Customer Reviews

Outer Limits: Moonstone [VHS]

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This is a great movie,way ahead of its time!

In the early 60's when television rarely showcased an African-American actor, it was "The Outer Limits" that spotlighted Hari Rhodes in a part that was not racially based. In this episode from the series landmark first season, Rhodes is cast as "Lt. Travers", one member of a moon-based crew that encounters escaping aliens in search of sanctuary.

While many do not think this to be one of the show's best episodes, I find its significance as presenting a black man as essential as any other to the execution of the moon mission to be commendable for the show's producers.

Though slow-moving at times, this installment still provides a pleasurable viewing experience, especially during the moving soliloquy by the alien spokesman (voiced by veteran actor Ben Wright).

It is a common opinion that the first season of Outer Limits, under the direction of its original creators, was stronger than the second season. It is, however, also apparent that towards the end of first season the series wasn't as consistently good as in the beginning.
The Moonstone has plenty of values to keep it watchable: the actors are adequate, the production classy and the special effects (especially the moonstone itself) are among the best in the entire series. For once the aliens are portrayed as truly ALIEN in form. Also it has an unusually realistic ending, no superheroics, once again showing how intellectual this series was.
There are no moments of stupidity or embarrasment, but unfortunately, for some reason, Moonstone fails to be very exciting or gripping. The characters aren't that interesting and the story lacks that "awe and mystery" advertised in the title sequence...however, the episode is definitely worth watching.

The most badly dated of all OL episodes - in fact, it was dated even before they began shooting it. Outer Limits was never a complete waste, though, so you might enjoy it despite its flaws.

This is a cliched B-movie Korean War story awkwardly grafted onto a sci-fi story. Astronauts at our moon base (you know, that famous base we have on the moon?) discover a sphere that turns out to be a spaceship containing the hairy-eyeball inhabitants of another planet. Said hairy-eyeballs are benevolent refugee scientists from a tyrannical civilization that would exploit their great wisdom creating weapons of mass destruction. The astronauts vow to protect the hairy-eyeballs and maintain safe refuge for them, when said Tyrant-Eyeballs (in a much bigger ship) show up asking for them. In the end, the astronauts sadly relinquish the wise hairy-eyeballs to the Tyrant-Eyeballs, because they simply aren't militarily up to defending them...which is exactly what our protagonist did to a village in the Korean War, earning the ire of his mates. Now, they all know better...

The non-contemporaneousness of moonbases and the Korean War somehow undercuts the seriousness of the proceedings, as does the silliness of the wise hairy-eyeballs' wise pronouncements of all things wise about wisdom.

This episode does have one great thing going for it, however: really hairy-eyeball-pleasing effects, and good visuals. As for the rest...well, don't say you weren't warned.

Believe it or not, this episode of "The Outer Limits" was inspired by a streetlight that may or may not been illegally obtained. But no matter: once again, the pure genius of both Joseph Stefano and Leslie Stevens shines through as they give us a story of tiny fugitive aliens trying to find shelter from their oppressors and the humans in between.

Not for beginners of the "Limits," but perfect for well-seasoned veterans of Sci-Fi.