Iron Sky: The Coming Race (2019)

I remember liking Iron Sky, at least enough to forgive a few things about it.  When I came across news of a sequel, I was interested, but not enough to really follow it.  It wasn’t until recently that I came across Iron Sky:  The Coming Race.

Humanity is down to 1,980 people, all living on the moon.  Two decades have passed and the surface of the Earth is a barren wasteland.  Nazis and non-Nazis seem to get along fine.  There’s also a cult called the Jobsists, who worship Steve Jobs.  Add to this a group of Russians that makes it to the lunar base, only to be turned away.

The inhabitants of the base don’t have enough to support themselves and there’s only one person that really knows how to fix anything.  That one person is Obianaju ‘Obi’ Washington, daughter of James Washington and Renate Richter.  What’s everyone to do?  Well, lead a mission back to Earth, where a race of lizard people called the Vrill live below the surface in hopes of finding The Holy Grail.

So Obi leads an increasingly less-small group back to Earth, where it’s revealed that many of our important people, like Jobs and Hitler, were actually Vrill.  They’re all still living there in an artificial environment.

We’re treated to a lot of exposition.  It turns out that the Vrill came to Earth looking for a new home.  They experimented on primates to create humans.  The Holy Grail can be used to make you younger and healing you, giving you practical immortality.  In the end, humanity does survive, such as it is, and is headed to Mars, where there’s possibly going to be a third installment.

Maybe it’s just me, but I recall the first movie being much simpler.  The Coming Race has a lot going on, from ancient astronauts to Hitler on a dinosaur.  Also, the Vrill blame The President of the United States for destroying the planet.  (Granted, that was supposed to be referencing Sarah Palin, but still…)

If you take the movie for what it is, it can be enjoyable.  It can be a bit crazy at times and is all over the place, but it’s not so bad that you can’t follow it.  I was hesitant to watch it when I noticed Tom Green was in it.  I was never crazy about his over-the-top persona, but he was very subdued here as the leader of the Jobsists.  I think it could have been a little shorter, but was overall a good movie.  I would watch the first one before watching this one.

IMDb page

 

American Animals (2018)

I’ve always known I’d never make a good bank robber.  I’d probably be the one to mess it up and get everyone caught.  Even if we got away with it, what would I do with all that money?  It would be hard to spend my share of it without attracting attention.  It would be impossible to explain having a sudden influx of cash when my biweekly paycheck is in the low three figures.  (Even at my best, I was still making less than $500 every week.)

Warren Lipka has no such qualms.  When Spencer Reinhard mentions some rare (read: expensive) books that are housed at Transylvania University, Warren gets it in his head to steal them.  Spencer is reluctant, but is talked in to joining.  The two plan to rob the library, and when I say plan, I mean watch some old movies they got at Blockbuster.  (This takes place in 2004.)

They eventually have to bring in two others, who each offer some help.  It’s not going to be enough.  First, between the four of them, only Warren is really all that serious about it.  The others are looking for an easy out.  Granted, any of them could have just walked away.  It would have been much easier if there were some insurmountable problem forcing an end to it.  Second, between the four of them, none of them have any of the necessary skills.  It’s only a matter of time before they get caught.

My major issue with movies like this is that things tend to go downhill for the major characters.  That’s not as evident here.  Yes, they dig themselves into a hole, but they can get out of it at any time.  It isn’t until the final act of the movie that any books have been stolen.  At no point does anyone seem to realize how ludicrous the whole thing is.

This brings me to another point.  I’m not sure where the movie is going.  I think most people who have pondered stealing stuff realize that they’d never get away with it.  These guys had no reason to steal.  They didn’t need the money for an operation or to buy food.  They weren’t necessarily wealthy, but they weren’t hurting.  What made them think that they could do it?  It seems like the movie is more of a cautionary tale:  This is probably the way your robbery will go, so don’t try it.

Just last week, I saw Gotti, another MoviePass Ventures film.  I have to say that this is better, but that’s not saying much.  Here, the pacing is at least decent.  There’s nothing that feels rushed or unnecessary.  The movie is part interview and part reenactment, which gives it a nice flow.  It’s easy to identify with the four main characters; we’d all probably feel anxiety going through with the act.  I can’t say that I wouldn’t vomit all over the getaway car, myself.

