The year is 2018 and a US election year (which, of course, it isn’t) and a Sarah Palin look-and-sound-alike (Stephanie Paul obviously relishing her lines and her bellicose strategies) is campaigning for re-election. A moon trip (with an African American model used in her advertising on board) is part of her PR. But, then, the model, Jim Washington (Christopher Kirby), discovers and is captured by the Nazis. The current Fuhrer (Udo Keir) is ailing and a giant Aryan (Goetz Otto) is ready to take over and produce perfect offspring with teacher, Renate (Julie Dietze). The Fuhrer-in-waiting goes to Earth to prepare the invasion, Renate stowing away and Jim having been transformed into white by the Nazi ‘albiniser’.

The hijinks in the US are amusing, especially with the power-behind-the-throne (Peta Sergeant) clearly modeling herself on the arch-villains of the past, dressed in black and performing in more than melodramatic manner, especially when she goes off in the attack space ship, the USS George W. Bush.

Actually, the sets and special effects are pretty good. We would have been satisfied with lesser.

The performances are what is required for this kind of spoof. There is quite a deal of amusing dialogue, generally at the expense of US politics – the president’s campaign slogan is ‘Yes, she can’. But the satire is generally attacking the Right (even a version of The Star Spangled Banner) which means that it won’t be on the Tea Party’s shortlist for a movie night. (Nor for Neo-Nazi? socials.)

It seems German audiences have been able to laugh at the parody. The whole film is Finnish in conception (avening the war? – and much of it made in Queensland and with Australian finance.

A 90 minutes indulgence – entertainingly so for fans.

1. An entertaining film? Parody, spoof, satire? Cult film? Designed for science fiction fans, fans of B-budget old science fiction films?

2. Production values, locations, Finland, Germany, Australia? The musical score?

3. The quality of the photography? The sets? The moon, the surface, the interiors of the colony? The spaceships? The United States, the White House, the New York streets? Real and surreal?

4. The title, the alien invasion? The spaceships and the sky?

5. The moon, the landing, the Americans, the patriotism, the attack by the Nazis? Jim Washington and his survival? The irony that he was African American? A model? No knowledge as an astronaut?

6. Nazis on the moon, the dark side? The basic idea, absurd? Sixty-plus years? The satire of the Third Reich? The Nazis leaving in 1945, wanting to build the Fourth Reich? Neo-Nazi? attitudes? The new fuehrer? The setting up of the colony, life in the colony, the resources? (More than might be expected or explained by the screenplay?) The families, the children, education and classes? The building of the Gotterdammerung spaceship? The planned invasion of Earth?

7. Klaus, the large Arian? His being assistant fuehrer? His relationship with the fuehrer, wanting him to go? His relationship with Renate? Plans for the family? His hawkish attitudes, the capture of Jim Washington? His plan to go to Earth?

8. Renate, her Nazi views, instructing the children? Showing them the version of The Great Dictator – reduced to ten minutes? Nazi propaganda?

9. The professor, the look of Einstein? The computers? The Gotterdammerung? His amazement at the cell phone – and the illustration of its power, the batteries running down? His battles with Jim Washington? The albaniser and turning him white?

10. Renate and Jim, his turning white, the effect when he saw himself? The reactions of the Nazis to black people?

11. The plan to go to Earth, the flying saucer, Renate not allowed to go, Klaus standing his ground, Renate stowing away? Jim and his travelling?

12. Landing in the US? The presidential campaign of 2018 the secretary for defence, the president herself, ‘Yes, she can’ as the slogan? The campaign and the moon landing, sending a model from the posters? Vivian and her plans?

13. Vivian, the contact with Klaus, her response to the war situation and the invasion? Her explaining it to the president who adopted it? The war tactics, people and their patriotism?

14. The landing on Earth, no trespassing, the disguise? Klaus going to the president? The interview? Not taking the Nazis seriously?

15. The president, the reaction to Vivian’s plan? Klaus and Vivian?

16. Renate and Jim, Jim and his being a hobo on the streets, going to the police, the warnings, not being taken seriously?

17. The fuehrer arriving on Earth, the confrontation with Klaus, his being shot? The final attack?

18. The attack of the flying saucers, the zeppelins? The planes? Klaus and his return to the moon, bringing back the computer to give energy for the Gotterdammerung?

19. The James Bond-style final confrontation, the power for the Gotterdammerung, its taking off, the time limit, its being destroyed? Renate and her work?

20. Klaus, the fights, his death by shoe heel?

21. The professor, his fighting, his death?

22. Renate, the children, the revelation of the truth about the Fourth Reich?

23. The president, the international meeting, the delegates, the secrecy about Helium 3, attacking the president, her wry remarks about presidential and American campaigns and lies?

24. The comment on American politics, the spoof? The singing of The Star Spangled Banner Jim and Renate going in to see the full version of The Great Dictator and her disillusionment? The references to films, politics, social issues, the US and George W. Bush?

25. The overall effect of this kind of spoof?