The 25th Reich

Australian cinema has a long tradition of cultivating, odd, fascinating genre hybrids, films that mix traditional movie elements with aspects of the local culture to create a unique blend. Russell Mulcahy (after his various Europop music videos, and before the singular atrocity of HIGHLANDER 2) directed RAZORBACK, a smart, garish monster-on-the-loose saga that remains a particular highlight of his career. Simon Wincer, prolific director of family friendly fare such as FREE WILLY, crafted the appealingly nasty slasher movie SNAPSHOT with Sigrid Thornton and a menacing Mr Whippy (a popular ice-cream franchise signalled by a white van continually playing a friendly jingle). George Miller's repeated odes to local car culture, samurai ethics and post-apocalyptic barbarism are other obvious examples. One of the most fascinating local examples of this tendency in recent years is THE 25TH Reich, a WWII men- on-a-mission saga that blends soldiers in combat, time travel, and everyone's favourite foe from recent German political history. The result is a witty, engaging mix of eccentric SF ideas, low-budget craft, chutzpah, and sheer cinematic balls. You probably haven't seen anything like this in a long while, or possibly ever. (THE 25TH Reich does play off an alternate vision of the present and future - viewed through the lens of resurgent Nazism, to alternately comedic and horrific effect - ala Philip K. Dick's THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE and FATHERLAND by Robert Harris, two SF novels that also examine the trope of Nazis triumphing during the second World War to different ends).

American soldiers circa WW2 hunt a rogue puma in the Australian outback, then stumble across mysterious events that will transport them through time. An alternate reality presents them with an old foe that has re-armed itself with spectacular new technological advances. The soldiers must fight numerous battles - some with their newly discovered enemy, others closer to home - to succeed in their mission and possibly save the world. THE 25TH Reich holds a number of surprises for viewers, many of which are best not revealed in this review. Like the characters on screen, the filmmakers wield high-tech technology (the film was shot in widescreen HD on the RED camera) and more down-and-dirty methods (the movie takes place in the middle of the arid Australian bush, and the outback locales are spectacular throughout) to craft a fun and amusing story. Some nasty, violent mutant critters make various appearances, and the Nazi's sinister advances with robotics have to be seen to be believed. (The fate of one major character captured by a mechanical adversary is a grotesquely funny highlight). Some initially cornball characters eventually gain enough depth to stick in the mind after the film's conclusion, and the movie carries its wild ideas - conveyed through punchy action scenes and some nutty but slick special FX - to a clever and creepy conclusion with a minimum of fuss. All up, THE 25TH Reich is a nice change of pace in this time of cautious, corporate filmmaking by numbers, and is well worth both seeking out and checking out.

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.

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.

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.

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.