Iron Sky (spoilers included, so beware)

[Tiriol]

So, how many have seen the movie Iron Sky?

Personally, it was a bit of letdown. Some of the humor of the Star Wreck had been cut away (a necessity, though, I don't think it would have been that great a hit among the general populace, despite whatever self-called nerds think). However, the plot was somewhat all over the place. Not that it was hard to follow, but it had some, in my opinion, unnecessary or underused elements. And of course, it's a near criminal offense how underused Udo Kier, the man playing the Moon Führer, was. He's a talented actor and the character showed much promise, but he was hardly in the movie. Thankfully his German colleague, Görtz Otto, makes up for it with his slimy, ambitious SS-officer Adler (the man has a wicked sense of humor, by the way, at least judging by interviews the production company has released on youtube). The director was inexperienced and it shows in some places, but fortunately the actors were not amateurs and could pull it off.

The unnecessary elements? The Nazis' involvement in US President's election campaign was one thing which I found superfluous. Maybe it was meant to parody the overly patriotic and nationalistic campaigns in US politics by involving Nazi rhetorics (with all references to actual Nazi politics removed), but the movie could have done without it, in my opinion (but see below).

The underused elements? As stated above, Udo Kier's character. I was underwhelmed b by the space battles AND by the social commentary. It was a very nice touch to show how Moon Nazis had mutilated Chaplin's Great Dictator and the shock Reneta Richter has when she sees the entire film for the first time in her life, but that didn't really go anywhere besides having Richter abandon her entire way of life just due to one movie. The US election campaign sub-plot was such a rush job (despite producing a memorable parody of Hitler's rant from Downfall) that it felt like a padding. In fact, it felt like the space battles (and finally the appearance of the Nazi mothership Götterdämmerung) and the social commentary were dilulting each other to the point that neither was as satisfactory as they could have been. I also would have liked to see some ground fights, but that might have been a little tricky, so I'll let that pass.

With all that said, I found the film to be a good popcorn flick. It had some great moments, like a "hobo" (in fact a Nazi-captured black male model turned into a white man) ranting about Moon Nazis who turned him white and North Korea claiming that their glorious leader had built the Nazi space armada, and the acting wasn't bad by any shot. Uniform fetishists will love the movie with its plethora of SS uniforms and some original ones (although clearly based on the black SS uniform) and the film avoids any Holocaust references making it a delightfully upbeat movie, more reminiscient in tone of Indiana Jones than of Schindler's List. As I said, it was a bit of a letdown for me, but not by much. The film simply had potential to be more than it ended up being. The ending is a downer, though - the Nazi society has been nuked, nations of Earth are nuking each other over the formerly Nazi-held natural resource reserves on Moon and of course New York got bombarded by a Nazi-launched asteroid. It appears that the production team is in love with this kind of ending, considering how Star Wreck: In The Pirkinning ended.

[Skgoa]

This movie is pure undiluted AWESOME! It's trashy, it's hilarious and it knows when to take itself serious and when not to. Definitely the funniest movie I have seen in a long time. Strangely, the election sub-plot (and what it grows into) was the best part for me. But then again, I am fed up with US elections right now.
This is a movie I am going to buy. And I am going to watch it again and again, since there are so many little details in the backgrounds.

My rating: 5/5 Hitler salutes: \o \o \o \o \o

[cosmicalstorm]

I can't believe this thread is so quiet? This has to be one of the best space-war films to hit the cinemas in a long time! Me and fours friends laughed our asses off tonight. Awesome!

New York getting nuked with an asteroid, shit!

[Simon_Jester]

I'm still trying to figure out where I can go to see the movie. Is it going to get a serious theatrical release in North America? If so, this is kind of ill-timed because Avengers is coming out right around now.

I've heard a lot of hype about the premise, and it sounds cool in a campy way, but I'm wondering what they have in mind for the distribution side. I live in the Washington D.C. area so it shouldn't be too hard to find a place... but I don't even know where to look for locations if it's not going to be coming out in theaters.

[jollyreaper]

I'm willing to pay cash money to see this in a theater and this is after vowing never to see another movie in a theater again. Not so much because I think the experience will be perfect, just that I want to show support in a way that will be measurable. Even if Avengers is the best movie ever, me paying to see it won't make a difference to their bottom line. Iron Sky, it's small enough that support should be appreciated.

[Darksider]

so this movie is not playing anywhere near me. Are they doing a DVD release at some point?

[Simon_Jester]

Is there any way to find out from the producer company, or anyone else, where this thing is showing? Googling it isn't especially effective.

[cosmicalstorm]

They wont show this on cinemas in America? Wow. That probably explains why this thread's been so quiet. The part where they blow up half the moon with a crust buster was my favorite.

[cosmicalstorm]

This was an actual scene from the movie, not some custom made commercial.

[Simon_Jester]

They wont show this on cinemas in America? Wow.

