Overlord
A small group of American soldiers find horror behind enemy lines on the eve of D-Day.
Cast
Jovan Adepo – Private Ed Boyce
Wyatt Russell – Corporal Ford
Mathilde Ollivier – Chloe
John Magaro – Tibbet
Iain De Caestecker – Morton Chase
Pilou Asbæk – Captain Wafner
Jacob Anderson – Dawson
Dominic Applewhite – Jacob Rosenfeld
Erich Redman – Dr. Schmidt
Patrick Brammall – American Officer
Death Becomes Them
Overlord is a deliciously twisted creation which takes an infamous global event and turns it on its head (whilst keeping within levels of respect). This movie is one of a kind, built from a concept that is both original and intriguing and is sure to appeal to (amazingly) fans of alien science fiction and historians. World War 2. A picture of grey, battered carnage:
Military tanks, soldiers and gunfire,
air raid sirens and naval captains,
Franklin D. Roosevelt and Pearl Harbour. Churchill,
helmets and blood,
blood and slime..
..slime-covered soldiers who have superhuman limbs capable of instantly healing when injured. And somewhere underground a military doctor cooking up a fresh batch of invincible men, ready to go out to war – and never get a single scratch on their skin.
Strange mix? You’ll have to get used to it if you’re going to watch this.
Overlord throws history in the air, and the result is one of the most spectacularly dark stories cinema has produced in years. But what makes it so unique is how it feeds off of a popular historic conflict, using this as a base from which its eerie tale rises. This isn’t just a grim piece of science fiction, it’s a film which opens a history book and alters the viewer’s perception of World War 2 itself. The opening scene ensures a bumpy ride; it’s action-packed and raging with explosion and fire as the lead characters are introduced. The visuals aren’t bad either, with gunfire filling the screen like fireworks and nice stunt work when some characters get into trouble.
Overlord reminds me of 1992’s Death Becomes Her. Those who have seen it will no doubt remember the wonderfully strange misfortunes of Meryl Streep’s character. Falling down two flights of stairs and having her neck and head shockingly contorted was a highlight. Remember the way her head was twisted right round so that she could see her butt? Similar to this, characters in Overlord suffer some abnormal mishaps and (judging by the cinema audience’s reactions) it makes highly entertaining viewing. Even I was slightly shocked by what I was watching. It was completely unexpected.
Win.
Meryl Streep as Madeline in Death Becomes Her
The CGI used in this movie isn’t bad at all and is highly effective during scenes of injury (gunshot wounds, throbbing veins, etc.) It is mixed nicely with some strong acting too, proven when one of the characters is shot – killed – and then reanimates. The actor gives a traumatic performance as a victim of war confused between being alive and dead. Howling through wide eyes, tears and sweat it’s an emotional display which fuses sadness and comedy together.
Overlord is everything you ever knew about World War 2 turned inside out. Welcome to the biggest alteration in history – of history. This movie’s winning element has to be the way it feeds off of a point in time where the entire world was changing, but sends the viewer off on a different path as it weaves its story. Veering away from the politics of war and yet taking place right in the middle of it is to be applauded. This and a decent mix of actors makes this a movie I want to own on DVD at some stage, due to how diverse it is.
And the downside to the production? It drags slightly near the beginning with a lot of action taking place between soldier and enemy in dark woodland, etc. So it may get a bit boring for some viewers – but stick with it. It soon picks up.
If you enjoy horror-fantasy you’re going to bloody love Overlord. If you don’t and also find war films dull, then you’re not. I have to say, I’m usually bored shitless within the first half hour of war films – this being a massive exception. It’s a great piece of writing and whoever dreamt up the plot has just made a mark on Hollywood with their refreshing approach and extraordinary imagination.
Just superb.
Ricky's Film Reviews 