Captain Eager and the Mark of Voth (2008

2008 in film

This is a list of all major films made in 2008.-Highest-grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2008...

) is a science-fiction/comedy

Comedy

Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...

 directed by Simon DaVision, starring James Vaughan, Tamsin Greig

Tamsin Greig

Tamsin Greig is an English actress principally known for two Channel 4 television comedy parts: Fran Katzenjammer in Black Books and Dr. Caroline Todd in Green Wing...

, Mark Heap

Mark Heap

Mark Heap is an English actor. He began his acting career in the 1980s as a member of the Medieval Players, a touring company performing medieval and early modern theatre, and featuring stilt-walking, juggling and puppetry...

 and Richard Leaf

Richard Leaf

Richard Leaf is a British actor.He has had several small parts in television and stage productions. Leaf is married to actress Tamsin Greig, star of Black Books, Green Wing and Love Soup. The actor is notable for his role as the Governor of York, nephew of King Edward I in Mel Gibson's Braveheart...

. The film parodies classic B-movies through its deliberately nonsensical, superfluous storyline, poor production values, laughable dialogue and weak, inconsistent performances.

The film was shot in London over a period of four weeks, with contributions from several CGI

Computer-generated imagery

Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...

 artists. In accordance with the production's knowing satire of cheesy sci-fi, the credits for Captain Eager claim that it was filmed using "Card-o-Scope", and that CGI stands for "Cardboard and Gum Imagery".

Synopsis

Square-jawed hero Captain Eager is assigned the task of spying on Colonel Regamun, who has taken over the Veritan Sectot using a mysterious device known only as the "Mark of Voth".

Accompanied by his friends Professor Moon, Nurse Boobalicious, Scamp the Rocket Dog, Scrutty and Jenny, Eager must face down Regamun while also battling various alien monsters from his past adventures.

Reception

The film polarised critics; while some appreciated the surreal

Surrealism

Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....

 tone and knowing satire

Satire

Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...

, others were left infuriated by the deliberately idiotic storyline and claimed it was a one-joke movie.