Customer Reviews

This Island Earth

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

It has taken me a few decades but I have finally seen the film This Island Earth (I had to buy it first). I must say that I was not disappointed by this well-crafted tale.

A physicist working on new power from uranium and the transmutation of elements to create more uranium, gets involved in a project of a far grander scale. Replacement parts are ordered for the lab but the parts that arrive seem far superior to anything that should be available. Then a catalogue of other equipment arrives and soon the lab is set on building a strange device.

The device is a communications console which puts the scientist in contact with a white-haired man seeking out talented scientists to tackle the issue of world-wide peace. The scientist joins a small think-tank of top researchers who are working on increasing the energy available from nuclear reactions. But it soon becomes apparent that all is not what it seems. The head of the project, and his assistant, are actually aliens. They are hoping that the human scientists can come up with a way to save their home planet.

The story then escalates to include the alien world and their plight at the hands of a second, and vicious, race of aliens. We learn of motives, deceits, and how far the peaceful will go to save their own home. Distrust and compassion struggle against one another until the film's conclusion.

This is not a typical B-movie of alien invasion. Unlike most of that type this film was not a quick project. Two and a half years were spent in the making so that the film is pretty well consistent within itself. The pacing of the plot's revelations is well handled and almost resembles a classic tale of A.E. van Vogt. This is definitely a film for fans of the great black and white science fiction films.

This film is a really lame duck, mainly because it had so much potential, but the makers obviously ran out of money and couldn't finish it properly. You'll still want to see it, though. The cover is misleading as the "aliens" in the film are actually only one that you see in the last 5 minutes. The intelligent aliens are just ordinary folk with really BIG heads. The premise is interesting, and fairly well executed, but as previously said, the end is clearly rushed and poorly done, due to lack of funding. Have a good laugh anyway, but if you can find it in a rental, do so.

I just recently purchased this S/F classic movie from the fifties. The last time I viewed "This Island Earth was some forty years ago on TV.

What a treat to enjoy this classic again. The tension slowly builds up in this film until the suspenceful conclusion on the ancient planet Metaluna in a far off galaxy. The special effects are truly incredible for that era.

Pure nostalgic entertainment for this old time Science Fiction fan.

I'm so glad I picked this dvd up when it was a reasonable price tag
I don't know how "Goodtimes" gets the rights to release "Universal"
prints but I'll take what I can get.

If you had to timecapsule any techincolor sci-fi film from the 50's
it would be a toss up between this and "Forbidden planet". Would we
go to see this at a big screen film revival...sure we would,classic
sci-fi never gets old (just recycled)

The story is that of "Carl"/Atomic researcher/(jetpilot?)
and his assistant who come across a weird energy in the form of a
condenser that's more stronger than anything they've seen from a
company they cant contact except thru mailorder. Curiously enough
they order an 'interosetor" a device in which few men are capable
to construct. These are the words spoken to them after they plug
in the contraption to reveal on its screen the highbrowed'xceter'
The strange man offers an invitation to learn more at his mystery

location and the Scientist Carl (minus assistant) accepts.

Upon arriving at the Xcetor's grounds via remote controlled plane
He is promply meet by an old fellow grad student "Ruth" who oddly
enough doesn't remember him even though he remembers a passionate
"swim" some years back. The Scientist is introduced to the staff including one other scientist who is wary of the whole set-up.

After meeting Xceter & Brac(his right hand man) who explains that
that his plans are just to research new applications for newtreno
rays a beam that can pass thru mountains of solid rock, The three
scientist become become nervous and plan an escape,discovered the
three try to drive to safety but are almost force off the road by
the destuctive newtreno ray developed earlier. Carl & Ruth escape
just in time to see the car and thier fellow friend destroyed and the unbelievible vision of a flying saucer rising in the distance

Taking control of one of the small passenger planes the scientist
look in awe as the saucer destroyed the mansion and staff inside
The saucer then catches up to them as they are beamed up into the
craft's belly. They agian meet xcetor who in a vain attempt tries
to explain his "actions" and tells them that they are being taken
to his world of Metaluna.

And so sets the groundwork for what was probably the biggest film
event of 1955 "2-1/2 years in the making!" the ads would boast on
what is to this day still a joy to watch.With a casting call that
includes Rex(Rhodes)Reason,Jeff Morrow,Faith Domergue,Lance Fuler
and Richard Johnson. This film is must to have in any true sci-fi
collection My 4 star was decided by lack of a trailer (but at the
cover is the original poster art) the overall quality & sound are
great but I wish Criterion would get a hold of this gem.

About a year ago when suddenly there were no copies of this available through the retail market, I took notice of the incredibly high asking prices that some individual online sellers wanted. I knew there was no way I would spend big bucks for something that was originally worth a lot less. Then I happened to find a brand new copy of the DVD in a local record store. I bought it cheap, never opened it and sold it on the Internet for a huge profit. I believed a lot of the reviewers on Amazon that the DVD transfer of"This Island Earth" was nothing to write home about so had no problem with making a little money on it. The problem is, where is a re-release of this film from Universal? What's taking them so long? Are they planning to wait until the film is destroyed? This is an important science fiction classic that needs and deserves to be preserved and presented on DVD. "This Island Earth" is arguably the most imaginative science fiction film of the 1950s and it seems Universal is brushing it aside. C'mon, get with the program, Universal. You got this film and a whole bunch more from the fifties like "Tarantula," "Monster on the Campus," and "The Mole People" that a lot of fans would like to see offered on DVD. Let's get rolling on this stuff.