I honestly don't know. There's been so little mention of it that it seems like that- it's a shame because it'll probably cost them a lot of money.

[Malagar]

They will release it, they just don't know when.

[jollyreaper]

Just saw it. The movie was great. Only complaint is the dialogue in some spots is hard to hear, needs subs for the english. Glad I avoided the spoilers because the stuff I didn't know was coming was so unexpected. Had to pause from laughter with the Downfall bit.

I'm not sure what people were expecting if they're complaining. Part of the problem with the net is you build up too much hype. No movie can ever live up to the hype. Better to go in cold and be overwhelmed than anticipate for a year and be sad it's not giving you a blowjob through the screen.

[Simon_Jester]

I don't know how to see it in the US; it doesn't seem to be in our theaters.

[madd0ct0r]

Sod the US, where else is it being released?

[Sinewmire]

Saw it today, I thought it was hilarious. My favourite part definately is North Korea claiming responsibility for the Nazi spaceship attack, claiming the Dear Leader had designed them... and being laughed at, uproariously by the entire UN. "Sit down, North Korea."

Yeah, it wasn't the greatest film ever, but it did everything it said on the box. Space Nazis? Check. Humour? Check. Satire and social commentary? Check.

besides having Richter abandon her entire way of life just due to one movie.

She'd also met those neo-nazis outside and seen them for the idiotic thugs they were, and had been talking to Washington, presumably, during the movie.

Only problem I had was Vivian, the crazy campaign manager or whatever. Her character seemed to make no sense, falling in love with a nazi who was interrogating her? I got that she didn't believe they were for real, but it was still wierd. Perhaps I missed something.

[Lost Soal]

Saw it this evening, liked it alot. The only cinemas showing it over here are small independent ones with a handful of screenings so the US will probably be the same.
There's a DVD and extended Blu-Ray release out here now.

[Blayne]

I would like to say that I enjoyed the movie but adding two things would have made me squee a lot, not to say this would have made it an objectively better movie just would have made me scream "YES!"

1) When the weaponized international spaceships arrive have the Japanese one be the Space Battleship Yamato, we already had the TARDIS appear apparantly so why not?

2) When pulling up past Mars make it more explicit that there's going to be a Red Alert style sequal with SPACE COMMUNISTS! This movie franchise seems tailor made for a Red Alert style homage. Apparantly it was already meant to heavily imply a Space Soviet sequel hook but I would've liked something more explicit.

Aside from one or two moments of sillyness the Nazi's seemed to be playing the straightman the entire time, anyone else notice this? Those Wacky Nazi Jetpacks aside you know?

[Eternal_Freedom]

Don't see how there can be an Earth-bound sequel as WWIII was apparently kicking off as the credits rolled. Ofc, a reformed Nazi lunar holdout versus Space Commies from Mars would be about as asensible as the actual plot.

[Adrian McNair]

So having seen Iron Sky on two separate occasions I thought I'd share my thoughts. I loved it. It was pure campy fun with a nice satirical edge. The actors were capable enough in their roles. The visual effects were uniformly excellent. It felt like a film with a budget several times larger than what it actually was (7.5 million euros).

Here's a CGI reel:


In my opinion it definitely doesn't deserve the critical drubbing it's received (It has a 40% rating over at Rotten Tomatoes). I get the feeling that most of the critics are either missing the point or took it too seriously. But what do I know? I'm not a pompous, humourless, out of touch movie critic.

The only disappointing aspect of the movie was that Udo Kier was far too underutilised. Based on the vibe that the theatrical trailer gave I was hoping for a super-hammy showdown between the Moon Fuhrer and President "Palin," but alas. At least we'll always have the Red Alert 2/Yuri's Revenge FMVs for plenty of Kier scenery chewing.

Four out of five from me.

On a completely shallow side-note- Julia Dietze and Peta Sergeant? Very curvaceous.

Only problem I had was Vivian, the crazy campaign manager or whatever. Her character seemed to make no sense, falling in love with a nazi who was interrogating her? I got that she didn't believe they were for real, but it was still wierd. Perhaps I missed something.

I don't believe their relationship was based around anything more than lust. Vivian was using Klaus as a means of advancing her career and for his body. I think the main reason she was gunning for him was because she got a taste of her own medicine and it pissed her off. She thought it was just going to be a harmless fling but she ended up being used and discarded. As her scene with those department heads shows, she's a total control freak who doesn't like being taken out of her comfort zone.

I would like to say that I enjoyed the movie but adding two things would have made me squee a lot, not to say this would have made it an objectively better movie just would have made me scream "YES!"

1) When the weaponized international spaceships arrive have the Japanese one be the Space Battleship Yamato, we already had the TARDIS appear apparantly so why not?

When did the TARDIS appear? I've watched the movie twice (the first time on my own and the second with some friends) and I didn't see that distinctive blue police telephone box anywhere.

