Scene from local documentary Mega Time Squad, screening at the NZIFF NZH 31May18 - NZH 26Jul18 -
You don't need a time travelling device to realise that Mega Time Squad is destined to become a future cult classic.
This lo-fi local movie is a sci-fi, comedy crime caper that sees John, a dim but likeable small-time crook, come into possession of a mystical bracelet that allows him
to travel through time. Realising the awesome power the bracelet affords him, John hatches a hare-brained scheme to rob his patronising crime boss, hightail it out of Thames with bags of cash and start a new life in the big smoke of Paeroa.
I'm not sure why John didn't just go back in time with the winning Lotto numbers but I guess that wouldn't be much of a movie... Instead, he repeatedly time travels backward until there's a gang of John's all working in tandem to pull off the heist.
Writer/director Tim van Dammen has perfectly captured the spirit and vibe of the 80s retro classics he was so obviously inspired by, right down to its great synth soundtrack. For a no-budget film, Mega Time Squad certainly looks a million dollars. The effects here convince, especially as the screen starts filling up with the squad of Johns.
The script is foul-mouthed and very funny, revelling in its distinctly Kiwi rhythm and dialogue. There's a dry wit to the gags, frequently bordering on absurdism, that makes it feel like the weirdo pop-culture obsessed cousin of Taika Waititi and Flight of the Conchords.
