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.
27 Reviews
It starts well but goes downhill
Red-Barracuda6 April 2014
A mission to the moon discovers a couple of aliens who are stranded there in a large spacecraft. It turns out one of them has leukaemia, so the astronauts agree to return with them to earth to seek out a physician who can treat this. But there are unenlightened/corrupt human forces to contend with back on terra firma.
For me this was a film of two parts – the sci-fi section on the moon and the more action-orientated section on earth. My issue with the film was that the first bit is much more interesting but only constitutes about a third of the movie. Once the action relocates to Earth it loses a lot of its interest and becomes a slightly tiresome action caper. I guess that overall this awkward combination of sci-fi with a crime/action story is one of the things that makes Mission Stardust quite distinctive. But for me its good parts were loaded at the start, meaning that by the end it felt a little disappointing to me.
It's a 60's sci-fi film, so some slack has to be given regarding effects work. Quite a lot of them are really bad here but there is some decent model work for the spacecraft, while the robots were pretty original in design. The moon scenes in general were pretty well done and had a sort of Star Trek original series type of charm. The lead male characters were quite forgettable but the lead female alien Thora was quite striking and a good character. It is also worth pointing out that, like a lot of Italian genre movies of the time, it has a very good soundtrack as well. So, there are good things about this film but overall there weren't enough to save it from its tedious aspects.
For me this was a film of two parts – the sci-fi section on the moon and the more action-orientated section on earth. My issue with the film was that the first bit is much more interesting but only constitutes about a third of the movie. Once the action relocates to Earth it loses a lot of its interest and becomes a slightly tiresome action caper. I guess that overall this awkward combination of sci-fi with a crime/action story is one of the things that makes Mission Stardust quite distinctive. But for me its good parts were loaded at the start, meaning that by the end it felt a little disappointing to me.
It's a 60's sci-fi film, so some slack has to be given regarding effects work. Quite a lot of them are really bad here but there is some decent model work for the spacecraft, while the robots were pretty original in design. The moon scenes in general were pretty well done and had a sort of Star Trek original series type of charm. The lead male characters were quite forgettable but the lead female alien Thora was quite striking and a good character. It is also worth pointing out that, like a lot of Italian genre movies of the time, it has a very good soundtrack as well. So, there are good things about this film but overall there weren't enough to save it from its tedious aspects.
Not Bad For 1967
LeFebvreC15 August 2006
Not bad for a movie made 1967 (keep in mind that this was the same time period as the original Star Trek series, whose first season was 1966). Also since the movie was originally filmed in German you'll have to forgive the dubbing which make it look like one of those bad Chinese Kung Fu movies thats been dubbed into English. Although credited with the screenplay I find it hard to believe that Kurt Vogelmann (who wrote some of the Perry Rhodan books) had much in the way to do with the movie. The plot shares some major details of the first two or three Perry Rhodan books, which were more like short stories than full fledged books but takes a few detours to make it fit into a single movie. If you're a fan of the books this is worth a look.
wait a minute, confusion abounds!
Judexdot120 August 2004
I have seen listings for "4-3-2-1 Morte", and "Orbital Mortal" as seperate films. other data suggests 2 films produced at the same time with much the same cast and crew. titles are listed for US english dubbed releases years ago, as "Countdown To Death", and "Mission Stardust". Now this listing says it's all one film, and I have serious doubts. I love "Mission Stardust", though I agree it is not a very faithful Rhodan adaptation. as for the poor effects, I strongly disagree. Antonino Margherhetti's spaceship effects are top notch for the time of the film, and quite lovely in design. Excellent special effects work from a moonlighting director, who had started italian cinematic SF with "Assignment Outer Space"!
I do really like Perry Rhodan but ...
Elvis_untot3 March 2002
A silly curio from a long-gone era....
planktonrules20 October 2015
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.
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.
It Started Out Good Then Went Down Hill
Rainey-Dawn12 November 2016
It is true that roughly the first 1/3 of the film is spent on the moon and that is the best part of the show. The second 2/3 is spent on earth in Africa and only about the first half of that section is good. It's the story that starts falling flat after giving us a pretty decent start.
This film, along with any "B" sci-fi, you'll have some fun cheesy special effects - and this film has some good cheese. The acting isn't great but the actors do make the film kinda fun to watch. And I like the idea of the one astronaut and the alien lady really "liking" each other, and I like the idea of the alien guy being sick so the astronauts decide to help him but I didn't like the way the film played out in order to get the sick alien the formula to treat his leukemia - the military spy thing really didn't help the story (it hurt it to me).