I think that the film had the right amount of pop-culture references without becoming obnoxious like those horrible "parody" films from Friedberg and Seltzer.

The Japanese spaceship did perform a successful kamikaze run at the end so it does tie into the filmmakers desire to mock and stereotype everyone.

2) When pulling up past Mars make it more explicit that there's going to be a Red Alert style sequal with SPACE COMMUNISTS! This movie franchise seems tailor made for a Red Alert style homage. Apparantly it was already meant to heavily imply a Space Soviet sequel hook but I would've liked something more explicit.

Well, a prequel and a sequel have been announced by one of the film's producers so there is that. What the hell would the prequel be about? Showing how the Space Nazis got to the moon in the first place? I don't think there's enough material for a movie there without padding out the length with filler. Besides, there already is a prequel comic covering this ground. Wouldn't it be redundant?

Now, a sequel on the other hand...



I'm glad to see that I'm not the only who came to that conclusion about the Soviets. The moment I saw Mars during the credits Soviet Martians came to mind. It must've been my Red Alert fanboy side kicking in. Following on from Space Nazis, it's the next logical step. There are definite possibilities.

My idea for the plot would be this- a few years prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union a top-secret special weapons and technology program developed anti-gravity tech similar to what the Space Nazis invented in 1945. And so a large expeditionary force consisting of soldiers, scientists and their families is sent to Mars to establish an outpost. Fast-forward to 2019 and the Space Soviets, overly confident and full of nationalistic zeal, decide to return to Earth in force. Hilarity ensues as the Soviets encounter a Mad Max/Fallout style wasteland and have suitably whacky encounters with marauding gangs, bandits and mutants.

I'm not certain if I'd incorporate Washington, Renate and the Nazi survivors into the story. Perhaps there could be two parallel stories in the film. The Space Soviets coming to Earth and the rebuilding efforts on the Moon Base.

Cue the inevitable ending where everything goes to shit somehow.

As for their spaceships, we've had Space Zeppelins, Flying Saucers and the Gotterdammerung. The Soviet Fleet should be distinctive. How about modelling them after Soviet Naval Warships from the Eighties? Or something along these lines:

http://www.scifi-meshes.com/gallery/dat ... sing02.jpg
http://www.scifi-meshes.com/gallery/dat ... ruiser.jpg
http://www.scifi-meshes.com/gallery/dat ... xhound.jpg
http://www.scifi-meshes.com/gallery/dat ... shot12.jpg

[Blayne]

Who designed those? I need to commission him for my Scifi story that's basically WWIII space Nato vs Space Warsaw Pact meets After Colony.

TVTropes says its a blink and you'll miss it moment but the Blue Box is there somewhere.

[Adrian McNair]

Who designed those? I need to commission him for my Scifi story that's basically WWIII space Nato vs Space Warsaw Pact meets After Colony.

Here's the contact page on his website.

http://coolhand.scifi-meshes.com/contact.htm

TVTropes says its a blink and you'll miss it moment but the Blue Box is there somewhere.

It's the very definition of "blink and you'll miss it" if that really is the case. Perhaps it appeared during one of the International Fleet shots. Apparently, all of the South Korean spaceships have "Zerg" labels on them but I can't confirm that. It would certainly fit the overall tone.

[jollyreaper]

As a rough guess for a sequel, it would likely be fueled by irony.

In that case, Frau Teacher's erroneous concept of National Socialism would become fact. The Moon Nazis have clearly been away from the Earth for so long that their propaganda and social conditioning is no longer operative. And again I would point to Frau Teacher believing the Nazi propaganda genuinely instead of cynically. It's kind of like a Republican candidate claiming to be a Christian and thus making it a priority to help the poor, the downtrodden, the needy, offering compassion and charity. His party leader is aghast. "That's just the BS you say in church on Sundays! You're not actually supposed to do anything about it! What are you, some kind of socialist?"

So, the Moon Fuhrer is dead, the Junior Moon Fuhrer is dead, the survivors are good Germans who don't really have a dog in the politicla fight, they just want to stay alive. Earth is nuked to hell and back. The Moon Nazi base probably represents the last intact industrial base in cislunar space.

Frankly, I find the irony thick enough to butter crusty, yummy peasant bread. If we consider that subsequent followers always pervert the message of the prophet and look at how Jesus with his message of love and peace gets perverted into Catholicism and crusades, I think it's uproariously funny that national socialism becomes a genuine force for good, completely reversing everything Hitler stood for while still keeping the name.
bi
Any sequel would utterly require a frozen Nazi from the 40's so we can get a proper reaction from a true believer as he sees the future go completely wrong from his POV. The son of Frau Teacher and Model Astronaut is a biracial omnimensch who teaches universal love and pace and understanding between all races. Nein! Nein!You're getting it all wrong!