Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning (2005) (V)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Timo Vuorensola

Writers:

Rudi Airisto (written by)
Jarmo Puskala (written by)

Release Date:

20 August 2005 (Finland)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Sci-Fi

Plot:

The future looks bleak for Captain Pirk. Originally from the far future, he traveled back to save the world...

Plot Keywords:

Finland | Parody | Shower Scene | Futuristic | Future

Cast

Samuli Torssonen	...	Emperor James B. Pirk
Atte Joutsen	...	Captain Joni K. Sherrypie
Timo Vuorensola	...	Commander Dwarf
Antti Satama	...	Info
Karoliina Blackburn	...	P Union science officer
Janos Honkonen	...	Sergei Fukov / Festerbester
Seppo Honkanen	...	P Union scientist
Tiina Routamaa	...	Lt Whip
Jari Ahola	...	Chief of Security Mikhail Garybrandy
Sonja Sjöblom	...	Girl in Hamburger Restaurant
Santeri Humina	...	Boyfriend
Ville Vuorensola	...	Member of Gang
Rudi Airisto	...	Jeff Cochbrane
Niklas Vainio	...	Talok
Esa Jaatinen	...	Guard at research station

Also Known As:

Star Wreck VI: In the Pirkinning (Finland) (TV title)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

Finland

Language:

Finnish | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

Finland:K-11

Filming Locations:

Hatanpää, Tampere, Finland

Company:

Tuotantoyhtiö Energia

Trivia:

The registration of the ship parked in handicap space is actually the Finnish registration of director of photography Sami Aho-Mantila's 1989 Ford Fiesta.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the beginning, when Dwarf looks at Pirk's magazine, the magazine title says "Tiede"; when it's on table, it's "Tiedä". (Tiede is an actual Finnish monthly science magazine, and "Tiedä" would be a spoof of it.)

Quotes:

Commander Dwarf: Tactical is still missing a chair!
Info: Now, we wouldn't want your powerful thigh muscles to atrophy.

Movie Connections:

References Star Wars (1977)

Amateur film that outdoes well known TV/film scifi parody movies

So Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning is an amateur production. There isn't much in the film that betrays this — even most of the acting would fail to put a Hollywood B production into shame, and there are some brilliant cases of casting, and even a couple of superb actors.

In the Pirkinning is above all an action-adventure film with seemingly big-budget special effects — except that the special effects budget is dirt cheap. It is also a fairly well working comedy — of the darker kind, with a touch of political satire and a heavy dose of teevee science fiction parody.

Oh yeah, and it has scantily clad females on the bridge (but they have an EDGE!).

There's something intangibly Finnish about all Finnish movies, and this one is no exception. I don't know if it is the language, or if it is the people, or if it is the landscape — perhaps it is all of them. This movie would look and sound very different had it been produced in just about any other country by people of any other nationality. Bizarrely, it also is, in my opinion, one of the best films ever made in Finland. (I'm sure some other people will disagree.)

The movie is in Finnish. Although some of the jokes rather depend on understanding the Finnish language or the Finnish culture, they are in the minority, and most of the fun is universally understandable. Of course, a loyal teevee scifi fan will find a lot of extra laughs and recognize several subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) references to memorable shows and movies, often with a twist.

In short, In the Pirkinning is Mel Brooks' Spaceballs with actual balls, Finnish style.