“The Machine” premiered in German cinemas on May 25, 2023. How? Do not you remember? This may be because the film, despite ‘Star Wars’ icon Mark Hamill, was not shown in any theaters. Only 221 (!) paying viewers saw the action comedy in this country in its first and only week in German cinemas – a catastrophic result.
However, this does not really have to be a surprise, because podcaster and stand-up comedian Bert Kreischer, who likes to do his shows topless, films one of his most famous stories here. What may have attracted the Bert Kreischer Ultras to theaters in the US was met with a weary shrug here in Germany, as no one here really knows the comedian and his stage routines.
Now you can see for yourself whether the film’s failure was justified, because “The Machine” is available on Netflix starting today, October 25, 2023.
And the action comedy is definitely worth watching – if only because of Mark Hamill. The Luke Skywalker actor proves to be an absolute scene-stealer in the two-minute trailer. Hollywood veteran Bert Kreischer plays the role effortlessly with great pleasure. Yep, even the real star of the movie doesn’t stand a chance against Mark Hamill as Speed’s sweet, grumpy grandpa.
And that’s what ‘The Machine’ is about
Bert Kreischer (playing himself) has now had enough of his self-created stage image as “The Machine”. The story is still his most successful routine, one that his audience asks for again and again. In it, the comedian explains how he got his nickname. A wild robber’s gun about how he accidentally helped the Russian mafia rob a train during his college days.
But not much is left of the former machine. He now leads a quiet life and his muscles have disappeared under a comfortable belly. When his estranged father (Mark Hamill) suddenly shows up and says nothing good about the comedian’s lifestyle, Bert has had enough. But things are about to get much worse.
23 years after the events described in the anecdote, the Russian mafia suddenly shows up at his door and kidnaps him and his father to Russia. Here he has to pay for his actions. To escape the clutches of the gangsters, Bernd Kreischer must switch back to ‘Machine’ mode.