Released Date: 27 October 2005

Synopsis:

2304: the world is threatened by aliens. Mankind's last hope lies in the manicured hands of the men of Dreamship Surprise, who must go on a dangerous mission in an unreliable time machine. Will they save the world? And more importantly, will they make it back on time for the Miss Waikiki Pageant?

Movie Review:

Fans of the “Scary Movie” trilogy will be thrilled to catch even a glimpse of “Dreamship Surprise: Period 1”, as it promises to be even better. The poster of the movie says everything. From the title which is reminiscent of “Star Wars: Episode 1” to the pose of the various characters, this film never ceases to amaze the audience with its audacity to be a higher level of spoof for science-fiction. From “Star Wars” to “Star Trek” to “Men in Black”, “Dreamship Surprise” never fail to satirise prominent scenes from these movies.

That is not all. This film also presents to the audience what is meant by a hodgepodge of genres that encompasses Science Fiction, Comedy, Western, Medieval, Thriller, War Drama, Romance and not to mention Musical. Seldom have such an effort been put in as then, the film will need to have the capability to attract audiences from different movie crowds, a tough feat to accomplish. But “Dreamship Surprise” has gone ahead with this production and the results are simply amazing. Not only did the film pull it off, it accomplishes it with a fantastic outcome. The final product will definitely have the audience in stitches.

From the androgynous lead characters to the effeminateness of their behaviour, from the near-perfect parody of the mise-en-scene to the soundtrack employed in this film, from the ingenious efforts of the wardrobe dresser to the special effects of the production team, this film truly shines as a gem on its own. While the audience may be drawn to the elaborate studio set and CGI effects that is designed for the film, much can be enjoyed simply by the haphazard albeit hilarious story plot development and humourous banter between the leads. Seriously, who could resist the three mature men dancing to the tunes of a Hawaiian score?

And the film sure is packed with sexual innuendoes. Especially noteworthy is a scene between Princess Metapha (Anja Kling) and the mercenary Rock (Til Schweiger). Let’s put it this way, it’s an MTV music video gone bad, with a touch of softcore porn and masochism thrown in. And do not miss the hilarious jousting match between the evil villain Jens Maul (Rick Kavanian) who snarls like Darth Varder and the pink knight Rock, lover of Princess Metapha. Pay close attention to the tip of the joust held by Jens Maul. It is in the shape of a tight fist in the first round and while playing in slow-mo for the second round, it changes into something that I might like to term it “rude”, in the strictest sense of the word.

This film is recommended for audiences who are sci-fi lovers and are familiar with sci-fi films. However, for those who are new, you will also appreciate satirical parody of films from this genre. How could anyone miss dramatic scenes such as the intimate relationship between the Emperor look-alike and Jens Maul, the battle for supremacy between the various planets and trivial internal rivalries within the Council?

And with its loads of characters and drama to tickle your funny bone, this film is definitely not for the strong-willed but rather for the laid-back individual who will like a movie to relax and laugh out loud. And do remember to stay behind for the NG scenes at the end of the film.

This is definitely one movie that is long overdue.

Movie Rating:

(A German sci-fi spoof that broke all conventions. A must-watch!)

Review by Patrick Tay