Customer Reviews

Attack From Space

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Starman (Ken Utsui, in white tights) was a hero in a series of Japanese serials from the 1950s. The raw footage was assembled into movies (an economical methodology which was common in the US twenty years earlier as well; think of this as sort of like "Commando Cody" on LSD) and distributed throughout the world. "Attack From Space" is a mediocre example of the series, and like all Starman movies, the film features graininess, numerous artifacts, uneven brightness, and occasional sound problems. Despite all that, lovers of sci-fi camp classics will still enjoy this.

Starman movies rival anything I have ever seen for sheer goofiness. Right off the bat I loved the dizzying variety of creatures from Starman's home, the Emerald Planet. Starman is assigned to oversee the wellbeing of the Earth. To help him he is given a "globemeter" which he wears like a wristwatch. The globemeter allows him to fly in space, speak any Earth language, and detect radioactivity. Much of these films are based on the justified postwar Japanese fear of atomic weaponry, although there's plenty of inspiration from good-versus-bad western, spy caper, and gangster films, and a generous foreshadowing of Japanese monster movies to come. As in all Japanese monster movies, there are cute children front and center with apparently the highest security clearances known to man, because they are always in the thick of things. Here the two adorable kids get kidnapped so the evil Superians can get secret rocket plans to enable them to rain atomic death on Earth. Because the film is so heavily edited, there is an omnipresent narrator explaining everything. There are many moments that absent the narration you wouldn't have the slightest clue what's going on. Almost as common as the narration is the background music. If you have seen many science fiction films you've heard this music many times before (check out "Zontar: The Thing From Venus" and "The Eye Creatures" and see for yourself.)

"Attack From Space" has lots of ridiculous fight scenes that are quite balletic and are all camp. It also features numerous hilarious space terms ("Starman has crossed the electron net!") and even has a Death Star of its own! There are lots of funny sets, lots of spacecraft on strings, and more questions than answers (although the United Nations is accurately portrayed as totally ineffectual.) I didn't know, for instance, that there is plenty of breathing oxygen in space (of course Starman has the globemeter, but that does not explain other human breathing issues.) How did the good guys keep getting all the weapons during the climactic fight scene? I am also still unclear on exactly how Starman destroyed the Superian command post. But these are trivial loose ends: the film excels in campy hilarity, and I recommend it to lovers of campy sci-fi features. As an aside, note that "Attack From Space" has been packaged with another (and better) Starman film, "Evil Brain From Outer Space" by Something Weird Video. That package also features lots of extras, and is a good value for Starman fans.

In ALPHA VIDEO's edition of ATTACK FROM SPACE (1964), Starman (Ken Utsui) is the type of superhero that makes your jaw drop not in admiration but total astonishment. Sporting clingy leotards that nicely show off his prominent gut, this puffy-cheeked savior of Earth also wears a swimming cap and triangular-shaped metallic lamé breastplate. Yards of sheer silk attached the length of Starman's underarms flow gracefully when he flies, even in the vacuum of space.

Our hero endures intergalactic travel with nothing to cover his face, which we can accept, but when he carries along an unprotected girl who suffers no ill-effects outside of Earth's atmosphere, then opens a sliding door that leads directly inside a Buck Rogers style rocketship with no air getting sucked out, we start to wonder if Starman's cinematic creators knew or cared anything about basic science. I'll bet the kids who saw these ridiculous scenes 45 years ago were as stupified by them then as I was just yesterday afternoon.

Despite cheap sets, some cheesy cardboard costumes seen at story's beginning and the above incongruities, this film is actually entertaining when Starman fights barehanded against a small army of attacking acrobatic tumblers. Every so often our friend stops, poses like muscleman Charles Atlas sans biceps and chuckles while swarms of bullets bounce harmlessly off him. Watching him twist a licorice pistol out of shape reminds us of George Reeves as the orignal flying leotard guy. The only thing missing here was seeing Starman duck a thrown empty handgun after its bullets have harmlessly richocheted off that muscleless physique.

Suspend disbelief and anything you may have learned in 7th grade physical science class and check out this picture. It's good for several guaranteed laughs.


Also from ALPHA:
ATOMIC RULERS OF THE WORLD is the first of a quartet of Starman features released in 1964.

Starman may well be the silliest superhero to ever save the Earth from destruction. Once you see his patented twirling exit, it's impossible to take this guy the least bit seriously - and that's before you even see him fight. Of course, he's a stud back home on the Emerald Planet, which is apparently populated by discarded robot models designed and made by some unnamed elementary school students. The sad part is that the Earth actually needs this doughy guy to pull our butts out of the fire - again. He had already saved the Earth from the would-be Atomic Rulers of the World. Now it's those unruly ruffians from the Sapphire Galaxy out to conquer the universe - starting with the Earth. These fascist aliens (the Superians) threaten the entire universe with their nuclear weapons, they are able to send giant space stations across the galaxy, they've infiltrated all aspects of Earth society with their network of spies, and they even have this super mind-wiper gizmo - yet, somehow, they don't know how to design a decent engine for a spaceship. Uh, okay. That's why they kidnap a Japanese scientist who is putting the finishing touches on his own shiny new spaceship - which is to be used for only peaceful purposes, of course. The plan is to get the geek scientist's plans for an engine, build lots of ships, and then attack the Earth. It would have worked, too, if it hadn't been for those durned kids - and Starman, of course.

So what makes Starman a superhero? Well, thanks to his alien technology (basically a fancy wristwatch called a globemeter), he has the ability to fly through space, detect radiation, speak every language on earth, and whatever other powers prove convenient as the movie goes along. He can also survive and breathe in space, but that doesn't really count since everyone in this movie can do the same thing. Oh yeah, his body is also apparently made of steel or something, as no one can hurt him with any kind of weapon. Mostly, though, Starman just likes to fight. You haven't seen pitifully choreographed fight scenes until you've seen Starman's seemingly endless battle against the aliens on their space station. He just kind of throws his arms up every now and again - well, suffice to say it's extremely silly-looking. And it goes on forever and a day, since he never really hurts anybody at all.

The Japanese have made some pretty campy sci-fi films over the years, but these Starman movies, which actually consist of footage taken from the old Super Giant television serials, take the proverbial cake. Any bad guy with an ounce of self-respect would die laughing at the sight of this paunchy, uncoordinated, spandex-clad do-gooder, yet his unique fighting "skills" and general peskiness strike fear in the hearts of the Superians. If you can't get enough old, extremely campy sci-fi films with truly embarrassing special effects, then you, my friend, must introduce yourself to Starman without delay. This guy makes the Prince of Space look like a stud.