Dan Dream is a slapstick comedy based on the true story of the first electric car.While some of the facts surrounding the actual event are true, it is quite obvious that the movie has fabricated a humorous series of scenes around it.
The film begins with Thorkil Bonnensen who is pitching a revolutionary new idea for the company he works for. Unfortunately, they turn him down and so he decides to quit. He then comes across an engineering professor who has created an electric bicycle. This meeting prompts him to come up with the idea to build the first ever electric car. He then takes his finances and collects fellow eccentric characters to help him fulfill his dream.
The screenplay is genuinely funny and is firmly and obviously low-brow. From scatological humor to cringe-worthy racism, the movie has a complete understanding of the tone. At the same time, there is some social commentary with the issue of racism coming up several times throughout the film, though these problems are seemingly resolved. There’s also some discussion on how eccentricity breeds innovation and how geniuses are often ahead of their time. These ideas are not overbearing but it’s refreshing to have some more thought go into the movie then just goofiness.
The characters themselves are essentially cartoon characters and the only real development is given to the protagonist and the engineer. The engineer really steals the show because he garners both pity and humor due to the issues of his home life.
The movie progresses very quickly and we’re given enough information to understand the circumstances and character motivations. It doesn’t feel rushed either so at no point does it become jarring or difficult to follow. A benefit to quick pacing in a film like this is that if a joke does not work, it moves on to the next scene before you know it. Other comedies should take this example like *cough* Adam Sandler *cough*.
I’m all too familiar with the real story of the first electric car and it is obvious that the filmmakers were not concerned with the details of it. The actual story is just a set up to have a humorous and enjoyable story of eccentrics trying to achieve their dreams.
