4, 3, 2, 1, objectif lune

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.

OK - so it's not the "real" Perry Rhodan we Perry Rhodan fans have come to know and love even in the US.

But remember, this movie was made in the mid sixties and SFX were not the greatest for an overseas production at that time.

I thought the man playing "Perry" was fairly good. I thought the woman playing Thora looked great! I admit the story was heavily changed. Maybe someday we can have a true Perry Rhodan movie.

I'd like to see Mystery Science Theater 3000 take a look at this one, but it appears to be unavailable on either VHS or DVD. Who has the rights to VHS/DVD production?

By the Way, it also had a release title here in the US as "SOS From Outer Space".

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.

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.