4, 3, 2, 1, objectif lune

I only watched the dubbed version so we do not know what they are saying. I watched "Mission Stardust" released in the United States on November 1968. Evidently the original Italian title is "...4 ..3 ..2 ..1 ...morte" released in Italy August 4, 1967.

As you can tell from the start that this movie was hokey even for 1966. The opening credits are like a bad Italian LSD trip. On the moon, the vehicle makes a tweeting sound in zero atmospheres. (now we know that sound can travel through nothing).

The film I watched had a lot of aging glitches and spots. I would not mention it but this distracts from the story.

There are good guys, bad guys, robots, big guns, diamonds, and treachery.

There may even be hanky-panky.

This may be good for what's alien you.

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...

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.

Once setting down on the moon, a U.S. space mission, led by Major Perry Rhodan (Land Jeffries), discovers more than they bargained for - aliens. Thora (Essy Persson) and Kress (John Karelsen) are aliens stranded on the moon. Kress is ill and dying. He seems to be suffering from leukemia. Rhodan and crew know of a doctor working in Africa who may be able to help Kress. However, the alien craft is discovered in Africa setting off a race to take control of the craft between a government faction and a treasure hunter. Thora, however, will do anything in her power to save her ship.

Disclaimer: Let me start by saying that I have not read any of the Perry Rhodan books that Mission Stardust is based on. As such, I'm not going to get into that argument.

Mission Stardust is another of those movies that I really, really, and I mean really, wanted to love. It's got a bizarrely appealing premise, a groovy opening, some really cool gadgets, and wonderfully cheesy 1960s era special effects. Mission Stardust also has Essy Persson. Wow is about the best word I can use to describe her. Unfortunately, it takes more than one woman to make an entertaining movie. I think Mission Stardust suffers because it doesn't have a well thought out plot. The movie gets off to a fantastic start, tut it all grinds to a screeching halt in the second act. Dull isn't near a strong enough word. I'm not sure if there's a better cure for insomnia than the middle one-third of this movie. It's painful. If you can rouse yourself from the coma you're no doubt in, the films finale does, fortunately, pick up a bit. But by then, the damage is already done.

Looking up Essy Person's filmography on IMDb, I'm shocked to see only 17 acting credits - and, unfortunately for me, most of her work does not appear to be in English. Too bad. She had a fantastic screen presence.

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.