Line #15 Film/Hydrozagadka


1	%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
2	[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hydrozagadka.png]]
3	[[caption-width-right:320:[[TheAce As]], the ultimate Polish [[TheCape Cape]]]]
4	''Hydrozagadka'' is a surreal Polish movie, released in 1970. During a heat wave in Warsaw everyone is drowning in sweat, and, to make matters worse, all the water in the city starts to disappear mysteriously. [[TheProfessor Professor]] Milczarek asks [[TheAce As]], the intrepid superhero, to help him investigate.
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6	Can be watched [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djhUa085_Vc here]] on Website/YouTube.
7	----
8	!! The movie provides examples of:
9
10	* AffectionateParody: Of {{superhero}} genre.
11	* ArtisticLicensePhysics: The baddies plan is: turn all water in Warsaw into steam. When clouds form over Kabur ([[MissingStepsPlan don't ask how]]), send ''fridges with baloons attached'' to collect it and sell it to the locals. Profit!
12	* BigBadDuumvirate: [[TheEvilPrince Maharaja]] of Kabur ([[FictionalCountry wherever this is]]) and doctor Plama.
13	* BrandNamesAreBetter: ParodiedTrope, both in regard to Western brands (understandable since the movie was made under the communist regime):
14	-->'''Jurek''': I read "Time" and "Epoca", I only drink Ballantine's, I smoke Winstons, for you I brought Wintermans, imported chocolate cigars. Take off your hat.
15	And domestic ones:
16	-->'''The Taxi Driver''': I'm already a little comforted. I rememebered I'm insured by [[PunctuatedForEmphasis P, Z, U]].
17	* [[BroughtToYouByTheLetterS Brought To You By The Letter A]]: As's costume has an A on the chest, as evidenced in the page picture.
18	* CantHoldHisLiquor: The bad guys get several people drunk to keep them from interfering with their EvilPlan. One apparently keeled over just from having a bottle held up to his nose.
19	* CardCarryingVillain: Two of these trying to steal all the Warsaw water. The horror!
20	* CartoonishSupervillainy: Befitting a wonderfully silly movie, the villains plan involves stealing all the water in Warsaw to sell it to a Third World country. Also involves a crocodile.
21	* TheCasanova: Jurek is trying (with As's LoveInterest!) but she's [[DullSurprise unimpressed]].
22	* TheCape: As, the perfect paragon of goodness, which he's always ready to remind us about. Though, he doesn't wear a literal cape. Also, TheAce - it's his name!
23	* ClarkKenting: As's civilian identity is Jan Walczak, a mild-mannered draughtsman[[note]] that is, a guy who makes and corrects technical drawings - a job [[TechnologyMarchesOn now made obsolete by CAD software]], but oddly common among the protagonists in Polish popular fiction in TheSeventies[[/note]]. He does not conceal his face in any way, doesn't even wear a DominoMask, although he does wear glasses, just like Clark Kent.
24	* TheComicallySerious: Both straight and a meta-example, since the directors' explicit goal was to make as wonderfully silly movie as possible at the time movies were considered SeriousBusiness. As especially delivers completely ridiculous lines without as much as a twitch of his facial muscles, but he's not an exception.
25	--> '''As''': Because I respect social decency and public peace, I shall not rip this door out to deal with you, mister!
26	%%* CrashingThroughTheHarem %% need a rewatch to properly describe this
27	* CreditsGag: The opening credits are spoken by the singer Iga Cembrzyńska (who was the director's girlfriend at the time and also played a minor role - a waitress in league with doctor Plama), in a strange, sultry way. Apparently this is because the movie had a very tight budget and they couldn't afford to make the credits like normal, but the end result [[SerendipityWritesThePlot adds to the surrealism]].
28	* DrugsAreBad: The anti-alcohol messages are parodying the real anti-alcohol campaigns from the time.
29	-->'''The Taxi Driver''': This orange pop isn't... popping.\
30	'''As''': [[SuddenlyShouting THIS IS ALCOHOL! THE WORST POISON!]]
31	* INeedToGoIronMyDog: Doktor Plama's justification of his henchman's (who is pretending to be a child) rude behavior towards the Maharaja:
32	-->'''Dr Plama''': This boy is, heh heh, hungover.
33	* IntoxicationEnsues: The baddies attempt this on As, but the "orange pop" is drank by someone else.
34	* MakesAsMuchSenseInContext: That's what makes it funny.
35	* MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate: Doctor Plama is one of the villains, although we never learn what he's a doctor of.
36	* NeverSmileAtACrocodile: The villains bring one with them. [[RocketPoweredWeapon A rocket-powered]] [[ThoseWackyNazis German]] alligator. Named Hermann. He only understands commands in German.
37	* TheProfessor: Milczarek, the nice scientist who [[TheCommissionerGordon solicits our hero's help]] when the electronic brain proves unable to find out where all the water goes.
38	* PublicServiceAnnouncement: Many of the ridiculous lines As recites (with full, hammy sincerity) are actually health and safety slogans from the time.
39	* ShoutOut: The ReferencedBy/WilliamShakespeare quotation is delivered rather hammily.
40	-->'''As''': Wake up. Raise! I wake you up!\
41	'''The Crossing Keeper''': Why, let the stricken deer go weep, The hart ungalled play.\
42	'''As''': For some must watch, while some must sleep; So runs the world away. ({{Beat}}) You are delirious!\
43	'''The Crossing Keeper''': Nah, I like Shakespeare.
44	* StylisticSuck: The story (intentionally) makes little sense, the acting is weird, the montage sloppy. The [[WordOfGod director himself says]] that he was aiming for "wonderfully silly", but...
45	* SophisticatedAsHell: Jurek. His "sophisticated" and "worldly" phrases are immediately followed with "Take off your hat" spoken in a noticeably crude, yokel way.
46	-->'''Jurek''': We shall make love the French way. Take off your hat!
47	* SuperheroesWearTights: Although just how As would have been able to get hold of a classical superhero costume goes unexplained (like a lot of other things, to be fair). He's not wearing a cape, though.
48	* TakeThat: Underneath the AffectionateParody of superhero stuff, there's also a less affectionate parody of both PublicServiceAnnouncement material and contemporary crime novels and films which were always deadly serious, tended to have foreigners, traitors and western-styled playboys as villains and seemingly naive, but flawless heroes.

Context Film / Hydrozagadka