Traumschiff Surprise – Periode 1
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''(T)Raumschiff Surprise – Periode 1'' is a 2004 German comedy film by
Michael "Bully" Herbig Michael Herbig (born 29 April 1968) is a German comedian and actor. His nickname "Bully" (in German commonly associated with the VW Bully, rather than the English term) became part of his stage name as a comedian. Career His career began in ...
. It is a
spoof Spoof, spoofs, spoofer, or spoofing may refer to: * Forgery of goods or documents * Semen, in Australian slang * Spoof (game), a guessing game * Spoofing (finance), a disruptive algorithmic-trading tactic designed to manipulate markets __NOTOC__ ...
of the 1960s American television series '' Star Trek'' and parodies several science fiction films. As a spiritual successor to ''
Der Schuh des Manitu ''Der Schuh des Manitu'' (eng.: ''The Shoe of Manitou'') is a 2001 German Western (genre), Western Parody film, parody film. Directed by Michael Herbig, it is a film adaptation of the Winnetou sketches from his ProSieben television show ''Bullyp ...
'', the film is based on a recurring skit from Herbig's TV show ''
Bullyparade ''Bullyparade'' is a German late night comedy sketch show which aired from 1997 to 2002 on German channel ProSieben. Michael Herbig, Rick Kavanian and Christian Tramitz were the main cast of the show. Herbig also directed, produced and mainly dev ...
'', "Unser (T)Raumschiff". The title and plot allude to ''Raumschiff Enterprise'', the German title of ''Star Trek''. ''Raumschiff'' is the German word for spacecraft; ''Traumschiff'' means "dream ship", which was also a reference to ''
Das Traumschiff ' ("The Dream Ship") is a German television drama series by ZDF. The series, about a cruise ship that travels to places around the world, debuted in 1981 and became one of the most-watched television shows in Germany. A total of 83 episodes hav ...
'', a German television series, similar to the series ''
The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pa ...
''.


Plot

The movie begins at a place which appears to be
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...
's legendary
Area 51 Area 51 is the common name of a highly classified United States Air Force (USAF) facility within the Nevada Test and Training Range. A remote detachment administered by Edwards Air Force Base, the facility is officially called Homey Airport ...
. A visiting general is led down into an underground complex where he is shown a captured alien. The alien resembles a chubby
Vulcan Vulcan may refer to: Mythology * Vulcan (mythology), the god of fire, volcanoes, metalworking, and the forge in Roman mythology Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * Vulcan (''Star Trek''), name of a fictional race and their home p ...
in a cowboy costume, and greets the general with a "What are you looking at so stupidly?". The next scene opens 300 years later, in 2304. Earth is under attack by the fleet of the
Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin at ...
Regulator and his asthmatic right hand (and son) Jens Maul."Dreamship Surprise - Period 1"
German Films, official website. Retrieved 24 November 2010
With most of Earth's forces destroyed, the Queen Metapha (from "
metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide (or obscure) clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are often compared wi ...
", played by
Anja Kling Anja Kling (born 22 March 1970) is a German actress. She is the younger sister of actress Gerit Kling. Selected filmography * ' (1989) * ' (1994, TV series) * ' (1995) * ' (1995, TV miniseries) * '' From Hell to Hell'' (1997) * '' La piovra ...
) of Earth and her secretaries debate their last options. They decide to call for the crew of the ''Surprise'', Earth's last available, penis-and-testicles-shaped starship, to travel 300 years back in time. Their mission is to destroy a
UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are id ...
which had crashed in Nevada in 2004. Its technology had enabled mankind to colonize Mars in the first place,"(T)Raumschiff Surprise: Periode 1"
Adventure Treff. (30 August 2004) Retrieved 23 November 2010
hence its destruction would prevent the attack 300 years later. (A similar theme appears in the ''Terminator'' movie series.) At first, Captain Kork is very reluctant to follow the order to return to Earth immediately (because he, Spuck and Schrotty intend to try out for a 'Miss Waikiki' contest), but ultimately, he changes his mind. Technical problems ("damage done by martens") prevent direct transport, however, so Kork orders Schrotty to call a space taxi. The taxi is driven by Rock (played by
Til Schweiger Tilman Valentin Schweiger (; born 19 December 1963) is a German actor, voice actor and filmmaker. He runs his own production company, Barefoot Films, in Berlin. Early life Schweiger was born in Freiburg, West Germany, to two teachers. He grew ...
), who is found attractive by both Kork and Spuck. Rock manages to break through the Martian blockade, but during the action, the taxi is chased and damaged heavily, finally crashing beside the Queen's palace. Kork, Spuck and Schrotty are advised on their mission and are then seated into the
time machine Time travel is the concept of movement between certain points in time, analogous to movement between different points in space by an object or a person, typically with the use of a hypothetical device known as a time machine. Time travel is a w ...
, which looks like an old sofa. When the Regulator's forces attack the capital city, Rock and Metapha join Kork and Spucky "in" the device, while Schrotty remains behind. Jens Maul acquires the time machine's manual, builds his own and follows the foursome back in time. Under constant harassment by Jens Maul, the travellers have a couple of unplanned sojourns. In 1304 Britain, they are forced to participate in a tournament held by Lord William the Last (
Sky du Mont Sky du Mont (born Cayetano Neven du Mont; 20 May 1947) is a German-Argentine actor. Early life Sky du Mont's family, who are related to the famous publishers DuMont Schauberg, fled the Nazis in the 1930s to South America. He was born in Argen ...
), then in Nevada during the
Wild West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...
era, they run afoul of Santa Maria (du Mont in a reprisal of his role in ''
Der Schuh des Manitu ''Der Schuh des Manitu'' (eng.: ''The Shoe of Manitou'') is a 2001 German Western (genre), Western Parody film, parody film. Directed by Michael Herbig, it is a film adaptation of the Winnetou sketches from his ProSieben television show ''Bullyp ...
''). Upon arrival in the West, the time sofa is smashed by a speeding train, but the group captures Maul's time machine and uses it to reach the year 2004. Once more, they encounter Maul, who has painstakingly reassembled the ruined time sofa, and witness the UFO (which turns out to be no bigger than a football) crashing. A beer-guzzling alien the size of a human hand emerges and, in its haste to consume more alcohol, it begins to choke. Spucky tries to help by offering Maul's asthma spray, but the pressure created by the device blows up the creature. The group obliterates the UFO and scrambles onto the sofa, just as the local military arrives. The control panel shows an overload of 76.375 kilograms – Spucky's exact weight. With a heavy heart, Spucky remains behind. The story switches back to Area 51, where Spuck has just finished telling his tale. The government officials are not convinced until Spuck provides proof in the form of a futuristic piece of technology, a thermometer with a vibrating alarm, which he had inserted just before departure. As Kork, Rock and Metapha get back to the future, Spuck is already awaiting them. Spuck has survived because he's a Vulcanette, who have extraordinarily long lifespans, and has been busy re-decorating Earth within the last 300 years (it is now all in pink). Kork and his men get to participate in the Miss Waikiki contest after all - but the ever-relentless Jens Maul has the last word.


