not as good as all the hype

It is a performances centric movie

An action-packed slog

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Okay-- The Earth is threatened by an Outsider-- a dark world that comes out of the Intergalactic Depths to wreck havoc on the Earth. Attempts to investigate gives rise to a fleet of flying saucer ships that destroy all who approach!! DOOM!!!Yes-- this is 1961! This was not a movie of the Space Age-- but more precisely a Movie from the Age of Outer Space.And despite it being an Italian film, it is quite good, giving a strong nod to the basic lay science of Outer Space as it was known in that bygone era. So forget any descriptions such as 'Spagetti Space Opera'. They don't do justice to this film.For me as a kid in 1968 when I first saw it on TV-- in grainy Black & White -- it was merely an exciting film about space rockets and flying saucers. The dialogue outside of the spaceship scenes was gibberish and mainly ignored. And when I WAS paying attention, my mother kept calling to me from the kitchen to turn off the 'Idiot Box' and demanding if I had finished my homework like I was supposed to. Aaaaaagh!But Now as an adult, I hear the dialogue between "Dr. Benson" and his subordinates and the Council as rich in almost Shakespearean content as you listen to Dr. Benson excoriate his underlings and the Powers-that-Be about the power of calculation over the reliance on machines. "What's the purpose of Life, if you won't Know?" he demands in what seems to be a fit of madness. . . except he really isn't mad- just Misunderstood Genius.So when you watch this movie-- Pay Attention to Dr. Benson. He IS the center of this movie.And try to identify the classical string piece that always starts playing when Dr. Benson hits intellectual revelation!

The one good thing I can say about this film is the space travel scenes. The ships are well designed and reflect what you would expect of interplanetary travel. The film actually accounts for the effects of gravity and acceleration.Most films take dismiss these factors.The main plot is also worthy. We have our first war with beings from another world. Their approach to destroy us is convincing.That is why it hard for me to imagine how poorly this plot is carried out. Every actor, and this includes Claude Rains, goes over the top with their characters. It is like they all suffer from some rare ham acting sickness. Prof. Benson, played by Claude Rains, speaks of calculus like it is some ancient unheard of language, when every engineer has had to learn this form of math. And he repeats it so often you to tell him to put a sock in it.I would like to see this story remade by people with some talent. Starting with the people who wrote the dialogue. Then a good director and a cast that can act.If you are like me and enjoy science fiction, especially from the past like Forbidden Planet, then don't waste your money on this.One of the misfortunes of this film is the space battle scene is chopped up. I remember seeing this film years ago and the battle scene was far better than the edited version that is shown here. It actually is hard to tell what is actually taking place, it jumps forward without giving much explanation as to reason for the actions at the end of the battle scene. As I said earlier the space sequences are the film's best part and the to have them chopped up like this just ruins the entire film.

What a low point for the man from "Casablanca" and "The Invisible Man." He plays a testy old guy who seems to strike fear into all those around him. He is an astronomer who is aware that some odd thing is going on, having to do with a planet/asteroid that is approaching the Earth. Apparently, it is a screening device for flying saucers, set to attack and destroy the earth. It's another one of those movies where everyone understands the science, but the viewer has not a clue what they are talking about. Rains keeps talking about the Bigwigs in the government. Apparently, there is some kind of federation that sets up roadblocks and whom he must answer to. He wants total control of the efforts to get rid of the invaders. He banters and intimidates. He almost has a glow on him when he appears in different places. There are lots of explosions and few explanations. Rains becomes possessed and will listen to no one. It's just not very good.

I happened to see this many times in the 1960's, at kiddie matinees in the theater. Imagine 50 cents for a triple feature every weekend, for years on end. There were a lot of dog films, but this one stood out with decent f/x and unique sound effects. It's one of the earliest space-operas depicting dog fighting ships in space, preceded only by the 1959 Toho production of "Battle In Outer Space". Say what you want about the bad voice dubbing and the unknown Italian cast. Films like this were not being produced in the U.S. during this period, due to lack of effects technology, and budget constraints. At the time, it was a bold attempt in a genre that was just beginning. Jaded modern viewers should see this in context within the history of fantasy films. Pure science fiction was rare during this period, and a treat for fans at the time. Claude Rains has some very good dialouge, as a cynical mathmatician guiding efforts to thwart alien invaders. The ships are well conceived, with the footage re-used in later films. Unfortunately, the editing is choppy and the video transfers that exist are very poor. It would be nice to see a widescreen restoration.