Tankolympics

Tankolympics
File:Tankolimpics cover.jpg Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Henry Luttich
Written by	Reiko Kusakabe
Produced by	Reiko Kusakabe
Starring	Darzana Magbaredge Richard Philip Todd Kaoru Mizusaki Yuki Kaizuka Vashyron Constantine Ryuk Chang-min Myeong Kwang-cho Varian Wayne
Edited by	John Ramsay
Music by	Angus MacDonald Real Gone by Yuki Kaizuka
Distributed by	Endelmann Pictures
Release date	November 19 2016
Running time	102 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Languages	English Nihhonese
Budget	12 million Gil
Box office	315 million Gil

Tankolympics is a 2016 Lucian romantic-comedy film. It was directed by Inertia award winning director Henry Luttich, produced and written by Reiko Kusabe. The film stars the cast from Flower Ring that included Darzana Magbaredge, Richard Philip Todd, Kaoru Mizusaki and Yuki Kaizuka, who sung the movie's theme song, Real Gone. The main plot follows struggling worker, Suzanne Leinhart (Magbaredge), who is fired by her manager and subsequently finds a job as a mechanic for a tank commander, who happens to strive to win in the Tankolympics, which is an olympic event of vintage tanks in Osaka as he aims for his 6th Championship Trophy. After seeing potential and guidance, Suzanne becomes a tankman.

The film grossed 315 million Gil, which became the highest grossing comedy film of 2016. It received a 4.5 out of 5 markings in Spinning Onions and became the most commercially successful film of 2016. It was followed by the 2017 release of Tankolympics II with most of the cast reprising their roles.

Cast

• Darzana Magbaredge as Suzanne Leinhart, a former worker at a banking company. She soon finds job as a mechanic for Alexander Wayne, who is a competitor at the Tankolympics. After being trained, She and Him pilot their tank at the tankolympics. She pilots the gunner's seat. She has a crush on Alexander, along with Louise and Cattleya.
• Richard Philip Todd as Alexander Wayne, a rich and arrogant competitor at the tankolympics who strives to win his 6th Cup. Upon meeting Suzanne, his life turns around as he falls in love with her. He gives her encouragement and together compete. He drives a Lucian Comet tank.
• Kaoru Mizusaki as Louise Evans, Suzanne's best friend wko was fired along with her and her cousin. She follows Suzanne and becomes another tank crew, particularly driving the tank. She is one of the female heroines to have a crush on Alexander.
• Yuki Kaizuka as Cattleya Evans, Louise's young and clumsy cousin. Originally thought to be too young for being a tank crewman, She becomes Alexander's loader in the tank. She is one of the female heroines to have a crush on Alexander.
• Vashyron Constantine as Rudolph Weiss, a far richer and arrogant person than Alexander. He is the films antagonist as he seeks to cheat to win the Tankolympics Cup. He drives an Imperial Tiger I and later the Tiger II with the Henschel Turret.
• Ryuk Chang-min as Han Jong-hwa, a Joyonghean tanker. He is Alexander's friend, having grown up with the same interest. He gets eliminated in the semi-finals by Rudolph. He pilots a Joyonghean version of the Lucian Cromwell tank.
• Waldemar Fegelein as Henri Smits, a Erebonian tanker. He is responsible for getting Suzanne's job of being a mechanic. He is Alexander's right man in the olympics. He pilots a Gallian Theimer tank, which he upgrades to a Theimer Firefly.
• Cid Raines as Erwin Schwartz, One of the two of Rudolph's henchmen. He is the smart one and more favored by Rudolph. He comedically blames his failures on Schultz, Rudolph's other henchman. He pilots an Imperial Panther tank.
• Frank Briggs as Hans Schultz, Rudolph's other henchmen. He is Rudolph's bumbling, inept and somewhat dimwitted, but affable if not lovable rotund 300-pound henchman. He is mostly the center of the film's gags and is mostly blamed by Erwin for his failures. However, when Schultz is asked by Rudolph, he will simply look the other way, repeating "I hear nothing, I see nothing, I know nothing!" (or, more commonly as the series went on, simply "I see nothing–NOTHING!"). He pilots an Imperial Panzer IV tank.
• Avan Hardins as George Van de Berg, a Gallian tanker, He is Henri's right tankman. He pilots a Lucian version of the Gallian M10 Tank Destroyer.
• Myeong Kwang-cho as Lee Byung-jae, a Joyonghean tanker and Jong-hwa's friend as well as being his Right tankman. He pilots a Joyonghean version of the Lucian Crusader tank.
• William George Hoang as Nguyen Van Trinh, a Quenminese tanker. He is one of Alexander's friends. He gets eliminated in the quarter finals and goes on to cheer Alexander. He is also the bridge of Suzanne to Alexander. He pilots a Quenminese Type 64.
• Noctis Lucis Caelum as HM, The King. He awards Alexander with his 6th cup at the end of the film.
• Thomas Evans as William Handel, An announcer in the Tankolympics along with his friend, Willem.
• Largo Potter as Willem Goriss, A Gallian announcer, He along with William are announcers in the Tankolympics.

Historical Accuracy and Tanks used in the film

The film's historical accuracy is contained in the tanks used in the film. Richard's tank, the Comet tank. The Comet tank in the film (Serial No. 065547) used was borrowed from the Tavington Tank Museum, UK where it was historically used by the Lucian 7th Armored Division and was one of the first Comet tanks to roll out of the production line and it was also the last working Comet tank of the first batch of Comets that came out of the production line in 1935. The film was an effort to push the restoration of 3 Comet tanks found in Lucian and Gallian scrapyards. In December 16, 2016; The restoration was completed with the three tanks placed back into running and firing order with Task Force 141 owning one of the three by 2017. The guns mounted on the 3 restored Comets was a newly made QF 77mm High Velocity Gun manufactured by Royal Ordnance, making it the first time that a manufacturer makes a gun for a tank that has not seen service in over 60 years. The engine was a newly manufactured Rolls-Royce Meteor V12 engine. It costed 105 million Lucian Gil to restore all three tanks. The Comet was featured again in the sequel, Tankolympics II but this time, The Comet used was the one bought by Todd with the serial number being Serial No. 065548.

The Imperial Panzer IV, Panther, Tiger I and Tiger II used in the film were borrowed from the Randgriz Royal Armored Museum and this was the time that a working Tiger I and Tiger II was used in the film after the Second Europan War. The Panzer IV, which frequently broke down in the film as part of the running gags was a genuine Panzer IV carefully preserved from 1942. The tank was serialized as Pz 313, which was used by the Imperial Panzer Battalion 731 during the war. The decals were also preserved.

The 12 Theimer tanks used in the film were borrowed from the Tavington Tank Museum and the Randgriz Royal Armored Museum. The Theimer Firefly that still had the Norfolk Yeomanry decals was borrowed from the Isle of Wight museum in the UK. The Cromwell tanks were mostly borrowed from the Tavingtom Tank Museum; The Joyonghean Cromwells however were mainly Lucian Cromwells coated with Joyonghean paint scheme and decals. The Type 64 was borrowed from the Gallian Royal Armored Museum and having it topped with Quenminese decals and paint scheme.