The 25th Reich

Cinema is an experience. You want to be taken to places and meet people that the everyday world can't possibly throw up. You get that in spades with The 25th Reich. This is WWII meets Stephen King meets giant robo-Nazi's mixed up with aliens and time travel, all set in the glorious backdrop of the Australian bush... top that! The 25th Reich mashes all these ingredients together with the tropes of a classic B-movie, and takes you on a wild, mind bending ride through time and space to arrive at a Nazi dominated world where the last thing you want to do is become the sparkle in the eye of an angry robot with less than honourable intentions. Great fun - by the time you pick your jaw up off the floor, you will be back to watch it again.

Well I did!

After watching the trailer and reading some of the website previews I kind of knew what to expect. Yeh its a bit cheesy and a little homo erotic, but I think it was supposed to be that way. I certainly didn't watch it to be blown away by special effects and if you removed them you still have some pretty interesting characters.

The film is a bit of a slow starter but by no means boring, tension between characters is quickly established. It was great to see the Australian bush and there were some beautiful locations. The ending is pure '50's sci fi and I hope they make a sequel! It was a fun way to spend an evening.

If it's Nazi Robot from the future you're after, then this Aussie independent is the flick you've been looking for. A delightfully entertaining and funny adventure about a group of American soldiers on a mission in Australia to find a loose puma in the wilderness. It's well worth a watch, not only for the visual effects, but also the stunning locations. This film is clearly a labor of love for it's makers and their not afraid to break with the all to dreary Australian tradition of dull drama. This is one out of the box and it's great to see some Aussie filmmakers getting out into the world of the sci-fi / fantasy genre. All round, a well crafted piece of entertainment.

On face value, this film has all the right ingredients to qualify as a SCI-FI classic - Nazis, disgruntled US soldiers, spaceships, the Australian outback, mild sexual innuendo, time travel, a potential US presidential candidate and so much more. But, as any fan of "Celebrity Bake-Off" will tell you, having the right ingredients does not mean that you will end up with a good result.

I wish I could say that I enjoyed this film. But that would be stretching the concept of enjoyment a bit too far.

Will I watch it again? Doubtful.

Would I watch the sequel? Sadly, yes (if they decide to make one).

This is probably one of those films to see before you die, but not a film to die for.

Well this is a strange one. You have to admire the energy that went into making this movie. But you have to ask why? It is very like an Ed Wood's film with higher production values. A movie needs more than enthusiasm and one or two ideas and you need to suppress the impulse too insert scenes that don't advance the story or out right confuse it. The movie tries too capture the feel of old time serials and occasional does but also thinks its Deliverance at times. My main complaint is the lack of an ending. They try to evoke the serial format "In the next episode" but the story just stops and leaves you with a "WTF" FEELING. Bottom line if you have nothing else to do go wash your car. That at least is constructive.