Nazi Dawn (2010)

1st Oct 10





Plot
Old Nazi ghost terrorises a few unlucky people on an antique warship. Lance Henriksen collects his pay cheque.

Review
Why is it that after all these years, more than 65 years after WWII finished, we're still seeing films with Nazis as the bad guys? Do we find Nazi's so deplorable? We seem to blame them for everything, from starting the nuclear arms race, to genetically experimenting with men to create super soldiers and also for delving heavily in to the occult. And while this movie doesn't go the lengths of sacrificing a dozen virgins to summon demons (if you've not seen it track down Urotsukidoji 2), and there's no unborn Jewish foetus eating (don't track down the SS Last Orgy) it does have a plot that involves the Nazi's harnessing the power of the supernatural to create super soldiers. In that sense, yes, it's a bit like Outpost but on a boat, and nowhere near as good. And, err, with only one super soldier.

The plot involves Lance Henriksen being sent on a rescue mission to rescue his son from a damaged 60 year old supposed war museum ship that's been brought out of retirement to act as a secret torture boat just outside Iranian waters. Torture boat, yes, and apparently the terrorist they were torturing has gone ballistic and killed everyone. Don't ask how he did that, and don't ask why they're using a 60 year old boat to do that in, and don't ask why it's so close to Iranian waters either. In fact the less questions you ask the quicker we get this review over with.

Where were we? Oh yes, rescue mission. But this rescue mission has a difference - Henriksen has to take a secretive scientific team with him. That team consists of a slightly chubby guy that has grown a goatee to create the illusion of chin, a skinny female who fullfills her role in the movie by getting her boobs out in a shower scene later on, and a couple of other innocent nobodies.

So the team arrive, spend a while wandering around badly lit corridors to pad the running time, then they finally find loads of dead bodies, a couple of survivors, Lance's son and the so called terrorist. Then they've got 8 hours to get the boat engines running again before they drift in to Iranian waters. Meanwhile, the ships cook gets a spatula inserted into his head, the goatee scientist spouts obnoxious rubbish and the skinny lady gets covered in blood so feels the need to have a shower (told you about that). And Lance Henriksen wonders how he got in to this mess in the first place.

There's nothing wrong with the direction here, and nothing wrong with the cinematography. The acting performances are, well, plucky is probably the best way to describe them as the cast do their collective best to 'act' in the confined, darkened boat corridors while being stalked by a nazi ghost. But even that small amount of tension they manage to create evaporates as soon as ridiculous looking big guy Grant Mathis steps out from his hiding place (where he's been for the last 60 years, with only an old nazi radio for company) and starts bodyswapping with the remaining crew.

All in all, one you could be forgiven for avoiding, despite it's cool title and despite having Lance Henriksen in it.

Versions
Known as Deadwater or Black Ops in the States, and released there a couple of years ago. The renaming as Nazi Dawn is an interesting bit of marketing and I'm sure we'll find out the reasoning behind that one day.

Posted by
Jim



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