Iron Sky (2012)
Starring Julia Dietze, Peta Sergeant, and Udo Kier
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if the Nazis somehow escaped their destruction in World War II and setup a base on the moon? Well probably not…but “Iron Sky” brings that idea to life in a way I could have never imagined. When I first saw the trailer for this film I was partially shocked, and partially fascinated. I was not prepared for the final product. “Iron Sky” depicts a near future where American astronauts discover a hidden Nazi moon base on the side of the moon. The idea itself sounds absolutely absurd but the film really made it work. The style is similar to “Sky Captain in the World of Tomorrow” with some Dick Tracy mixed in. The style is really unlike anything I’ve seen before, especially in a film involving The Nazis. The film even has an underlying sense of humor that is constant throughout the movie and really makes the idea easier to swallow because you find yourself laughing along with the absurdity of what is going on. The only thing this film was missing was a cameo by Indiana Jones.
The story really begins when two American astronauts venture to the moon as part of a re-election campaign by a Sarah Palin-esque president and discover the Nazis. From there one of the astronauts is kidnapped and given a crash course in the world of Moon Nazis. The Nazi base is incredibly elaborate and features a school, a military training facility, roads that actual German cars can be driven on, and a facility that houses saucers and space zeppelins! One of the main characters is a sexy Nazi school teacher named Renate Richter and she teaches revisionist history to a new breed of German children. The history lessons she teaches pretty much retell history as if The Nazis were heroes, driven away from earth because of its problems. This brings a rather creepy element to the film. To think about these ideas taking place is partially disturbing, but also humorous because it is so outlandish. The citizens of the moon base believe whole heartedly that the Nazis are good people and never did anything wrong. The teacher actually looks at her Nazi cohorts as saviors who will one day return to earth and actually help people. The other main Nazi characters are played by horror star Udo Kier, who plays a moon version of Hitler, and Gotz Otto as Klaus Adler, a power hungry soldier who wants to lead the campaign to take back Earth. These characters are quite intense but also have humorous sides to them and often make fun of Nazi culture without realizing it. The American astronaut is played by Christopher Kirby and his character is definitely comic relief. The character is African American and when he encounters the Nazis it makes for a perplexing situation since some of these soldiers and people have not seen a black man before. Upon realizing he is black, a mad scientist employed by the Nazis actually turns the black man’s skin white, and attempts to assimilate him into Nazi culture. This opens a huge can of politically incorrect worms, and makes for a very awkward yet funny character. As the film progresses you see the conflict between the moon Nazis and the earth move forward, and you are even treated to some pretty cool space battle scenes. The Nazis attempt to infiltrate earth culture and eat away at the Americans from the inside, so there is certainly an element of seriousness mixed in with the odd humor.
I was pleasantly surprised with the film’s soundtrack and visual effects. When you think of a Nazi moon movie you think of a Syfy channel original with a very limited budget and cheesy effects, but this film was the total opposite. Some of the effects rival stuff you see in Zack Snyder films. The space scenes are quite impressive and bring a nice futuristic battle tone to the latter part of the film. The soundtrack is made up of German rock sounding music, 40’s style rhythms, and modern rock. It makes for a nice mixture and really flows with the tone of the film. So I definitely give them props for the audio and visual side of the film.
Overall this film really nailed everything it was going for. You expect an overly cheesy low budget action film, but instead you get an interesting concept mixed with nice effects, good unknown actors, and hilariously awkward scenarios. The film does not really take itself seriously and I hope the people who take the time to watch the film don’t either. I’ve seen on some message boards that some people are offended by the film and call it anti-American, but if you stop and smells the roses and realize it’s a film about freakin space Nazis, then you might actually enjoy it. I would definitely recommend this film for people who liked odd comic style films like Sucker Punch, Watchmen, Sky Captain, and Dick Tracy. It is definitely like reading a really absurd graphic novel that has come to life. Like I said previously in the review, the only thing that was missing was a chase scene with Indiana Jones and some “celery breaking” punching sound effects. This film is definitely worth checking out, though I’m not sure when the Blu-ray/dvd will be hitting the shelves. I suggest following the film on Facebook and IMDB if you are interested in viewing it.
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