4... 3... 2... 1... muerte

Not bad for a movie made 1967 (keep in mind that this was the same time period as the original Star Trek series, whose first season was 1966). Also since the movie was originally filmed in German you'll have to forgive the dubbing which make it look like one of those bad Chinese Kung Fu movies thats been dubbed into English. Although credited with the screenplay I find it hard to believe that Kurt Vogelmann (who wrote some of the Perry Rhodan books) had much in the way to do with the movie. The plot shares some major details of the first two or three Perry Rhodan books, which were more like short stories than full fledged books but takes a few detours to make it fit into a single movie. If you're a fan of the books this is worth a look.

In the 1960s, the Italians made some incredibly kooky sci-fi/fantasy films. They're filled with wonderfully over the top sets, groovy 60s tunes and a sensibility that is pure camp. Films like "Danger Diabolik" and "Mission Stardust" are examples of this campy and silly style of movies that we'll never experience again.

When this sci-fi movie starts, some astronauts discover a ship on the moon--and it ain't one of ours. A couple aliens are aboard and they welcome the humans...well, one welcomes them. The other is an inexplicably angry and disdainful hot lady--which ultimately means it'll take the love of one of our sexy he-man heroes to tame her!

So why (other than for the woman to score) did these two come to the moon and approach our astronauts? It seems that one of them is dying and needs medical help. So far, this is a really cool movie with kitschy sets and music and I enjoyed it. Unfortunately, when they all went to Earth things slowed down...a lot. In fact, it all became tedious as wave after wave of ultra-stupid and greedy men kept attacking the alien ship! With the loss of momentum, the film stopped being fun after a while. As a result, I only mildly recommend it.

For the most part, Mission Stardust ignores the actual story of the first novel of the popular in Europe sci fi series, grafting on an uninteresting international crime subplot and amping up the romance and sexual innuendo between Rhodan (the suitably cast Lang Jeffries)and Thora (the astonishing Essy Persson). Burdened by very poor special effects and a limp supporting cast (poor Reggy gets next to no screen attention), this is a middling sci fi entry with a decent soundtrack but little appeal for any but the most anal Rhodanites.

MISSION STARDUST is a nearly incomprehensible, psychedelic sci-fi yarn featuring: Spaceships, killer robots, international espionage, mercenaries, double crosses, machine gun-toting nurses, and an insanely addictive theme song.

This movie also includes Thora (Essy Persson), one of the most stunningly beautiful aliens to ever grace the screen!

MISSION STARDUST is highly enjoyable, in spite of seeming as though it's being made up, on the spot, while the cameras roll...

I have seen listings for "4-3-2-1 Morte", and "Orbital Mortal" as seperate films. other data suggests 2 films produced at the same time with much the same cast and crew. titles are listed for US english dubbed releases years ago, as "Countdown To Death", and "Mission Stardust". Now this listing says it's all one film, and I have serious doubts. I love "Mission Stardust", though I agree it is not a very faithful Rhodan adaptation. as for the poor effects, I strongly disagree. Antonino Margherhetti's spaceship effects are top notch for the time of the film, and quite lovely in design. Excellent special effects work from a moonlighting director, who had started italian cinematic SF with "Assignment Outer Space"!