This isn’t to say the movie is without its flaws.  The movie brings up the issue of questionable memory.  Warren and Spencer recall details differently.  (Was a guy really wearing a blue scarf?)  Warren also has to go to the Netherlands to find a fence.  I’d imagine that it would be easier to find one locally.  I also found myself wondering how he got the travel documents in order that quickly.  Assuming he already had a passport, it would be possible to get a visa pretty quickly, although none of this is ever mentioned.  (The real Warren points out that you’ll just have to take his word for it.)

The movie would probably appeal to those who like those true-crime documentaries.  It seems to have a similar format.  I’m just not sure that it’s the best way to spend $12.  The movie wasn’t quite what I expected.  (I don’t recall seeing anything about the interviews.)  If not for the fact that I actually have a MoviePass account, I probably would not have seen this in the theaters.  I’m inclined to recommend waiting for this to come out on DVD or through streaming if you want to see it. 

IMDb page

Iron Sky (2012)

They say ignorance is bliss.  I find this to be most true while watching movies.  When I notice scientific errors or when someone uses the wrong word to describe something, it sticks with me.  Iron Sky starts by explaining that the Nazis have a lunar base on the far side of the moon, which is described throughout the movie as the dark side of the moon, but more on that later.

The year is 2018 and an unnamed American president is thinking about reelection.  (Throughout the movie, she’s referred to simply as the President of the United States.)  As a publicity stunt, she sends two people to the moon.  It’s something that hasn’t been done in 50 years and is bound to get her name in the press.  Shortly after landing, one of the two astronauts discovers the aforementioned Nazi lunar base.  They’re planning to return to Earth, biding their time by mining Helium-3.  (Yes, that’s a real thing.)

That astronaut is shot, leaving the other astronaut to be captured and brought into the base.  As luck would have it, the captured astronaut is an African-American model named James Washington.  Washington is experimented upon while the Nazis prepare to invade Earth.  (They think that Washington and his fellow astronaut are an advance team as a prelude to invade the moon.)

Their new war ship isn’t quite ready, but it’s discovered that Washington’s phone has more processing power than all of the Nazis’ computers combined.  Klaus Adler kindly insists on going to Earth to get more such devices.  He brings along Washington, who claims to know the President personally.  (His fiancée, Renate Richter, secretly tags along.)  When they meet up with the President’s advisor, Vivian Wagner, both Adler and Wagner realize the opportunity that they’ve just been given.  Adler ditches Washington and hooks up with Wagner.

The movie is listed as a comedy, but it’s probably more appropriate to call it a satire.  In this regard, I can forgive a few mistakes.  2018 isn’t an election year, but the President strongly resembles Sarah Palin.  She’s not presented as being very bright.  Also, manned lunar missions are usually about a three-day trip one way.  I can forgive this as technology may progress in the next four years and it was never explicitly stated that it didn’t take 3-4 days.

There were a few things that the movie got right.  As I said, Helium-3 is a real thing that is actually found on the moon and could be used for nuclear power.  One possible reason to go back to the moon might be to mine Helium-3.  Also, the swastika has been used by many cultures, including Hindus.  It’s conceivable that an Indian representative to the UN would be wearing a ring with that symbol.  It’s unfortunate that the Nazis used it as a symbol of hate.

I don’t think everyone will be interested in this movie.  That‘s not to say that most people won‘t like it.  A lot of this has to do with the use of Nazis.  The swastika and other propaganda is featured prominently in many scenes.  It’s a sensitive subject and with good reason.   There are a few people I know that might like it, but I wouldn‘t necessarily feel comfortable recommending it to them.

This is one of the advantages of having Netflix streaming.  If you’re not comfortable watching it with your roommates or kids around, you don’t have to worry about holding on to the disc for a few weeks until you get your chance.  There’s also a Netflix-exclusive director’s cut, so there’s a good chance that some version of the movie will be available streaming for a while.

Helium-3 mining on the lunar surface