Overall it's something kinda fun and cheesy to watch - not great, but not plan awful.
4/10
This film, along with any "B" sci-fi, you'll have some fun cheesy special effects - and this film has some good cheese. The acting isn't great but the actors do make the film kinda fun to watch. And I like the idea of the one astronaut and the alien lady really "liking" each other, and I like the idea of the alien guy being sick so the astronauts decide to help him but I didn't like the way the film played out in order to get the sick alien the formula to treat his leukemia - the military spy thing really didn't help the story (it hurt it to me).
Overall it's something kinda fun and cheesy to watch - not great, but not plan awful.
4/10
Not completely bad!
RodrigAndrisan17 May 2017
"Ni panda, na na ko!" I offer all the diamonds seen in this movie to the one who tells me what it means. It's the first replica of that alien language spoken by the sick old man of leukemia, for which all the characters are starting to function and the final product is this film. We see stamped cardboard decorations which are not great, space suits of material like garbage bags, the same. The coolest element to see is the beautiful Swedish actress Essy Persson, 26 years old at the time when the film was made (1967). Without the sex appeal of her body, the movie would be totally impossible to watch. That's why 5 stars.
A Mind-Meltingly Stupid Mission to the Moon (and Africa...?)
brando64722 April 2016
MISSION STARDUST is a 1967 Italian film based on a popular German science fiction novella series, of which I've never heard. It starts with the impression that we're settling in for a heady (if horribly inaccurate) science fiction film and makes a drastic turn into action territory in the second act. The title refers to the space mission launching at the start of the film where a team of astronauts, led by Major Perry Rhodan (Lang Jeffries), is being sent to the moon to harvest rare metals that have been discovered under the surface of the Newcomb crater. What Rhoden and HQ don't know is that a powerful (?) crime boss named Arkin (Pinkas Braun) has an inside man amongst the Stardust crew to report back to him in hopes of hijacking these valuable metals. None of this matters though, as the Stardust is intercepted in lunar orbit and loses contact with Earth as it's forced to land. After touching down, Rhoden and his crew discover the cause behind the interference: an alien craft. They're introduced to Crest (John Karlsen) and Thora (Essy Persson), aliens from the planet Arkon whose ship broke down and they were forced to land on Earth's moon. Crest is unable to repair the ship because he's fallen ill with leukemia, but that's all right because Rhoden informs him of a doctor on Earth who has conveniently enough developed a leukemia serum that can cure him. Can Rhoden and his crew overcome their differences with this alien race long enough to cooperate and save them? Will Arkin eliminate them all and steal the advanced Arkon technology?
MISSION STARDUST fails on two very important levels: as science fiction and as an action/adventure film. It's far too stupid to be decent science fiction. It started fun enough with psychedelic colors flying behind the opening titles while we're treated to an upbeat pop tune screeching "Seli" that sets the stage for a zany head-trip of an adventure that never comes. But, as "Seli" fades out and the trippy colors are traded for reality, it becomes a very serious science fiction. Tense faces, countdowns, inherent danger. What will become of the Stardust crew? Then stupid peeks its head around the corner. What're they going to the moon for? A metal has been discovered that's denser than cobalt or lithium! For anyone curious, there are loads of elements denser than cobalt and lithium right here on Earth including such obscure metals as nickel, copper, and lead. OK, so no real thought put into the film. Sort of cheapens the "science" part of science fiction but I can appreciate some stupid fun. I loved the miniature work (and there was plenty of it) in this film, and the Arkonite craft is staffed with a crew of lumbering lurch-bots who look like your average spaceman until you remove their helmet and discover the skinned Furby underneath. Details like this make cheap science fiction fun regardless of the dwindling thought behind the script. I mean, these astronauts are supposed to be pretty savvy dudes, right? So it's nonsensical that they're completely unfazed when their lunar rover disintegrates but then baffled at the site of an enormous UFO moments later. I mean, what did they think happened to the rover? Who did they think was responsible for their emergency landing? The giant alien spaceship should be the least surprising thing going on. One astronaut's response to their invitation to this mysterious spacecraft by way of tube elevator:
"Quite an elevator, eh, Perry? And up we go to paradise, or possibly hell!"
