Simply A Masterpiece

Just perfect...

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Absolutely Brilliant!

In what looks like big pieces of granola traveling through space, the sudden arrival of an American astronaut leads to what looks like video game wars. The aliens being attacked in their cereal shaped space ships look like earthlings and can even speak perfect English, while their attackers are certainly much more hideous looking. Sci-fi buffs will find this more interesting than everybody else, but there are some moments of genuine thrills. Still, it's all talky and rather complex, so if you loose focus during it, you are likely to become confused. The cast is above average, including veteran silent movie star Francis C. Bushman.I have seen many of the cheaply made sci-fi films, some better than others, and this one is above average for what it is. Even the obviously cheap sets don't take away from its thrills and while the obvious invaders are mildly silly looking, they are not ridiculous. The lack of unintentional laughs prevents this from being camp, but there are enough of those out there already. There is also a moral message attached which is timeless. I can't give this two thumbs up, but on my second hand, I'll still raise my pinkie.

This splendidly awful sci-fi flick was made in 1961 but looks decades older, with most of its sets and special effects less convincing than those from the first Flash Gordon serials. And then there's the acting, which seems to be taking place in shorthand, and the storyline, which is thinner than a supermodel's wrist.The Phantom Planet begins with the mysterious disappearances of moon-based space patrols; it seems there's a fleetingly visible object that looks like a planet involved in these incidents, and so our main protagonist, played with blissfully misplaced confidence by Dean Fredericks, is sent in to investigate. In 1961, Fredericks was straight out of a run as "Steve Canyon" in the television series of the same name, so he was familiar with the space-age hero role, and he makes an effort, but he's punching smoke, and not swinging too hard, either.Spoiler - The Phantom Planet, as it turns out, is an asteroid that is populated by a race capable of controlling its flight through space. This race is very small, and under the influence of the local atmosphere, our hero shrinks down to their size. He is then held on the asteroid against his will to guard their secret, a gravity control device that they use in their war against the Solarites, who strangely enough, are only attacking them to get the device. This is only one of the under-baked elements of this story. The conveniently located vaporising plates of justice( a Health and Safety nightmare), which finally put pay to an unrecognisable rampaging Richard Kiel, are another, and the love/lust triangle forced on our hero is yet another example of plot complication without any logical motivation (End Spoiler).Nothing gets enough time to develop in this film – perhaps it's the result of that rare space atmosphere, but everyone's motivations seem rather perfunctory. Whether it's lust, love or hatred, emotions swirl around Frederick's character with aimless or unexplained strength. In the end, The Phantom Planet is a two-dimensional exercise that brings absolutely nothing of weight to the genre of the marooned stranger. On the other hand, as a celebration of hokey effects, bad acting and atrocious dialogue, it's a blast. And keep your eye on that Solarite!

An astronaut finds his ship pulled to a large asteroid, where he encounters a race of people who live inside it. His ship is jettisoned and he is told he will have to live with these people forever, Which,k of course, he resists, even though there are about a hundred young women in tunics who would love to give the guy a go and help replenish the population. He is on hand for an attack on the asteroid by other aliens, and engages in a badly staged fight with one of the enemy (Richard Kiel in a laughable plastic costume). Special effects are on par for the time. The music isn't half bad. Veteran actor Francis X. Bushman plays the head guy on the asteroid. You may recognize several other actors, such as Anthony Dexter who performed in many B movies and TV shows. Definitely for the kiddies, so we don't get to see any mating or nudity. Have a six-pack on hand to get through this one.

This is typical of the schlock era of scifi, the time when budgets, technology and expectations were all low, and drive-in theaters kept demand for product fairly high. The cheese will either put you off entirely, or you will find it mildly charming, as I do.One highlight of this film is the spaceship designs by Bob Kinoshita, who later designed the interior of Jupiter II and the Robot on Lost in Space. These designs aren't spectacular, but are fun and functional. Another highlight is the creative shrinking effect used to miniaturize our astronaut hero...it is not realistic per say, but not nearly as silly as most FX of this era.The script for this film is variously ingenious and silly, but the writer should be commended for creating rationalizations for the cheap sets weak action. For instance, you have a super-advanced race of people who possess hyperdrive spaceflight yet who nonetheless live in rock caves and eschew comfortable furnishings and conveniences...the incongruity is explained by stating that they have adopted a spartan philosophy regarding daily life.Our hero is a sort of low-rent Nick Adams type, but less likable. There is a lovely mute girl as the love interest, thus telling us something about the director's attitude toward women. There is a silly ceremonial fight. There is space battle against an alien race featuring primitive yet creative FX.This film contains no socio-political commentary or other food-stuff for the brain, the only value is for escapism, ridicule value, or curiosity. There are certainly worse schlock scifi, although perhaps this film would have been helped if the writer and director had taken a few more risks, put in something shocking, subversive, or bad taste...this one appears aimed more toward the 12-year-old's at a matinée than at teens at a drive-in.