Firstly: I am a big fan of Kaizers. If you are a fan of Kaizer's: Watch this for the backstage stuff and the interviews, there are some great nuggets here that I had never seen before. I might be a bit harsh in this review, but only because this documentary could have been so much more!
This is not the Kaizer's documentary that uses live shows, interviews, backstage footage and home movies to tell you the story of the band you love so much. This documentary tries to be different, but misses its mark.
The concept is this: Combining the story of Helge ("Omen") with sequences set in the Kaizer's universe. And while the (not quite steampunky) universe is great, it only serves as a big distraction in this documentary, and I would have fast forwarded past it if I could. It could have been done as a separate entity, as an experimental feature (like Daft Punk has attempted), but in the documentary it's sadly out of place. I'm positive to the director trying to make something new and refreshing, but this one does not take it home.
It also does not quite deliver on Helge's story. The evolution of him as a person throughout his time with the band is hinted at, but not really focused on (enough). The same with the challenges he must have faced being so different to the rest of the group. Really exploring this would have made the documentary great - but by derailing of the story and going on about Kaizer's in general and the fans, it does not succeed in this.
The editing is also a mess for people not aware of the Kaizer's chronology. If you don't know what order the albums came out it is difficult to know when much of this takes place. Not only does it not clarify this, it shows it all out of order. Confusing, but not that bad if you already know them coming in.
One last criticism is the parts of the documentary about the fans. While the fans are dedicated, passionate and probably really awesome - they are pretty much the same as the fans of any other band, and if you don't take the time to explore how Kaizer's has had a profound impact on their life, but rather just state they have, then you're just telling the audience something we already know.
