The Nazis left the Earth in 1945 (as part of a secret space program) and set up a secret base on the dark side of the moon.  In 2018, a US space mission (a publicity stunt to get the US president reelected) lands on the moon and discovers the base.  One of the astronauts, James Washington (a black male model) is captured and turned white.  The Nazis realize how powerful Washington’s cell phone is as a computer and Nazi Commander Adler volunteers to go to Earth to retrieve those devices so that big Nazi space battleship Gotterdammerung can rise from the moon.   When Adler and Washington return to Earth, they discover Renate Richter- the resident Nazi expert on Earth- had stowed away on the Nazi spaceship (all of the ships are shaped like flying saucers).  Adler and Renate are used by the female President’s campaign advisor to use Nazi ideas for the President’s campaign (and it works successfully).  Don’t forget that Adler has plans to overthrow the Fuhrer (Udo Kier) of the Fourth Reich and invade Earth.

 

IRON SKY is a fantastic sci-fi spoof/ political satire.  It is a fun and clever movie done up in B movie trappings and made on a budget over $10 million with over 1000 visual effects shots in addition to shooting many scenes in a  green screen environment.  I do get the irony that the female President is a dead ringer for Sarah Palin (she once ran for Vice-President alongside McCain back in 2008).   It is a very funny movie that never takes itself too seriously while taking jabs at Nazis and American politics in addition to throwing in some nods to DR. STRANGELOVE.  Also IRON SKY manages to create some big space battles between the nations of Earth and the Nazi flying saucers (complete with space zeppelins).  I love this movie.  It is an instant cult gem and one of my favorite films of 2012.

 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Audio commentary with producer and Director Timo Vuorensola and Producer/ Visual Effects Supervisor Samuli Torssonen is very informative and entertaining.  They reveal that James Washington’s character initially didn’t survive that long in the original script and the President was originally going to be based off Jenna Bush in addition to other tweaks they did over two years from when they started casting and developing the project to what they filmed, they think of IRON SKY as a war comedy, and how they had to use close-ups and a body double when one of their actors broke a leg.

 

Making-of featurette- A look at how the project was born to the making of the actual film (with filming in Germany and Australia) in addition to putting together an eager team of people to do the 1000 special effects shots.  I’m glad they didn’t think of something better to make within two years (quoted in the featurette as a sign they were going to make a movie about Nazis from the moon).

 

18 different segments of behind-the-scenes footage

Theatrical trailer and three teaser trailers are also included.  Some of the teaser trailers feature footage not in the movie and part of the purpose of those trailers was to sell it to investors and fans.

 

FINAL ANALYSIS:  IRON SKY is a fantastic sci-fi satire with Nazis from the moon, political satire, and Udo Kier.  That combo makes for one of my favorite movies of 2012.

 

This review is (c)10-7-2012 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com