Is Iron Sky: The Coming Race woke?
Iron Sky: The Coming Race (2019)
Movie
Released: January 1, 2019
Wokeness Score
7/10
Strongly Ideological
Woke messaging is very prominent and often feels forced or shoehorned in. Characters and plot are primarily shaped to serve the ideology. Many viewers feel the agenda overshadows the entertainment.
Key Summary Points
- Satirizes conservative icons like Sarah Palin and Trump-era politics via Vril parodies and election allusions.
- Features diverse leads including Black female protagonist Obi and a gay character with identity-focused reveal.
- Uses reptilian overlords to mock religion, conservatives, and traditional power structures in heavy-handed satire.
Wokeness Analysis
Iron Sky: The Coming Race delivers noticeable woke commentary through its satirical jabs at conservative figures and ideas, including parodies of Sarah Palin as the US President, Steve Jobs cult worship, and allusions to Russian election interference and Trump-era populism. The plot features a diverse hero team with Obi Washington as the competent Black female lead driving the mission, alongside a late-reveal gay character Malcolm whose coming-out scene adds identity politics. Vril reptilians masquerading as historical leaders (including conservatives and religious figures) serve as a vehicle for mocking right-wing and traditional elements, while promoting themes of multicultural survival on the moon base and anti-authoritarian undertones. Reviews note the film paws at obvious political targets in a heavy-handed way, with dated jokes targeting conservatives, Republicans, big tech, and religion that feel forced amid the absurdity. Though wrapped in sci-fi action and conspiracy lore, the messaging often overshadows pure escapism, alienating viewers seeking neutral entertainment. The sequel expands the original's political satire into more explicit social commentary, balancing plot service with ideological potshots that prioritize progressive critique over story coherence.
Plot
Set in 2047 after nuclear devastation, survivors including former Nazis huddle on a crumbling moon base. Obi Washington, daughter of prior heroes, discovers a map to a power source in Hollow Earth. She leads a team including pilot Sasha and others into Agartha, battling shape-shifting Vril reptilians led by a T-Rex-riding Hitler. The Vril have controlled humanity by posing as leaders like Putin, Zuckerberg, and historical figures. After retrieving the Holy Grail-like Vrilia source, they return amid chaos, with cameos and twists involving cults around Steve Jobs and a surprise gay revelation. The group escapes to Mars as the base collapses.