This movie, directed by the two fairly inexperienced but obviously over-ambitious and talented French filmmakers Nicolas Alberny & Jean Mach, quite possibly has the most original and avant-garde screenplay that I've seen in many years. It's also another proof that you don't need a lot of money in order to make a film that is captivating and groundbreaking. "8th Wonderland" clearly cost next to nothing, but witty satirical ideas and superbly drawn characterizations don't require a large budget; just an intelligent and versatile crew and an enthusiast ensemble cast. The concept of "8th Wonderland" is simultaneously simple and genius. The title refers to the very first virtual nation in which people of all nationalities, religions and cultures unite in chat rooms to debate and vote on how they could improve ruling the outside world. And this time the members – citizens, if you will – of 8th Wonderland aren't loud-mouthed geeks hiding safely behind their computers, but devoted and resourceful academics that put their words into deeds as well. On a weekly basis, the citizens of 8th Wonderland democratically vote on an initiative during a referendum and subsequently appoint someone to execute the agreed actions. Whether it concerns placing condom vending machines in the Vatican, abduct world class soccer players to have them fabricate their own shoes amidst child laborers or boycotting the nuclear energy negotiations between Russia and Iran, the initiatives of "8th Wonderland" always make the world press and the virtual nation becomes immeasurably popular very fast. Parallel with the success, inevitably the first obstacles and issues arise as well. Frauds declaring themselves the mastermind behind 8th Wonderland, the safeguarding of loyal members after they risked their lives, dealing with the public opinion in case of false advertising or unpopular initiatives or feeling the burning breath of hunting FBI services in their neck. "8th Wonderland" definitely isn't an adrenalin-rushing thriller (most of the time it's just people talking straight into the camera, like they are in chat rooms) but it's nevertheless a compelling and politically engaging cinematic experiment that deserves all the praise and recommendation it can get! The characters are identifiable, the depiction of the media and public opinions are accurate and precise and the dialogs are stupendously written. Some of the discussed initiatives of the 8th Wonderland committee appear to be far-fetched and impossible to carry out, but there's always a logical clarification of what they do and a plausible breakdown of how they do it. The credibility of "8th Wonderland" largely relies on small but important and punctilious details, like for example the chatters occasionally mixing in words and swearing of their own native language, authentic news bulletin images and reports and members deciding to leave the group out of fear for retribution. The ensemble cast is marvelous and the computer engineered effects (for example, the illustration of a virtual chatting circle) are reasonably impressive; especially for computer illiterates like myself. Recommended in case you're on the lookout for something entirely new, refreshing and creative.
10 Reviews
Up there with the worst of the worst.
Sebastian_Berlin4 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I dare say the audience at our local surprise sneak preview theater is a hardened bunch. Yes, some of us have been attending the traditional weekly sneak showing regularly for well over a decade. We have had atrocities like "House of 1000 Corpses" and "Street Fighter" forced upon us. But we still come back every Thursday. Maybe we *do* have a masochistic streak after all.
And today we were served again with this cinematic dud that ranks up there with the worst of the worst. I don't know where to begin. The annoying visualization of "internet chat room", most likely an out-of-the-box Adobe Premiere effect. The fact that *everything* in this movie is conveyed by an unnerving, never ending, multilingual dialog where apparently the idea of quality was sacrificed for quantity. The cheap green screen technology. No characters to identify with. And the whole idea behind the film feels so flat and naive, it's a pain to watch. You could literally feel the audience detach from the movie in disbelief during the first fifteen minutes.
For a student group assignment at a film seminar, this would be a fine work. But it's a long way from there to the movie theater.
And today we were served again with this cinematic dud that ranks up there with the worst of the worst. I don't know where to begin. The annoying visualization of "internet chat room", most likely an out-of-the-box Adobe Premiere effect. The fact that *everything* in this movie is conveyed by an unnerving, never ending, multilingual dialog where apparently the idea of quality was sacrificed for quantity. The cheap green screen technology. No characters to identify with. And the whole idea behind the film feels so flat and naive, it's a pain to watch. You could literally feel the audience detach from the movie in disbelief during the first fifteen minutes.
For a student group assignment at a film seminar, this would be a fine work. But it's a long way from there to the movie theater.
A Vision of things to come
johannes-damarowsky27 February 2011
After reading the divergent opinions about this movie I realized I had to see it for myself in order to know if it's a waste of time or the opposite.
My conclusion had to be: it is not.
Although I can imagine people describing the plot as unlikely, I wouldn't consider it unrealistic. The movie itself is more of a case-study of a certain chain of events, showing different aspects and effects. I would definitely say it was interesting and appropriate for expressing an idea: that technology will certainly change the shape of future life.
My conclusion had to be: it is not.
Although I can imagine people describing the plot as unlikely, I wouldn't consider it unrealistic. The movie itself is more of a case-study of a certain chain of events, showing different aspects and effects. I would definitely say it was interesting and appropriate for expressing an idea: that technology will certainly change the shape of future life.
