Made almost two decades before Star Wars, Battle in Outer Space (1959) was certainly an outstanding accomplishment by Toho studios. Of particular note is the almost 3-dimensional effect of the space battles in which we have a real sense of space craft maneuvering.
There are some cringe-worthy moments in Battle in Outer Space such as when one of the crew members during take-off places his hands on either side of his face and stretches the skin to illustrate the effects of g-force. There are also the miniature models of the buildings in Tokyo being destroyed and sucked up that don't look very detailed or realistic. And of course, there's the nutty techno-babble and pseudo-science that would make a flat-earth proponent sound credible!
Oh my gosh, one could not fail to notice the Ewok-like munchkin aliens on the moon shuffling around, waving their arms and acting like cute squeaky toys! They didn't look capable of attacking one single astronaut let alone an entire planet!
Please don't get me started on the Keystone cops chase involving the inept security guards on the tail of the Iranian delegate Dr. Ahmed. All we needed was the theme tune to the Benny Hill Show.
Despite some of its shortcomings, Battle in Outer Space contains an entertaining and well-paced story delivered by a cast who give sincere performances. The effective cinematography, along with a rousing music score and mostly impressive special effects serve to make this film quite enjoyable.
There are some cringe-worthy moments in Battle in Outer Space such as when one of the crew members during take-off places his hands on either side of his face and stretches the skin to illustrate the effects of g-force. There are also the miniature models of the buildings in Tokyo being destroyed and sucked up that don't look very detailed or realistic. And of course, there's the nutty techno-babble and pseudo-science that would make a flat-earth proponent sound credible!
Oh my gosh, one could not fail to notice the Ewok-like munchkin aliens on the moon shuffling around, waving their arms and acting like cute squeaky toys! They didn't look capable of attacking one single astronaut let alone an entire planet!
Please don't get me started on the Keystone cops chase involving the inept security guards on the tail of the Iranian delegate Dr. Ahmed. All we needed was the theme tune to the Benny Hill Show.
Despite some of its shortcomings, Battle in Outer Space contains an entertaining and well-paced story delivered by a cast who give sincere performances. The effective cinematography, along with a rousing music score and mostly impressive special effects serve to make this film quite enjoyable.