For various reasons I am not watching a lot of movies these days but finally I had a bit of time this weekend and what do I pick? Iron Sky. I hardly got through the first half hour.
A brief look at the IMDb user reviews tell me that people “laughed all the way through this movie”, “enjoyed it incredibly”, thought it was “the best sci-fi” movie ever. What the heck?
I found the humour heavy-handed, from the Nazi to the Sarah Palin parody. And I couldn’t shake off the feeling that the producers liked the paraphernalia, symbolism and imagery of the Nazis a bit too much for my taste. Plus Laibach made the music? Hmmmm.
Maybe this is the new Starship Troopers, another one I found insufferable and couldn’t finish. If so, then this is simply not a movie for me. Or maybe it is really crap. I can’t finish it just to find that out.
Tell me, what did you think of Iron Sky?
All About War Movies 
I haven’t see this Caroline, and I doubt I will. I too haven’t been blogging much about film lately. Just need a break, I suppose. I really liked Starship Troopers, BTW. Didn’t think I would.
I suppose that Straship Troopers might after all be better than this. Let’s see if someone else has seen it.
Caroline: I wanted to tell you that the BBC documentary Occult Origins of the Third Reich is up on youtube in sections if interested
Thansk, a lot, yes, I’m interested, just need to figure out how to watch YouTube on the TV. I’ll manage eventually.
I had very mixed feelings on this one.
The premise is pretty funny. They make many great points about world politics, the U.N. Scenes were hilarious and it calls out international politics for what it is.
I didn’t expect a brilliant thought provoking comedy so the heavy handedness came as no shock. There was something else ruined it for me. This movie really wonders off, slows down, and starts to feel like its going no where. In short the rhythm is completely off. A movie does not always need rhythmic flow, for example a more artistic piece like Lost in Translation or Shultze Gets the Blues works well without it, but Iron Sky is a simple in your face comedy. If a comedy slows down and gets boring why watch? A movie like this should keep the laughing or least occupied. I kept asking myself where are the Moon NAZIS? Why isn’t anything happening? How did they mess this up!?
As far as a comparison to Star Ships Troopers, both have a somewhat message hidden under a heavy dose of comedy but Starship Troopers has the rhythm I so missed in Iron Sky. Also while it is fairly heavy handed it has the types of ironic situations I can recognize in my own life where as Iron Sky might have well been Naked gun or Airplane. I think Verhoeven understands the balance between the comedy of movie and the point it is trying to make. Maybe he should have directed Iron Sky.
Both have some similar ideas. Fascism in the modern age. Iron Sky has Nazis running the presidential campaign while Starship Troopers its more just the way of life. Both make interesting points however Iron Sky also points out things that are obvious to almost everyone and even small children in some cases. That’s what I really disliked the most about Iron Sky. Do they think we are all blissfully unaware of how nasty things are these days?
I’m very glad for your input, thanks.
I thought that after all Starhip Troopers might be the better of the two, it certainly did feel well constructed and maybe this lack of rhythm is what I felt here immediately.
I just think the intention behind this movie was shaky and I found what little I saw in bad taste. I suppose the lack of logic and the pointing out the obvious bothered me as well. In any case, I don’t think I will revisit it. I might give Starship Troopers a second chance one day but not this one.
I had never heard of this. Sounds like an attempt to create a cult classic. You can’t force something like that. From what I read on Rotten Tomatoes, it is crazy to compare it to Starship Troopers.
I didn’t read all that much about it, I just thought there may be some similarities.
Maybe it would work better for you.
It reminded me of a totally botched Mars Attacks!. The pitch is funny, but the film is clumsy, much too slow, and totally lacks both wit and madness. So what’s left? A strong emphasis on technological jokes, and the weird portraying of women: it’s mostly a nerd movie, alas without the sex… oh my.
Indeed there are sequences involving U.S. political personnel, but they’re so over the top even the crookedest real-life politician would be seen as a relief. There’s no political message here. It was roughly the same in Tim Burton’s film, but he had us actually care, to some extent, for Nicholson’s president – thus acknowledging our own liability to be seduced by talented weasels.