This movie is not going to make you want to save the world
utopyah17 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
This is the first movie I ever walk out from (after suffering through it for an hour). Badly played, naive, and simply plain boring, it also lacks original ideas and is filled with long dialogues leading nowhere.
There are too many characters for any of them to have any depth, the situations are sometimes grotesque (a girl casually reading the newspapers in front of her web cam while she is supposed to talk about a way to "save the world", another guy discussing secret schemes aloud in a crowded internet café, a CIA agent logging in and chatting aloud (too) with the wonderland group right next to his colleagues without them even hearing him?!). Anyone seems to be able to join the group, yet personalities and the CIA strive to gain access to the website?! After a while, you just wish the characters would shut up. Not only because their dialogues are bad, but because their acting is bad too and the situations are totally unrealistic.
It could have been a great movie. It was greatly screwed up. And all the people leaving the room confirmed this impression. Thank you, come again!
There are too many characters for any of them to have any depth, the situations are sometimes grotesque (a girl casually reading the newspapers in front of her web cam while she is supposed to talk about a way to "save the world", another guy discussing secret schemes aloud in a crowded internet café, a CIA agent logging in and chatting aloud (too) with the wonderland group right next to his colleagues without them even hearing him?!). Anyone seems to be able to join the group, yet personalities and the CIA strive to gain access to the website?! After a while, you just wish the characters would shut up. Not only because their dialogues are bad, but because their acting is bad too and the situations are totally unrealistic.
It could have been a great movie. It was greatly screwed up. And all the people leaving the room confirmed this impression. Thank you, come again!
A unique story, well told
dreirad5 January 2011
From what I had heard and seen, I was expecting a good idea wrapped in low production values ruined by poor acting and realisation. I was more than pleasantly surprised. The film was so well told and the story so engaging that the low production values didn't matter. The acting was good enough to not distract me from the story. I wasn't bored once, it was a compelling and entertaining experience.
People here complain the discussions were tiring. Ever been to a grass-roots democratic plenum where a bunch of people tried to come to a decision by talking about it? Those real-life discussions are tiring, really tiring. Compared to them, the discussions in the movie are breezy while still very true to what grass-roots democracy can sound and feel like.
Yes, certain elements of the story may seem naive or simplistic. And yes, it's a very talkative movie. If you are easily annoyed or bored by lots of talking, than this is probably not the movie for you.
I would really recommend it to everyone else though for its unique idea and storytelling.
People here complain the discussions were tiring. Ever been to a grass-roots democratic plenum where a bunch of people tried to come to a decision by talking about it? Those real-life discussions are tiring, really tiring. Compared to them, the discussions in the movie are breezy while still very true to what grass-roots democracy can sound and feel like.
Yes, certain elements of the story may seem naive or simplistic. And yes, it's a very talkative movie. If you are easily annoyed or bored by lots of talking, than this is probably not the movie for you.
I would really recommend it to everyone else though for its unique idea and storytelling.
First one i walked out on
dralla-115 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I hope many people go see this movie. Because: A sorrow shared is a sorrow halved. If this movie was written by a five year old and made by a bunch of high-school kids, then it is OK. But I don't think that is the case. I can't tell you much about the movie, because I have seen only 30 minutes of it, but so have many people in the audience. After 20 minutes of this I have been betting with my friend that people would soon start to leave. But nobody moved. And since we were in the middle of a big packed theater I didn't want to be the first one to stand up. 10 minutes later my prayers were answered and the first few started to stand up. Within a few minutes I think a quarter of the audience left the theater.
So what is the problem: Well the idea doesn't sound too bad. SPOILER > A group of people want to change the world and try to force it into changing the way they think by various acts of terrorism. So far so movie-realistic. But why are they people like: a model? (who has the time to join live-chat-conferences with the rest of the group during a runway presentation when she is supposed to change) a guy who is going to college to become a doctor and his fiancée. A Muslim girl who lives with her dad. And so on. How do these people find the time to organize crimes that involve abducting three of the best football players without getting caught? < SPOILER Never mind, I agree that it only takes great minds and determination to do all that. But the people of that group seem like they are hardly able to use the computers that connect them to one another. And then they go on discussing their aims and their beliefs in discussions that seem to last for half an hour, which can't be true because I have only seen half an hour of this school-production and there were at least two discussions. And also there is some really bad acting. Most actors did well, but two were so bad that I didn't know if they were supposed to be drugged and hysteric or simply annoyingly bad. There is nothing more I want to say about this. Only that I really like movies and up to this point there were only two movies I haven't watched till the end, both of them because the people I was with didn't want to stay until the end. But this one is the first I walked out on. I did have the thought with a few movies but I never actually did it. And with this one it took me only half an hour. Once again: if the filmmakers are under 18 years old I apologize if not: see above.