A rocket scientist (Rex Reason) is recruited by an alien race and taken (by remote control plane no less) to a compound in Georgia full of other renowned scientists. Once there, he meets Exeter (Jeff "Kronos" Morrow with a big forehead and a white wig) who explains that his people are from the planet Metaluna, and need us to increase their output of atomic energy before their enemies destroy them. You see, the metalunians are being exterminated by the evil Zahgons, who are crashing through their force fields with guided meteors! Faith Demergue (It Came From Beneath The Sea) and Russell Johnson (It Came From Outer Space, Attack Of The Crab Monsters) star as scientists trying to get away from Exeter and his fellow aliens. They get Reason's character to join them and flee in Exeter's "woody" station-wagon. The escape is foiled, Russell Johnson is killed by a death-ray blast, Reason and Demergue are abducted and (finally) taken to Metaluna aboard a ship resembling an extra-terrestrial toiletseat. The leader of the Metalunians explains that they will be going back to earth to subdue and rule it. This doesn't sit well with our heroes or Exeter, who helps them escape. Unfortunately, we are only on the planet for a few minutes before the big finale. The metaluna-mutant bug monster is pretty cool, but not in the movie long enough. I wanted to see more of him and less of the big-foreheaded guys! THIS ISLAND EARTH is pure 50s sci-fi hokum. An excellent way to spend an evening of beverage slurping and popcorn munching...

If there is, then no doubt this movie would be far down the alphabet, somewhere around the letter "37". This timeless classic begins with some idiotic guy flying around in his government-bought plane (thank God I pay taxes!)...he's flying what appears to be aimlessly, until he reaches a destination, after Marc Summers, of "Double Dare" fame, slimes him...at least that's the only explanation MY FEEBLE MIND can give for why the damn thing turns green. Anyways, the green apparently is some magic lubricant that puts WD-40 to shame because it allows the plane not only to have a healthy, natural sheen but to land safely. Sadly, this is about where the movie stops making sense. From here, a book made out of "metal" (really flimsy paper) arrives, along with mysterious parts to build this fancy thing called the "interocetor", which looks vaguely like a box wrapped around that purple teletubby that was in all that trouble a while back. Anyways, the interocetor reveals this guy who looks like Bob Barker crossed with an oompa-loompa, who wants him to join them in some scientific benefit/world domination plot. I'm not sure. So, they go to this place in Georgia (a good reason for me never to go back there, mind you), and it's full of fruitballs and psychos who look like something out of "GI Joe", only without the muscles or cool tattoos or catch-phrases. So then, the plane guy and this mysterious chick somehow escape this prison...er...community, and then they get abducted by the Bob Barkers and the prison gets blown up. From there, no they don't get probed, because these aren't cool aliens, they go to their home planet, which is hopefully far enough away from me that I don't have to worry about seeing anyone from there. The rest of this epic I leave for you to watch, but realize that it only gets strangely worse. The acting is much as can be expected from an 1850's travelling circus...though I don't think that such a thing existed in 1850, which makes that statement all the more accurate. IF you want to torture yourself, and have no household chemicals around, then please at least buy the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 Movie, which features this...at least you have breaks from the non-stop action with that version...and a few laughs too.

This is still one of my favorites. MST 3000 did a spoof on this film that is much worse than the original. This film belongs in your video library if you love 50's scifi with original ideas. The characters are vivid and lovable and the acting is decent as is the direction. It's a fun movie that I come back to over and over and never really get tired of. They say the special effects made the production of this movie drag on for two years, but of course by today's standards you'll wonder why. A classic... go ahead and get it.

REX REASON'S VOICE IS THE REAL STAR OF THIS MOVIE!!! I'll never forget the scene in THIS ISLAND EARTH where Rex Reason as Dr. Cal Meacham gets out of a plane to face reporters--a tall, strong LEADING MAN OF ACTION, Rex Reason had something no other leading man had--A TREMENDOUS VOICE!!!

The story doesn't make any sense--why would people who can travel across space need scientists from Earth?--but Reason, beautiful Faith Domergue as his fellow scientist, and Jeff Morrow as the alien Exeter help to carry the movie, along with some good special effects and a few action scenes. But REX REASON'S VOICE IS THE REAL STAR OF THIS ISLAND EARTH!!!

Chari Krishnan RESEARCHKING

This, along with "It Came From Outer Space" is classic sci-fi at its best. You have aliens, mu-tants, a space ship and a distant planet. The acting is superb and the FX are quite good considering the era in which it was made. I was very dissapointed to have missed the DVD but upon having read,[. . .], about the quality of the transfer im very happy i own the VHS and will hope for a higher quality DVD to be offered in the future.(Near future i hope). If you havnt seen it your missing out.