These astronauts, and everyone else in this movie, are dumb. Except maybe Thora. She's cool. She can't be bothered to waste any more time than necessary with these primitive earthlings. She's so advanced that she barely reacts when Major Rhodan (the movie's hero, remember) forces himself on her. You see, she's so advanced that sexuality doesn't register with her; Rhodan sees this as a challenge and starts trying to make out with her, because the first impression of our species Rhodan believes best to give this race of aliens is that of a dog humping your leg. Regardless, he's not the only idiot here. But he's probably the biggest. When it's discovered that Crest is ill with leukemia (his 10,000-year-old race discovered the cure to all diseases except this one), the plan becomes to bring the aliens to a Dr. Haggard in Mombasa for the cure. The astronauts then land the alien ship 400 miles away from Haggard's location and plan to, I guess, walk there. Or, they would, if their careful plan to not be spotted hadn't failed immediately and they weren't beset by a patrol from the African Federation Army from the moment they set down in the African desert. So now the entire second half of the film has the astronauts battling a vague African military and eventually Arkin and his team, and the film becomes a shoddy action/adventure. One final example of Rhoden's less-than-stellar leadership ability: the astronauts realize they need a vehicle so, rather than find a reputable salesman, he bargains with a shady dude on the street who initially tries to sell them child sex slaves. It fails miserably, and it only gets dumber from there.
There's so much to say about this film, I couldn't possibly do it all here. I could go on about how the astronauts are pretty much interchangeable. They're all bland white dudes without personality or distinguishing features of any sort. I haven't mentioned the lame one-liners that come once the astronauts become action heroes (e.g. "His retros failed on him!" when an African thug is tossed by a gravity ray). There's a bunch. MISSION STARDUST is great conversation fodder if you've got friends similarly interested in bad movies. It's not as exciting as it wants to be but it's a fun failure.
MISSION STARDUST fails on two very important levels: as science fiction and as an action/adventure film. It's far too stupid to be decent science fiction. It started fun enough with psychedelic colors flying behind the opening titles while we're treated to an upbeat pop tune screeching "Seli" that sets the stage for a zany head-trip of an adventure that never comes. But, as "Seli" fades out and the trippy colors are traded for reality, it becomes a very serious science fiction. Tense faces, countdowns, inherent danger. What will become of the Stardust crew? Then stupid peeks its head around the corner. What're they going to the moon for? A metal has been discovered that's denser than cobalt or lithium! For anyone curious, there are loads of elements denser than cobalt and lithium right here on Earth including such obscure metals as nickel, copper, and lead. OK, so no real thought put into the film. Sort of cheapens the "science" part of science fiction but I can appreciate some stupid fun. I loved the miniature work (and there was plenty of it) in this film, and the Arkonite craft is staffed with a crew of lumbering lurch-bots who look like your average spaceman until you remove their helmet and discover the skinned Furby underneath. Details like this make cheap science fiction fun regardless of the dwindling thought behind the script. I mean, these astronauts are supposed to be pretty savvy dudes, right? So it's nonsensical that they're completely unfazed when their lunar rover disintegrates but then baffled at the site of an enormous UFO moments later. I mean, what did they think happened to the rover? Who did they think was responsible for their emergency landing? The giant alien spaceship should be the least surprising thing going on. One astronaut's response to their invitation to this mysterious spacecraft by way of tube elevator:
"Quite an elevator, eh, Perry? And up we go to paradise, or possibly hell!"
These astronauts, and everyone else in this movie, are dumb. Except maybe Thora. She's cool. She can't be bothered to waste any more time than necessary with these primitive earthlings. She's so advanced that she barely reacts when Major Rhodan (the movie's hero, remember) forces himself on her. You see, she's so advanced that sexuality doesn't register with her; Rhodan sees this as a challenge and starts trying to make out with her, because the first impression of our species Rhodan believes best to give this race of aliens is that of a dog humping your leg. Regardless, he's not the only idiot here. But he's probably the biggest. When it's discovered that Crest is ill with leukemia (his 10,000-year-old race discovered the cure to all diseases except this one), the plan becomes to bring the aliens to a Dr. Haggard in Mombasa for the cure. The astronauts then land the alien ship 400 miles away from Haggard's location and plan to, I guess, walk there. Or, they would, if their careful plan to not be spotted hadn't failed immediately and they weren't beset by a patrol from the African Federation Army from the moment they set down in the African desert. So now the entire second half of the film has the astronauts battling a vague African military and eventually Arkin and his team, and the film becomes a shoddy action/adventure. One final example of Rhoden's less-than-stellar leadership ability: the astronauts realize they need a vehicle so, rather than find a reputable salesman, he bargains with a shady dude on the street who initially tries to sell them child sex slaves. It fails miserably, and it only gets dumber from there.
