Classic 50's Sci Fi (This Island Earth (DVD))

Member Name: larisso

Product:	This Island Earth (DVD)
Date:	11/06/04 (89 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Smooth & Lavish Production / FX

Disadvantages: Lacklustre Characters

Credits :
Director : Joseph Newman
Screenplay : Franklin Coen
Edward O'Callaghan
Novel by : Raymond F. Jones
Photography : Clifford Stine
Designers Alexander Golitzen
R. H Riedel
Producer : William Alland


Universals ' This Island Earth ' is a very good example of Sci Fi in the 50's. Directed by '
Joseph Newman ' it is a very energetic , colourfull film which begins in familiar enough
territory but journeys much farther out into interstellar travel and interplanetary war. The
star of the film ' Rex Reason ' is unfortunately stolidly innapropriate in the part of the
young physicist.Faith Domergue fares little better either......being rather flat. But what
makes this film so stand out is the special effects , colourfull photography and the
ethereal looking settings , which are splendidly realised.

Plot.
Cal Meachams (Rex Reason ) jet is mysteriously encapsulated in green light, after his plane malfunctions and is mysteriously landed for him . Arriving in his laboratory
next day an electronics catalogue offers him instructions on how to build an ' Interocitor '
Provided with the necessary parts he finally finishes the project. The result looking
dissapointingly like a colour TV set with an inverted triangular screen. The face that
appears congratulates him on having passed the test and later asks him to join some
strange company called Unit 16. After the machineis destroyed ' Meacham ' is taken aboard a plane ( with no pilot !! ) from where he is taken to his secret destination.Working alongside fellow scientists ( some romantic moments here with colleague Faith
Domergue as Dr Adams) they soon discover they are under control by aliens who have specially chosen
earths best minds to save them and there pl
anet ' Metaluna ' from being dstroyed in an
interplanetary war.Eventually being taken to there homeworld in a flying saucer they arrive
to witness the planets final destruction.Escaping just in time the saucer returns to earth
and burns up but, not before our heroes are safely lowered in there plane.

Overview,
Although a year later the film was completely overshadowed by ' Fobidden Planet ' this
is still a very enjoyable film.......dated yes ..but nicely so. This is much more than just
a variation of the monster movie.....yes there is a bug eyed one.....Cleverly presented and
produced by ' William Alland' he knew what the accent should be on and that was special
effects.Alland who also worked on films with the great ' Jack Arnold ' definitely brought a
lot of his unique imagination to bear.Seen from space the Shattered surface of ' Metaluma ' is splendid , as
is the planet itself, wrapped in a shroud of gases as meteors collide and explode.The
interior of the saucer too is nicely designed.
This Island Earth also has it's fair share of gadgetry. All of this rather compensates
for the laclustre characters. Even with it's shortcomings though' This Island Earth ' is
most definitely worth a watch.......personally i would much rather see this than a lot of
todays Sci Fi films.

Summary: