Product Details

• Actors: Ken Utsui, Junko Ikeuchi, Shôji Nakayama, Minoru Takada, Sachihiro Ohsawa
• Directors: Teruo Ishii, Akira Mitsuwa, Koreyoshi Akasaka
• Format: Black & White, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Image Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: December 10, 2002
• Run Time: 152 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000714AF
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #81,119 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
He's back! Starman, "the creature made of the strongest steel," fights monsters, chases flying saucers, and defeats evil-minded aliens in two deliriously surreal mixes of science fiction, surprisingly moody photography, and wild superhero action! Wanting the Earth for themselves, scaly-skinned Salamander Men from the planet Koolamon begin eviction proceedings by assaulting humans with their radioactive breath, a space virus, high-decibel sound waves, a salamander nurse with a penchant for scaring kids, and most fiendish of all, a diabolical dance company! Thankfully the Emerald Planet sends Starman, their cosmic crusader in bulging tights, to stop the amphibious Invaders from Space. As expected, Mr. Starman turns from peace-loving-alien-and-friend-of-children-everywhere into a frenzied karate machine out to kick reptile butt! Then Starman worries that nuclear radiation may "poison outer space" and tries to stop the country of Magolia from becoming the Atomic Rulers of the world. But, uh oh, after wiping out a nest of Magolian agents (who all dress like film noir gangsters), Starman is rudely arrested for murder! Worse, a Magolian nuclear weapon is stolen--by a bunch of little boys! Double wow.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars In my opinion, the best of the Starman movies, January 13, 2006

By	Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Atomic Rulers of the World (DVD)

I think some of the guys running the IAEA should take a look at some of these old Starman movies. The leaders of the Emerald Planet may be the most ridiculous-looking aliens ever conceived by man, but they at least step in and take action when an evil, dictatorial saber-rattler makes secret plans to build and use nuclear weapons. Earth is always the source of the trouble, of course, and Starman is always the solution. These aliens think that the fallout from nuclear explosions will escape Earth's atmosphere and eventually cause the whole galaxy to be uninhabitable.

This is the third Starman movie I've seen, and I think these things are starting to grow on me now. I've made fun of Starman before - how can you not, really? I mean, the guy's the worst-dressed superhero I've ever seen, he can change costumes simply by bending over and standing right back up again, and he fights like a girl. Still, you can't argue with success. Surprisingly, the guy actually seems to have a personality in Atomic Rulers of the World - he heckles his opponent at one point, and he even grins a time or two. If you're wondering just who this guy is, here's the summary: his body has the strength of steel, he's got a "globemeter" that allows him to fly through space, detect radiation, and understand all the languages on Earth. He apparently also has an inhuman knack of figuring out where his enemies are whenever he decides to go after them. He's originally a product of a 1950s Japanese television series called Super Giant - in the early 1960s, episodes were cobbled together and released to Western audiences as a string of feature-length films.

For once, the bad guys threatening Earth are home-grown rather than alien. Those rowdies from the nation of Mirapolia have been smuggling atomic bombs into countries all over the planet in accordance with their plan to take over the whole world using nuclear blackmail. If they have to destroy a few countries to get their point across, it's no big deal to them. It's up to Starman to figure out this dastardly scheme, find the secret Mirapolian headquarters, and take whatever steps are necessary to prevent any atomic explosions from taking place.

Atomic Rulers of the World is a better Starman film than Attack From Space and The Evil Brain From Outer Space. It's less campy because its story is nowhere near as outlandish as the others, and Starman himself is a much more engaging fellow than usual in this one. Basically, Atomic Rulers of the World has Saturday matinee material written all over it, and most viewers will secretly enjoy it even as they make fun of it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT !, January 21, 2003

By	DAVE R. (bridgewater, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

Anyone craving outstanding late-night entertainment has got to check this dvd out! 2 incredible nearly forgotten 60's sci-fi / superhero / kung-fu action / thrillers with zero budget special effects. If you're a fan of grade Z sci-fi (think FROM HELL IT CAME or THE BRAINIAC) this is a must for you. As usual, SOMETHING WEIRD VIDEO does a nice job by including lots of fun extras. But it's the feature films that are just unbelievable! I can't express how much i enjoyed INVADERS FROM SPACE! Part kiddie show, part action adventure, part sci-fi nightmare. Truly truly the stuff of bad dreams. Grab a 6-pack, turn off the lights, and get ready for a strange strange trip.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You have to see it through a kid's eyes..., March 12, 2005

By	Anthony Morelli "Woofbear" (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Atomic Rulers of the World (DVD)

I thoroughly enjoyed watching "Atomic Rulers of the World" on DVD. My partner has seen this movie back when he was 10 years old, and we just had to have it on DVD, to bring back memories.

There's something about black & white movies which makes watching an oldie so much fun. As far-fetched as this movie turns out to be, the story has its suspense and its drama, even though the acting leaves a lot to be desired. The scenes where there's fighting, have been poorly acted. Even "STARMAN" fights like a girl...and his "Steel-Strength" is doubtful.

The Distant Emerald Planet has discovered a secret plot on Earth, so diabolical, that it threatens the entire galaxy. The rogue nation of Mirapolia is distributing atomic weapons throughout the globe, determined to rule the world or destroy it.
The high council of the Emerald planet sends their bravest hero, STARMAN, to defeat the Mirapolians and remove the deadly menace.

Drawing equally on the unabashed heroics of the original Superman series and the atomic fear of Godzilla films, the Japanese television series Super Giant was assembled into full-length features for American audiences. The combination of martial arts action and sci-fi thrills made for an unusual and stunning adventure, unmatched even today.

The movie is dubbed into English from Japanese and it's obvious, for the voices are too "American-ized" and over-dubbed in places.
But...they did a remarkable job of synchronizing some of the voices to the movements of the actor's mouth movements. "STARMAN" (Ken Utsui is a handsome actor and he makes watching this movie fun. His costume is amusing and the way he flies through the skies...priceless!!!

I can only imagine how fun it must've been, as well as scary, to watch this through the eyes of a young child.
But...looking at it now...it's a great piece of nostalgia, as we can see how far technology and "Sci-Fi" filming has evolved.
Especially with the way they manouveured the model helicopters around, jerking them around on the end of a string as they entered the building (the hidden base at secret headquarters) in the side of a mountaintop. I had to laugh at that part, because it's so obvious, considering the technology they had back then.

Although the DVD insert & catalogue are in color, the movie is entirely in black & white.

Starring:
Ken Utsui, Sachihiro Oshawa, Junko Ikeuchi, Minako Yamada, Shoji Hakayama, Kan Hayaski, Minoru Takada, Utako Mitsuya

Directed by:
Teruo Ishi, Akira Mitsuwa, Koreyoshi Akasaka

Screenplay:
Ichiro Miyagawa

Music:
Chumei Watanabe

The movie is 76 minutes long and was originally filmed in 1964, but released on DVD in 2004. Imagine...40 years in waiting! LOL
You can find this DVD + many others at www.oldies.com