So what is the problem: Well the idea doesn't sound too bad. SPOILER > A group of people want to change the world and try to force it into changing the way they think by various acts of terrorism. So far so movie-realistic. But why are they people like: a model? (who has the time to join live-chat-conferences with the rest of the group during a runway presentation when she is supposed to change) a guy who is going to college to become a doctor and his fiancée. A Muslim girl who lives with her dad. And so on. How do these people find the time to organize crimes that involve abducting three of the best football players without getting caught? < SPOILER Never mind, I agree that it only takes great minds and determination to do all that. But the people of that group seem like they are hardly able to use the computers that connect them to one another. And then they go on discussing their aims and their beliefs in discussions that seem to last for half an hour, which can't be true because I have only seen half an hour of this school-production and there were at least two discussions. And also there is some really bad acting. Most actors did well, but two were so bad that I didn't know if they were supposed to be drugged and hysteric or simply annoyingly bad. There is nothing more I want to say about this. Only that I really like movies and up to this point there were only two movies I haven't watched till the end, both of them because the people I was with didn't want to stay until the end. But this one is the first I walked out on. I did have the thought with a few movies but I never actually did it. And with this one it took me only half an hour. Once again: if the filmmakers are under 18 years old I apologize if not: see above.
Skip it. Not worth your time or money.
marekmcmanus27 February 2010
I too was one of the unfortunate few people who had to suffer through this "movie", during a sneak preview night. Well at least the first 30-45 minutes of it, because that was when me and my mate left.
I just can comment on the production value and the crafting, because until the moment I left I still had no idea what was going on in this movie. I only learned what it was actually about after skimming through the plot on the internet. Apparently some intellectuals try to make the world a better place. Watching the first 30 minutes it never occurred to me, that I was watching a bunch of intellectuals. It looked more like a bunch of students and stereotype bad guys. None of the actors left any impression what so ever on me or stood out. They all seemed pretty generic and replaceable.
The production value appeared to be pretty low in general. Some scenes looked like they were shot in the actual living rooms of the "actors". Whole scenes looked like they were taken directly from youtube. At least they had the look and feel of some youtube videos. Some scenes were set in some kind of fancy chat room, that looked like an out-of-box after effects effect. In those scenes all they chat room participants were projected in a circle of screens, surrounded by some matrix-esqe code bits flying by. Compared to the broader spectrum of films those effects were pretty bad, but in this movie they actually looked neat compared to the rest.
Do yourself a favor and skip this movie.
I just can comment on the production value and the crafting, because until the moment I left I still had no idea what was going on in this movie. I only learned what it was actually about after skimming through the plot on the internet. Apparently some intellectuals try to make the world a better place. Watching the first 30 minutes it never occurred to me, that I was watching a bunch of intellectuals. It looked more like a bunch of students and stereotype bad guys. None of the actors left any impression what so ever on me or stood out. They all seemed pretty generic and replaceable.
The production value appeared to be pretty low in general. Some scenes looked like they were shot in the actual living rooms of the "actors". Whole scenes looked like they were taken directly from youtube. At least they had the look and feel of some youtube videos. Some scenes were set in some kind of fancy chat room, that looked like an out-of-box after effects effect. In those scenes all they chat room participants were projected in a circle of screens, surrounded by some matrix-esqe code bits flying by. Compared to the broader spectrum of films those effects were pretty bad, but in this movie they actually looked neat compared to the rest.
Do yourself a favor and skip this movie.
great intellectual movie!
marc-broehmer28 July 2010
Due to a full sneak preview we bought tickets for Knight and Day but thought, let's sit on the floor and take a look what's coming at sneak preview. The first minutes were strange but promising for a movie to think about. After ten minutes we preferred to remain on the floor to watch this great movie. It sure wasn't an expensive production, but who needs that? The two directors did an immense great job with that idea. It has infectious ideas for freedom, democracy, the wish to make things better and sure, if it played in Hollywood with reaching the right amount of people, the potential to change things. But nevertheless there are a few contradictory parts. No brain-roasting Hollywood shi*, great movie to see, going to watch it witch my girlfriend again at premiere in Germany!
The baddest movie i have EVER seen....
RedOne8226 July 2010
I never wrote a comment on IMDb, but at this time i have the responsibility to warn everyone from watching this crap. I really have seen a lot of bad movies in my life, but this movie is the worst i have ever seen. The dialogs are unsubstantial, the "special effects" look like they were made by a 10 year old boy with magix video deluxe and the story....there is no story! It's like they filmed a lot of crap, throw the dice and put it all together. Before you go and watch this movie think about watching the whole IMDb bottom 100. I thinks thats the better idea!
I leaved the movie after 30 minutes.....I WANT MY 30 MINUTES BACK!!!
I leaved the movie after 30 minutes.....I WANT MY 30 MINUTES BACK!!!
Hello dear IMDB....
viruslove-0216314 November 2019
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