Cast

*
Michael "Bully" Herbig Michael Herbig (born 29 April 1968) is a German comedian and actor. His nickname "Bully" (in German commonly associated with the VW Bully, rather than the English term) became part of his stage name as a comedian. Career His career began in ...
as Mr. Spuck / (Brigitte Spuck)"Brigitte Spuck - Schönen Guten Tag, Ich Denk An Liebe"
Music from Micheal Herbig. (Uploaded 28 September 2009) Retrieved 18 August 2020
*
Rick Kavanian Richard "Rick" Horatio Kavanian (born 26 January 1971) is a German actor, comedian, author and voice actor and dubber. He is famous for his cooperation with Michael Herbig, which led to many popular movie comedies and parodies, e.g. '' Manitou's S ...
as Jens Maul/Schrotty/Pulle *
Christian Tramitz Christian Tramitz (born 29 July 1955) is a German actor and comedian. Early life Born in Munich, Bavaria, Tramitz is the grandson of Austrian actor Paul Hörbiger and first cousin once removed of actress Christiane Hörbiger. His parents are ...
as Jürgen T. Kork *
Anja Kling Anja Kling (born 22 March 1970) is a German actress. She is the younger sister of actress Gerit Kling. Selected filmography * ' (1989) * ' (1994, TV series) * ' (1995) * ' (1995, TV miniseries) * '' From Hell to Hell'' (1997) * '' La piovra ...
as Queen Metapha *
Til Schweiger Tilman Valentin Schweiger (; born 19 December 1963) is a German actor, voice actor and filmmaker. He runs his own production company, Barefoot Films, in Berlin. Early life Schweiger was born in Freiburg, West Germany, to two teachers. He grew ...
as Rock Fertig-Aus (Rock Finished-Over, actually Rock Finished, but divorced from a certain Ms Over and once having decided for a double family name) *
Sky du Mont Sky du Mont (born Cayetano Neven du Mont; 20 May 1947) is a German-Argentine actor. Early life Sky du Mont's family, who are related to the famous publishers DuMont Schauberg, fled the Nazis in the 1930s to South America. He was born in Argen ...
as William the Last/Santa Maria *
Hans-Michael Rehberg Hans-Michael Rehberg (2 April 1938 – 7 November 2017) was a German actor. Biography Rehberg, born in Fürstenwalde, Brandenburg, was one of six children. He grew up in Bavaria after the family moved to Lake Starnberg. After training as an ac ...
as Regulator Rogul *
Christoph Maria Herbst Christoph Maria Herbst (born 9 February 1966) is a German actor and comedian. Early life Herbst was born in Wuppertal. After passing the Abitur, he became a trainee banker and was active at the free theatre scene in Wuppertal at the same time ...
as William the Last's Adviser * Siegfried Terpoorten as Jim * Tim Wilde as John *
Hans Peter Hallwachs Hans Peter Hallwachs (10 July 1938 – 16 December 2022) was a German actor. Hallwachs was born in Jüterbog, Brandenburg on 10 July 1938. He died on 16 December 2022, at the age of 84. Selected filmography *'' Mord und Totschlag'' (''Degree o ...
as Consul Kanon *
Reiner Schöne Reiner Schöne (born 19 January 1942) is a German actor, known for such roles as Dukhat in the ''Babylon 5'' series, Shinnok in '' Mortal Kombat: Annihilation'', Esoqq in the '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episode "Allegiance", Kolitar i ...
as Senator Bean * Anton Figl as Popowitsch * Stacia Widmer as Miss Bora Bora * Errol Trotmann-Harewood as General Baby * Andreas Seifert as Captain of the Mars-Troops * Albee Lesotho as Cleaner-Spy * Jumbo Schreiner as the big knight at William's Court


Production and allusions

After the success of ''Der Schuh des Manitu'', Michael "Bully" Herbig had asked his ''Bullyparade'' audience to decide his next movie project. Open for selection were: a sequel to ''Der Schuh des Manitu''; ''(T)Raumschiff Surprise''; a movie about another regular sketch in the show centered on Sissi (which was eventually realized as the computer-animated film '' Lissi und der wilde Kaiser''); a "Movie No One Would Ever Expect" with the same name; or an advice to Herbig to keep his hands off making movies altogether. ''(T)Raumschiff Surprise'' parodies the (mostly
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
) films '' Star Trek'', '' Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'', ''
The Fifth Element ''The Fifth Element'' is a 1997 English-language French science fiction action film conceived and directed by Luc Besson, as well as co-written by Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. It stars Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Chris Tucker, and Milla ...
'', ''
Back to the Future ''Back to the Future'' is a 1985 American science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis, and written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale. It stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson. Set in 1985, ...
'', ''
The Time Machine ''The Time Machine'' is a science fiction novella by H. G. Wells, published in 1895. The work is generally credited with the popularization of the concept of time travel by using a vehicle or device to travel purposely and selectively for ...
'', '' Independence Day'', ''
A Knight's Tale ''A Knight's Tale'' is a 2001 American medieval adventure comedy film written, co-produced and directed by Brian Helgeland. The film stars Heath Ledger as William Thatcher, a peasant squire who poses as a knight and competes in tournaments, win ...
'', ''
Men in Black In popular culture and UFO conspiracy theories, men in black (MIB) are purported men dressed in black suits who claim to be quasi- government agents, who harass, threaten, or sometimes even assassinate unidentified flying object (UFO) witnesse ...
'', '' Minority Report'', '' High Noon'', ''
The Matrix ''The Matrix'' is a 1999 science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is the first installment in ''The Matrix'' film series, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantolia ...
'', '' E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'', and ''
Twelve Monkeys ''12 Monkeys'' is a 1995 American science fiction film directed by Terry Gilliam, inspired by Chris Marker's 1962 short film '' La Jetée'', starring Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, and Brad Pitt, with Christopher Plummer and David Morse in ...
''. ''(T)Raumschiff Surprise'' has a prequel scene to ''Der Schuh des Manitu'' when the protagonists travel back in time to the wild west. They meet Santa Maria (the antagonist of ''Der Schuh des Manitu'') who offers the Apaches a new saloon for sale, a central scene in ''Der Schuh des Manitu''. The scene in which Kork and Spuck attempt to beam off the ''Surprise'' by stepping onto several lighted numbered floor panels, is a reference to the German TV children's game show ''Eins, Zwei oder Drei'' (the German version of ''Runaround''). The panels are part of a triple-choice quiz system, and any children who stand on the correct panel (i.e. with the number of the correct answer) may collect points for their respective team.


