Fantasia 2021: Operation Luchador Review

Directed by: Alain Vézina
Written by: Alain Vézina

Starring:
Carlos Valderrama – The Golden Angel
Johnny North – The Eagle of the Reich
Alain Essiembre – Blue Tornado
Michel T. Prévost – Bernard Delpont
Martin Vallée – Yves Sinclair
Marie-Ève Trudel – Marie-Ève Latour
Caroline Gauthier – Caroline Dorado

Running Time: 85 minutes
Not Rated

There’s nothing quite like a good mockumentary when you want to entertain with ridiculous tales. Fictional stories using the documentary format have ranged from the horrifying to the dramatic, but comedy will always be its greatest strength. There’s something about the ability of the “true story” narrative that cuts right down to the absurd like nothing else, as seen in in films like This Is Spinal, What We Do in the Shadows, and many more.

The latest example of the format, Operation Luchador, captures the goofy energy of the former and the outlandish set-up of the latter. Alain Vézina’s Canadian fictionalized tale of a Mexican wrestling sensation who was recruited to fight the Nazis’ growing influence in South America in World War II plays out like a History Channel show on a serious acid trip. Making its North American premiere at Fantasia International Film Festival this month, Vézina’s film is an entertaining look at what World War II espionage could have been if the world was just a little bit more ridiculous.

And when I say ridiculous, I’m not kidding. In the world of Operation Luchador, the lucha libre star L’Ange Doré (The Golden Angel) was recruited by the American Special Intelligence Service to help combat the rising Nazi tide in the Americas. Part of that rising tide was the Eagle of the Reich, Hitler’s own rudo (heel, for the less Lucha-educated among us) who won matches with the help of Nazi outside interference, to the Fuhrer’s delight. That led to the Golden Angel being recruited for missions where he wooed the Reich’s propaganda director Leni Riefenstahl on a submarine, tried to save Buffalo from a solar-powered Nazi Sun Cannon, and prevented a suicide attack on the Allied leaders by Kamikaze dogs by playing the blues, among other missions. There’s even an Iron Cross-wearing Yeti.

Vézina originally created the Golden Angel for his short Terreur Au Campus, which was intended to be the pilot for a series. He re-channels that energy here into historical silliness and it largely pays off. Operation Luchador imagines history as a James Bond or Indiana Jones story, and the allusions are clear enough that the Golden Angel literally stows away on a German boat for his short-lived romance with Riefenstahl, which leads to a 007 opening credits-style sequence presented as something Riefenstahl shot. Hitler and the Nazis very much become Bond villains with their ludicrous secret weapons and sci-fi science.

That’s a slippery slope to walk; a wrong tonal step could have easily come off as crass. But Vézina keeps his footing secure here with his direction. He mixes actual archival footage and his own “historical” sequences with talking head scenes for a mix that is comedic without making light of the Reich’s real horrors. A sequence in which Alain Essiembre plays a retired luchador talking about the vile Each of the Reich is a delight, and photos of canines learning to read and flying planes for the bad guys can’t help but bring laughs.

As much fun as it is, this does get a bit uneven at times. There’s only so far you can stretch a concept like this out, and while Vézina mostly fills the runtime well it drags just a bit as it moves into the post-World War II era. Clear budgetary restrictions mean that the “archival” footage stands out enough that it takes you out of the film a bit. And finally, some of the historical gags don’t land as well as others such as a semi-running gag about astronaut reactions to Nazi space tactics. But when the rest of it does work as well as it does, those aren’t the things that stick with you. Instead, it’s easier to get swept away by the fever dream of Hitler’s brain in a jar and lament that we never got the Hollywood luchador musical Singin’ in the Ring. Oh, what times those could have been.

The Fantasia International Film Festival takes place in person and online from August 5th through August 25th

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

Alain Vézina’s Operation Luchador is a mockumentary that leans into the genre's wacky energy for delightful tale of what World War II wasn't. but could have been. Vézina’s story turns history into high-concept spy hijinks and his directorial style plays well. It may not be the most unforgettable experience and it's slightly hampered by its budget, but it still makes for a fun take on the more outlandish side of alternative history.