There's so much to say about this film, I couldn't possibly do it all here. I could go on about how the astronauts are pretty much interchangeable. They're all bland white dudes without personality or distinguishing features of any sort. I haven't mentioned the lame one-liners that come once the astronauts become action heroes (e.g. "His retros failed on him!" when an African thug is tossed by a gravity ray). There's a bunch. MISSION STARDUST is great conversation fodder if you've got friends similarly interested in bad movies. It's not as exciting as it wants to be but it's a fun failure.
Quite fun! A bit camp and corny - but fun!
robbja29 March 2020
This is not a "GREAT" or memorable film with a deep and existential message...
BUT I think that all the negative criticism is uncalled for!
This is a product of it's time - it's a "matinée adventure", a bit of fun, a distraction!
As such I think that this is Quite fun! A bit camp and corny - but fun!
As a example of the genre and style of the period - it is not awful! I think that this is quite charming!
If you are in the mood for a little bit of 60's matinée fun! Then you will have fun!
Enjoy!
BUT I think that all the negative criticism is uncalled for!
This is a product of it's time - it's a "matinée adventure", a bit of fun, a distraction!
As such I think that this is Quite fun! A bit camp and corny - but fun!
As a example of the genre and style of the period - it is not awful! I think that this is quite charming!
If you are in the mood for a little bit of 60's matinée fun! Then you will have fun!
Enjoy!
4...3...2...1....boredom
Bezenby12 June 2017
The utterly astonishing Primo Zelgio has surpassed all previous efforts of directors of bad Italian sci-fi movies by making his the most boring of all, and how does he do that? By setting most of it on Earth in the sixties of course! I would have never thought of that.
A bunch of astronauts head off for the moon for precious metals only to find a crashed alien ship there with an old dying man and an extremely smug woman who initially appears to be wearing two brillo pads on her chest. This smug alien thinks mankind are morons even though they have a ship that works and can cure the old man's disease, and therefore we are dragged kicking and screaming through another 'battle of the sexes' plot.
To make things worse, everyone head back to Earth to cure the old man, but the local government are trying to attack the ship and there's some rich (and gay, it's suggest?) guy who wants the ship or something. I'm so glad Star Wars came along and gave the Italian film industry something decent to rip off, because these early sci-fi films are boring beyond belief.
There are only two good aspects to this film: The terrible effects and the rubbery faced-alien robot guys who shoot lasers from their eyes. Of course to keep the film as boring as possible the director waits until the last fifteen minutes to start the action going, but by that point you'll be totally nodding off.
A bunch of astronauts head off for the moon for precious metals only to find a crashed alien ship there with an old dying man and an extremely smug woman who initially appears to be wearing two brillo pads on her chest. This smug alien thinks mankind are morons even though they have a ship that works and can cure the old man's disease, and therefore we are dragged kicking and screaming through another 'battle of the sexes' plot.
To make things worse, everyone head back to Earth to cure the old man, but the local government are trying to attack the ship and there's some rich (and gay, it's suggest?) guy who wants the ship or something. I'm so glad Star Wars came along and gave the Italian film industry something decent to rip off, because these early sci-fi films are boring beyond belief.
There are only two good aspects to this film: The terrible effects and the rubbery faced-alien robot guys who shoot lasers from their eyes. Of course to keep the film as boring as possible the director waits until the last fifteen minutes to start the action going, but by that point you'll be totally nodding off.
A pleasant surprise
mass-3294219 June 2020
When you're watching a movie from the sixties - 50+ years ago! - you have to take that into consideration when judging it. It's silly to judge it by today's technological standards. That being said, "Mission Stardust" is a very valiant and mostly successful effort to produce a serious sci-fi movie. Easily better than 80% of sci-fi movies of the same era. As the title of my review says, I was very pleasantly surprised.