Characters

Several characters from the original ''Star Trek'' movie are parodied. The main characters speak with a very strong Bavarian accent in the German soundtrack. Herbig once described the movie as "a group of girl-roommates on adventure". The names are all parodies of the original characters of ''Star Trek''. Captain Kork (
Christian Tramitz Christian Tramitz (born 29 July 1955) is a German actor and comedian. Early life Born in Munich, Bavaria, Tramitz is the grandson of Austrian actor Paul Hörbiger and first cousin once removed of actress Christiane Hörbiger. His parents are ...
) is a take on
Captain Kirk James Tiberius Kirk is a fictional character in the '' Star Trek'' media franchise. Originally played by Canadian actor William Shatner, Kirk first appeared in '' Star Trek'' serving aboard the starship USS ''Enterprise'' as captain. Kirk lea ...
, ''korken'' means "to cork"); Mr. Spuck (Michael "Bully" Herbig) is a take on Spock, ''Spucke'' means "spit"; and the engineer, Schrotty (
Rick Kavanian Richard "Rick" Horatio Kavanian (born 26 January 1971) is a German actor, comedian, author and voice actor and dubber. He is famous for his cooperation with Michael Herbig, which led to many popular movie comedies and parodies, e.g. '' Manitou's S ...
) is a play on Scotty, ''Schrott'' means "trash / junk". The characters act stereotypically
gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...
.Jenni Zylka
"Sehr witzig, Herr Herbig!"
Die Tageszeitung (25 October 2007) Retrieved 24 November 2010
Kavanian also plays Jens Maul, a play on
Darth Maul Darth Maul, also known simply as Maul, is a Character (arts), character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He first appeared as the secondary antagonist of the 1999 film ''Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'' (portrayed by Ray Park and vo ...
, ''Maul'' means "maw", despite the fact the character looks like
Darth Vader Darth Vader is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. The character is the central antagonist of the original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the main protagonists in the prequel trilogy. ''Star Wars'' creator George ...
, and Doc Pulle who is a parody of
Leonard McCoy Dr. Leonard H. McCoy, known as "Bones", is a character in the American science-fiction franchise '' Star Trek''. McCoy was played by actor DeForest Kelley in the original ''Star Trek'' series from 1966 to 1969, and he also appears in the an ...
's character's German nickname, ''Pille'', which means "pill". ''Pulle'' is a German colloquialism for "bottle", as in "eine Pulle Rum" (a bottle of rum) or "eine Pulle Bier" (a bottle of beer).


Soundtrack

The title and incidental music was composed by Ralf Wengenmayr. The closing title song, ''Space Taxi'' by Stefan Raab featuring Spucky, Kork and Schrotty, was released as a single which reached No. 2 in Austria and Germany and No. 7 in Switzerland.


Awards

*2004 -
Bambi ''Bambi'' is a 1942 American animated drama film directed by David Hand (supervising a team of sequence directors), produced by Walt Disney and based on the 1923 book ''Bambi, a Life in the Woods'' by Austrian author and hunter Felix Salten ...
*2004 - Deutscher Comedypreis (Bester Comedian: Michael "Bully" Herbig) *2004 - Deutscher Comedypreis (Beste Kino-Komödie) *2004 - Goldene Leinwand mit Stern *2004 - Box Office Germany Award (Bogey) in platinum *2005 - DIVA-Award - Der Deutsche Kinopreis (Publikumspreis)


Critical response

While popular at large with the audience, there has been some negative criticism. Some critics said there was a lack of wit that had made ''
Der Schuh des Manitu ''Der Schuh des Manitu'' (eng.: ''The Shoe of Manitou'') is a 2001 German Western (genre), Western Parody film, parody film. Directed by Michael Herbig, it is a film adaptation of the Winnetou sketches from his ProSieben television show ''Bullyp ...
'' popular.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Traumschiff Surprise Periode 1 2004 comedy films 2004 films Gay-related films German LGBT-related films 2000s science fiction comedy films 2000s German-language films German science fiction comedy films Films set in 2004 Films set in medieval England Films set in Nevada Films set in the 14th century Films set in the 24th century Mars in film Space adventure films Films about time travel Parody films based on Star Wars Parody films based on Star Trek Films shot in Almería 2000s German films