Is ‘Iron Sky’ the dumbest movie ever made, or is it pure genius? Some would argue that there’s a very fine line between the two, however despite their best efforts (and George Clooney’s theory), the filmmakers behind this futuristic B-grade masterpiece just couldn’t make a good movie out of a bad script.
‘Iron Sky’s’ tactics lie in its highly ridiculous concept aided by social media and viral marketing - unfortunately this won’t be enough to bring post-release word of mouth or repeat viewings.
Let's break it down - set less than a decade from now, on the dark side of the moon lies the most sophisticated colony of Nazis the universe have ever known. After fleeing planet Earth during WWII, they lay dormant until their time came to rein over Earth and finally go about creating the “master race”. The ace up their sleeve is a machine they don’t quite seem to have the juice to operate, until a politically-driven mission to the moon sees the capture of an African-American model turned astronaut, James Washington, who just happens to be in possession of an iPhone - the key they were missing all along. After they turn James white (stay with me), a few Nazis are sent to Earth to gather more iPhones and return to the base - instead, an opportunistic Presidential aide Vivian Wagner (Aussie Peta Sergeant) employs them to help be the voice of the U.S. President’s re-election. Needless to say, all does not go to plan.
The visual effects in the film are fantastic and the concept is entertaining enough, however it’s the execution, bad dialogue and the many, many laughs that fall way short of their mark that cause you to question the film’s comedy genre and ask “Are they for real?” - a sentiment made both on and off the screen.
Despite appearances, this is a B (possibly C) grade film disguised as an A. The film's marketing tactics, sci-fi elements and heavy use of CGI will ensure that it finds its audience - whether they’ll appreciate it is another story.