West Germany's Perry Rhodan debuts on the screen as James Bond on a budget
kevinolzak31 October 2021
1967's "Mission Stardust" (... 4... 3... 2... 1 ... Morte in Italy), from Italian director Primo Zeglio (West Germany, Spain, and Monaco also involved), the lone screen adaptation of a series of Perry Rhodan novels that began in West Germany in 1961. Those familiar with the paperbacks dismiss the feature as being unfaithful, no surprise as it comes off as a relic of its time, the story blasting off for the moon fairly quickly before returning to Earth for the remainder of the film, less science fiction than Eurospy hijinks with a super sexy alien commander in Essy Persson that no male viewer worth his salt wouldn't go for (along similar lines would be the ultra cheap "Star Pilot"). A top secret expedition to the moon is headed by Major Perry Rhodan (Lang Jeffries) and Captain Mike Bull (Luis Davila) on the spaceship Stardust, intending to find a new metal stronger than anything terrestrial but quickly downed by Commander Thora (Essy Persson) of the Arkon galaxy, seeking a cure for ailing scientist Crest (John Karlsen). Despite their obvious superiority, the Arkons have yet to achieve significant advancement in medicine, a lethal case of leukemia convincing Perry to maintain complete secrecy by returning to Earth to find blood specialist Frank Haggard (Stefano Sibaldi) for prompt treatment. Now the location shifts to the African desert, where local military bombardment is foiled by an impregnable force field, while a portable control for weightlessness is also used to quash an attempted coup by nefarious villain Arkin (Pinkas Bruan), and his secret henchman aboard the Stardust. Scripted to reflect its meager budget, diehard sci fi addicts may be disappointed by a first viewing but it has action, pacing, and amusing gadgets, unlike a stone cold stiff like W. Lee Wilder's 1958 "Spy in the Sky!" Were it not for the casting there might have been at least another in a potential series, but Lang Jeffries as Perry comes off as too straight laced and less effective than Luis Davila, who at least offers some comic asides as Mike to differentiate between the two, very much a buddy movie along the lines of the Kommissar X series. The villains are about as dangerous as Zachary Smith on LOST IN SPACE, but one cannot argue that the picture proves entertaining, just not very memorable.
I really, really, and I mean really, wanted to love this movie
bensonmum23 July 2017
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.
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.
Fun for fans (possible spoilers)
freebyte20 November 2004
Warning: Spoilers
It's not a good movie, but I've seen worse bad movies. The plot is not like the books. Please consider that the books tackle the huge question of what happens when aliens are encountered and the changes it means for the world. The movie follows a familiar arc for science fiction movies of its era. The events happen, but are arranged so that when it is over the world is left essentially unchanged. It would be interesting to read an account of the making of the film from Clark Dalton's point of view.
Now that I've said that, I can say that I find it an enjoyable movie just for the simple reason of being able to see these characters on screen. Thora comes out the best: fierce, beautiful, smart, dangerous, all to a degree which I think is unusual for the sixties. Some might even find her an improvement on the book Thora; at the very least Essy Persson's beauty is easy to appreciate.
Now that I've said that, I can say that I find it an enjoyable movie just for the simple reason of being able to see these characters on screen. Thora comes out the best: fierce, beautiful, smart, dangerous, all to a degree which I think is unusual for the sixties. Some might even find her an improvement on the book Thora; at the very least Essy Persson's beauty is easy to appreciate.
Is a naked girl of interest to a man?
nogodnomasters29 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
The earth sends a secret mission to the moon. It is one no one knows about except for a drug dealer. Their mission is to explore a new mineral whose density is greater than cobalt or lithium. While there, they encounter a race of beings who look like us. They have traveled 34 million light years to our moon looking for a cure for leukemia. Okay got that?
Just so happens our astronaut knows of a doctor in Africa (Sara Palin's one nation Africa.) who is working on a leukemia serum so our guys along with sexy alien Thora (Essy Persson) head there.
This was apparently made during an era where anything with a sci-fi label on it sold to the masses no matter how bad the quality or plot...sort of like zombie and vampire films of today...just add "Lincoln" to it. The film is so poorly done which means it has camp value, hence the many 5-star reviews. Special effects were terrible. The science was so bad, it made "Prometheus" look like a documentary.
Parental Guide: No f-bombs, sex, or nudity. Some flirting, sexual innuendos, Essy in a bra type top.
Just so happens our astronaut knows of a doctor in Africa (Sara Palin's one nation Africa.) who is working on a leukemia serum so our guys along with sexy alien Thora (Essy Persson) head there.
This was apparently made during an era where anything with a sci-fi label on it sold to the masses no matter how bad the quality or plot...sort of like zombie and vampire films of today...just add "Lincoln" to it. The film is so poorly done which means it has camp value, hence the many 5-star reviews. Special effects were terrible. The science was so bad, it made "Prometheus" look like a documentary.
Parental Guide: No f-bombs, sex, or nudity. Some flirting, sexual innuendos, Essy in a bra type top.
