I have to say, the movie directed by Michael Herbig was part of my childhood when I saw in Germany. It wasn't that funny, then. Its still, isn't that funny, today, when I just re-watch it. It wasn't as bad, other parodies I have saw, but it wasn't that good. Dreamship Surprise: Period 1 is one of those so bad, it's good. I can't truly hate the film because it really did try to be entertaining. The movie is based on a recurring skit from Herbig's 1997 to 2002's TV Show 'Bullyparade'. After making 2001's Manitou's Shoe, Michael Herbig allow his audience to choose, what subject his next movie should be. The viewers could choose between "Manitou's Shoe 2", "Lissi und der wilde Kaiser" (later made in 2007), "Ein Film, wo keiner mit rechnet" or "Dreamship Surprise". This movie claims to be the first democratically chosen movie. The movie is spoofing everything from 1960s American TV Show, Star Trek, to all the Star Wars movies, to 1990's Back to the Future Part 3, and even have bits of Das Traumschiff, a German television series, similar to the series 1977's American show, The Love Boat. Even characters from Michael Herbig's previous film 2001's Manitou's Shoe show up in this film. The movie is about the Space War between the colonies of Mars against Earth in 2304. When most of Earth's forces is destroyed by the fleet of the Mars Regulator and his henchman Jens Maul (Rick Kavanian), Queen Metaphor (Anja Kling) of Earth debate her last options with her staff. They decide to call for a three man crew from Dreamship Surprise, Earth's last available ship, to travel 300 years back in time. Their mission is to destroy a UFO which had crashed in Nevada in 2004. Its technology had enabled mankind to colonize Mars in the first place, hence its destruction would prevent the attack 300 years later. I know this plot is from a comedy, but wouldn't that cause a grandfather paradox? Anyways, most of the comedy come from the three men crew that is parodying Star Trek, made out of Captain Kork AKA Captain Kirk (Christian Tramitz), Mr. Spuck (Spit) AKA Dr. Spock (Michael 'Bully Herbig) and the engineer, Schrotty (Rick Kavanian) whom name is a play on words, meaning trash. All characters are stereotypically gay that speak in strong Bavarian accents that might annoy some people. It's only Schrotty that doesn't seem to match his Star Trek character counterpart. I think the creators, got confused, as he looks like Dr. Bones McCoy, while the doctor, in the film seem more like Scotty. Schrotty spends most of the movie, doing nothing as he was captured early on. It was kinda a waste, not to involve him in the adventures as the billing had these three characters playing off each other. Instead, we get a Han Solo's type character played by Til Schweiger named Rock that provide the action scenes that these three can't do. I have to say, the action scenes are pretty damn good. The CGI is pretty amazing for the time, and what time of film, this is. Still, there were some badly gone, green screen, and fake explosion. What makes this, different from most Star Wars & Star Trek movies is the time traveling. Not only do you get to see the future, but also Middle Ages Britain, and the Wild West. Most of the jokes fall flat. There are some certain ones, like how all the Americans agents have the name 'fields' in them. I do like, how they break the fourth wall, time after time. Some jokes seem borrowed from other comedies like 1997's Austin Powers like with the shadow sexual innuendo humor. The movie does have over the top offended stereotypes that some people might not like. The gay premise was mostly tongue-in-cheek humor. The movie even add credits outtakes bloopers for one last laugh. The music is pretty catchy. I found myself listening to the silly music of 'Miss Waikiki" and 'Space Taxi", even if it's a bit dumb. When Stefan Raab's "Space Taxi" comes on; memories come running down. The movie was so popular in Germany that a PC Game was create, and then was even a campaign for a burger restaurant theme of the movie. I wouldn't say the movie is a German film. Being American, and speaking little German, I did find some International humor here. Still, it was hard to find a copy of the film with English sub-titles. I watch it, twice in the original language with no sub-titles, and in French. I hope one day, they release a DVD version in English. Overall: Not bad of a parody. Just hard to find.
No surprise here, the German parody of Star Wars & Star Trek wasn't that hilarious. Still, it did had some funny moments.
27 April 2014
Warning: Spoilers