Alarm im Weltall

The age of the film is very noticeable and in some places distracting, but even Steven Spielberg today would not be ashamed of the idea and the dark atmosphere. Leslie Nielsen is a great character in the lead role, Robby the robot is literally iconic and the attractive Anne Francis in a short skirt is the spice par excellence. The identity of the mysterious and long-awaited enemy disappointed me a lot, but for the 50s this film is still quite revolutionary and it’s shot in such an interesting way that it doesn't get boring even for a moment. If I'd gone to the cinema at that time, I'd probably have peed my pants with excitement. 70% (25.12.2012)

In today's terms, it might just seem like Star Trek, but it's important to realize that this film came before Star Trek. For its time, the effects here are incredibly beautiful, and of course, the fact that it's in color also helps. Leslie Nielsen was quite handsome when he was young, and he's fantastic as the team leader. A great sci-fi from a time when one would think something visually stunning like this wasn't even possible to film. (03.09.2014)

Robby the Robot is terribly plankish and Altaira can't kiss. Well, that starts us off nicely...Oh no, Robby's the man, Altaira – we'll talk about that at the end – and this movie is just great! A now half-forgotten sci-fi classic, the pinnacle of the Golden Age of Hollywood science fiction of the 1950s, surpassing its other genre contemporaries of the time by two heads. The story is about a space expedition travelling to a planet inhabited by scientists from a previous expedition. There they find the only survivor, Dr.Morbius, and the plot builds up nicely with an unexpected attack by a mysterious alien creature. The script is very funny in places, especially the scene where one of the crew members teaches Morbius's daughter to kiss; she has never seen another man except her father. The interiors, especially the scientist's house, are bursting with imagination, and full of gadgets. There’s also the domestic robot Robby, although he looks so clumsy that I wouldn't even trust him to take out the trash. There are, of course, weak spots. The landing on the planet with the moving hull is a bit rubbish, the design is too studio-like and the filmmakers clearly didn’t bother to depict the weather conditions on the planet, no wind or atmospheric manifestations. The laser cannons shoot funny dashed beams, just like the ones in my childhood comic books. Otherwise, the special effects are excellent for their time, and the unexpected look into the alien machine almost took my breath away. And the best part is the soundtrack, a kind of ambient surface of electronic sounds that stretches throughout the film and creates the right sci-fi atmosphere. All in all, another pearl in my collection of old science fiction. And Altaira? She’s hot, but really useless in kissing :) (11.04.2004)