And of course, in Mars Attacks, the attackers (at least during the first half) had some power of attraction, which again created a quite interesting dilemma: whose side were we really on? But you can’t side with Iron Sky‘s nazis for one second, they don’t even make good villains. And if the villain isn’t good… you know the saying.
The only part I liked about Iron sky was the musical score, with its numerous Wagner references and a few interesting transitions.
The score was what tricked me into watching it for more than ten minutes. I thought it might be interesting to see what they used. Laibach are very controversial and I’ve heard them more than once accused of being a bit too fond of Nazy symbolism. I found that made the whole thing even more dubious.
For those 30 minutes I watched it I couldn’t help thinking someone just looked for a pretext to use Nazi uniforms.
“Nerd moviw without the sex”. Haha. That sums it up. I don’t think I need to say I wasn’t keen on the way women were depicted.
Completely off-topic, is any of you watching ABC’s Last Resort ?
I’m not, is it good? I wanted to watch Homeland but both will be difficult to watch from an non-English country. It will take a while until they are on British TV, I suppose, only then can I watch it.
To early to tell, as TV series often end up being about something entirely different from the ‘environment’ they’re set in. The acting seems uneven and I’m not a fan of the conspirationist tone, but the starting point – a fully loaded nuclear attack submarine gone rogue – is interesting.
Yes, I suppose you will need to watch some more to be sure. I’ll be interested to hear what you think of it.
After a few episodes, it seems Last Resort looks like it doesn’t know where it’s going :(.
Homeland dropped the ‘PoW return’ theme early, it’s an honest thriller series though. Didn’t it start to show on French pay TV ? I read the other day that Arte will broadcast its source Israeli series, Hatufim, at the beginning of next year. Could be much more in line with this blog.
Too bad about last Resort.
Hatufim sounds good. I hope I will be able to see that ARTE program.
I don’t have French pay TV, I have the UK version of it, so, yes, it’s being shown but I didn’t start watching yet. It’s alos out on DVD. I might watch a few episodes on the weekend.
I saw the trailer on Miyuki’s blog (nekoneko) and I think it might be fun…not great but looks fun, however it is not something I am dying to see. I will just wait till the movie is played on TV.
I can understand why you can’t finish it…it’s an entirely different movie from quality war movies you often watch
Well yes and as someone else commented, the way the women are depicted is nothing to enjoy. Watch it if it is on TV but don’t expect too much.
Is it really that bad? from the trailer, I can only see the action part
I find it horrible, yes.
In the same vein, but possibly funnier, has anyone seen Dead Snow?
The trailer is here : http://bit.ly/dPvyt5
I haven’t seen it but that might actually work. I loved Shaun of the Dead.
i fully agree with what your thoughts on iron sky. i was really really looking forward to this movie but since it came out i have tried to watch it three times and each time i cant get passed the overstatedness of the jokes and imagery. i think because the whole movie was funded and produced and wrote between multiple countries that there was a lot of compromises made with script and imagery to such an extent that anything that could have been funny was ruined.
also maybe you could take a look at the book of starship troopers by Robert A Heinlen. it has more of a dystopian feel to it.
and on another note thanks so much for the nordwand movie. it has quickly become. a favourite.
regards rob.
Hi Rob,
I’m glad I’m not the only one who couldn’t even get past the first half. It annoyed me too much.
Maybe the fact that it was co-produced by so many countries really killed it off, sort of. I hadn’t thought of that. Sometimes that works well.
I always meant to read Heinlein, thanks for the recommendation. It’s probably better than the movie.
I’m really glad you liked Nordwand. I think it’s great. I’ve seen it more than once and still like it a great deal.
this is probably the wrong area but id like to recommend a classic kenneth branagh moive, called conspiracy its about the wansee conference and he plays reinhard heydrich.. its amazing anyways
thanks again rob.
Thanks a lot, I haven’t seen it but will have to see if I find it.
I was looking forward to this one, but it didn’t really live up to its potential. It should have had a tighter script and been more over the top.
I don’t know what was missing. I think I already found it over the top but in the wring places, I guess. Not my type of humour.