I criminali della galassia

Maybe I was REALLY ready to be entertained, but I saw this for the first time early this morning, after a night spent dealing with bad heartburn and an "iffy" stomach. At first I was happy to find a good "background noise" to fall asleep to, but then I actually got into it. Between the spaceship and "future car" models that look like they came right out of a Quisp box, and the stilted "mod" English the translators came up with for the dubbed version, this thing is really funny. Best line: The commander and two other "good guys" are wrestling around what looks like a dorm room with 3 buxom, long-haired lovelies (who are all mysteriously wearing what look like black swim trunks under their long, groovy '70s dresses). The commander warns his men to "Watch out for those gadgets on their chests! Priceless.

My sister and I just caught this on AMC, of all channels, and laughed the entire way through it. I'm still not sure on the details of the plot, couldn't keep track of the characters because of the terrible characterization that focused very heavily on one trait and drove it into the ground (angry! drunk! hysterical!, et cetera), but it was extremely laughable. Definitely one for those of you who adore low-budget, nonsensical fare. The dialogue was extremely poor (this may have been a result of translation? The audio/visuals were unsynchronized throughout): there was a lot of emphasis at the wrong time, and there were some really out-there lines which came off as hilarious instead of meaningful or dramatic. Honestly, thinking about it, Wild, Wild Planet is probably no worse than any other sci-fi films/programs of its era, but if you're like me, you watch these kinds of films for a lark.

An early example of Italian sci-fi, Wild,Wild Planet could have been a lot more fun had the story dealt with less abstract issues. What ultimately prevents one from enjoying this film full-on is Tony Russell in the lead who just can't elevate his primitive character saddled with lousy dialogue above the average 'good guy action hero' level. Some awful costume design and occasionally too-predictable sound design don't help things, either. Massimo Serato acquits himself well as a mad scientist, too bad his character is absent throughout the middle section the film. Very nice to see Umberto Raho in a supporting role, not to mention the rising star Franco Nero. There are lots and lots of obvious yet still amazing miniature shots some of which are integrated into the rest of the footage with commendable ingenuity. Margheriti saves the pyrotechnics display for the grand finale.

Watch Wild Wild Planet for the cinematography, sporadic and drawn-out fisticuffs and amusing futuristic designs. It's all a bit boring but worth a look for Margheriti enthusiasts.

I really like this one myself but most will find it a little slow-moving. But this cool-looking New Age Sci-Fi is filled most importantly to me with lots of retro 1950s style spaceships and 1960s style futuristic landscapes. The story is a little bit confusing but the film is a fun watch if one likes to enjoy the stuff in the background..model work, colors and such.

Not a bad variation of THE MYSTERIANS crossed with BRAVE NEW WORLD with little WESTWORLD tossed in. I have to say the sets were pretty darn impressive in design for such a low low budget. How many indies have we all sat through that don't even try? Seriously, it surprises me that so many people can see the entertainment value in current day schlock like SKY CAPTAIN, BLADE:TRINITY or THE FORGOTTEN but don't get as big a kick out of vintage stuff like WILD WILD PLANET. For me, I'd rather see it in a low budget film than in a crass Studio product (emphasis on "Product"). But, hey, I loved THE APPLE!

Director Anthony Margheriti was a prolific Italian filmmaker who did a series of 60's SF films and WILD WILD PLANET may have been the best. The film is slow in developing, and you have to question such an extensive use of miniatures when they rarely work (if at all). Still, it's a reminder that it's too bad Italy (and really the rest of the world outside of Asia) have basically given up on trying to compete with the U.S. in the SF genre.