Delitto in 4ª dimensione

Of all the films of actor Robert Lansing this film " The 4-D Man " is perhaps the least seen or appreciated. The story revolves around inventive scientist Dr. Scott Nelson (Robert Lansing) who is searching for something which can revitalize his nearly futile experiments with a new metal process. He discovers that his younger brother Dr. Tony Nelson (James Congdon) is also working with a fantastic invention which ventures into the realm of the incredible. At first, Scott is uninterested and disbelieving, until his brother shows him. Once aware of the possibilities, Scott steals the project and pushes it to the limits. However, the outcomes are totally unexpected as Scott is propelled into the world of the Forth Dimension with horrendous results. This is a solid movie and Lansing overwhelms the cast despite having Lee Meriwether, Robert Strauss and Edgar Stehli as Dr. Theodore W. Carson. Look carefully and you'll see a very young Patty Duke playing Marjorie Sutherland. Good fun for the Special Effects crowd. ***

I didn't have very high expectations for 4D man and when I started to watch it, the jazz music playing started to confirm my fears right at the start of the film. It really got the movie started off on the wrong foot. Other than the music, I must admit that it was a pretty good sci-fi movie. The acting was good, film quality good, very nice special effects and an unusual sci-fi plot. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that this movie was made in the mid 1960s and not 1959. It's my opinion that 4D Man is probably a little underrated as a 50s sci-fi, horror flick and should get more attention. Don't expect too much though. I wouldn't go as far as calling it a classic, but I think it's still a pretty good movie and is well worth watching. Let the 4D Man come through the wall for you. I don't think you will be disappointed.

The second Jack H. Harris-Irwin S. Yeaworth collaboration is a more cerebral effort (being an outright sci-fi piece) than its more famous predecessor THE BLOB (1958). Typically for the genre, it deals with a scientist becoming accidentally endowed with some form of superhuman ability (in this case, passing through solids) – the downside to this is that he ages every time this feat is accomplished…but, then, coming to contact with other people, he is able to sap their energy and bring about his own rejuvenation! Robert Lansing – whom I fondly recall from the TV series AUTOMAN (1983-84) that I used to watch during childhood – is adequate in the title role but his brash younger brother (who is actually the catalyst for the transformation) is less likable; as a result, while Lee Meriwether makes for a lovely conflicted heroine (being engaged to Lansing but falling for his younger sibling), their budding relationship sorely feels like a plot contrivance. Besides, Robert Strauss is cast against type as a scientist who is not above appropriating a colleague's work for his own advancement. Even though boasting variable effects (particularly the aging make-up) and ending somewhat inconclusively, the film remains an eminently watchable and thought-provoking piece that should please fans of the genre and the era which spawned it.

4D Man is a very entertaining Sci Fi thriller that utilizes the talents of actor Robert Lansing to their fullest extent. He strikes the right cord as Dr Scott Nelson. Using the research gathered by his brother Dr Tony Nelson, and the data he has gathered through his own work Nelson discovers a method of projecting himself into a fourth dimensional state which allows him to pass through solid objects. The downside is that each projection he attempts causes his body to age very rapidly. He then discovers that with his touch he can absorb the life energy of other living creatures which will renew his own life force and restore his youth. This has the added effect of killing those whose energy he has drained.

The old adage that "absolute power corrupts absolutely" comes through as Nelson allows his pent up frustrations to surface and he uses his powers to rob, and take revenge on those who feels have wronged him.He eventually is able to project himself through shear force of will. When he finds that his fiancé and his brother have fallen in love with each other and have gone to the authorities about him, he targets them both for death.

4D Man has an interesting and unusual premise for a science fiction film. Irvin S Yeaworth Jr directed and did a first rate job of making an absorbing and tightly wound story. Lansing was a low key actor who generally underplayed his scenes. While it didn't not always work, it's the right method for Dr Scott Nelson in this story.Good special effects also help. Sci Fi fans and fantasy buffs will enjoy and appreciate 4D Man.

I'm always amazed to see a classic movie having the same ideas as modern day movies I thought to be original. This movie reminded me of '' Hollow Man '' by Paul Verhoeven ( but without the fancy special effects of our modern day ). It's the story of two brothers - one of them playful and charismatic, the other one strict and serious - finding themselves in a struggle over a woman. At a certain point one of them gets the ability to alter molecular substances, making him able to speed the aging process inside human beings and to walk through concrete walls. Yep, pretty handy to become a thug if you can do these things.

I liked it. It's another nice story about someone gaining a superpower and using it for his own benefit. Like so many other movies, this is about how we human beings are able to do horrible things in a situation in which we gain power. It's like Spiderman once said: with great power comes great responsibility.

It's a SF-movie from the fifties, so the special effects are nothing compared to what we're used to. If you're able to look past that, you can enjoy a pretty decent movie. Not a masterpiece, but enjoyable on its own accord.