Where is Captain Scarlet?
Bernie444429 December 2023
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.
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.
Co-production between Italy, Spain and Germany with primitive but effective special effects.
ma-cortes30 March 2024
A team of astronauts : Capt. Flipper (Daniel Martín), Captain Bull (Luís Dávila), Dr. Manoli (Joachim Hansen) led by Maj. Perry Rhodan (Lang Jeffries) is sent to the moon to rescue an alien who is seeking help to save her dying race. They are attacked by a force of robots and discover that enemy spies are out to kill the alien. On the moon they meet Thora (Essy Persson) and Kress (John Karlsen) are superior beings from another planet who find themselves marooned and ill. A U. S. space mission lead by Major Perry Rodan rescues the couple. Kress is suffering from an unknown ailment, and a medical examination reveals he has leukemia. The rescue team secretly brings the ailing alien to an African physician who specializes in blood disorders. Soon word gets around about the aliens, causing a full-scale search for the rescue team and the two space cadets. 2076 AD · Planet Against Planet in a Bionic Battle for Space !.2076 AD · Year of the Robot Revolution !. Come Along on a Fantastic Space Adventure... Meet the Beings from Another Planet and their Miraculous Weapons!.The science fiction film that staggers the imagination!
Perry Rhodan's fame is due to trivial science fiction literature, being an extremely successful German science-fiction literature (and audio book) series. There're European Perry Rhodan movies, a Japanese film and the "Sandmännchen" television series. From 1961 onwards, the astronaut set out to conquer foreign galaxies in various printed products as paperbacks, comics, etc. His futuristic journeys reflect a time in which only weapons and robots undergo their further development and ultimately function as indispensable tools to advance conquest and imperialism.
Ordinary 60's Sci-Fi/Euro-spy movie with usual components : aircrafts, pursuits , crashes , struggles , chases , fantastic artifacts, simple helicopters: the popular Bell 47G , international conspiracy , and explosive women . It borrows heavily from the 60's Italian Science Fiction from directors Antonio Margheriti, Alfonso Brescia in films as Space man, The war of the planets, Cosmos: War of the Planets, Battle of the Stars, and OO7 series that at the time starred Sean Connery , such as : Dr No, From Russia with love , Thunderball, and Goldfinger . It has some flaws and gaps , as it does tend to get a bit old , including repetitive nature of some scenes, but it has big fun, so it cares. Lang Jeffries gives a passable acting as a brave astronaut who takes on an criminal organization commanded by Pinkas Braun. Lang has an easy going air about him that makes him great to see. He plays a two-fisted astronaut, though he was usually an international agent or playing Peplums or Spaghetti westerns. Lang was a Canadian actor who emigrated to Italy to get fame and fortune , he married Rhonda Fleming , and obtaining success in Spaghetti Western : Requiem for the Gringo ; Eurospy : Agente X 1-7 operazione Oceano, Z7 Operation Rembrandt ...4 ..3 ..2 ..1 ...morte , The Becket case and Peplum : Alone Against Rome , Fire over Rome, Sword of the empire , Revolt of the Slaves . In fact , according to the "Revolt of the Slaves" pressbook, Jeffries served in the U. S. Army during the Korean War and was one of only three survivors out of 177 soldiers in his unit who landed at Inchon in the fall of 1951. Co-stars the gorgeous and mysterious Eurotrash starlett Essy Persson, who at the time starred some erotic films . Along with other ordinary secondaries , usuals in Euro-spy , thriller , Spaghetti and Peplum , such as : the Spanish ones Daniel Martín, Luís Dávila and Italians Gianni Rizzo, Tom Felleghy, John Bartha and Germans: Pinkas Braun, Joachim Hansen.
It displays a thrilling score by Antón Garcia Abril, as well as atmospheric cinematography from Manuel Merino and Riccardo Pallottini, being really necessary a perfect remastering because de film copy is washed out. The pic was written by Spaghetti expert Sergio Donati and director himseld; being professionally realized by Primo Zeglio . This is one of the uncountable stories that the Italian producer pioneers were joined by Spanish producers , who established around Rome, Madrid or Canary Islands, especially to shoot the exteriors , a new stable center for filming Euro-spy movies, action, fantasy or Spaghetti Westerns. Primo was married to Paola Barbara who usually plays his films in secondary roles . He was a good professional , a craftsman who wrote and directed all kind of genres as Adventure : "Seven Seas to Calais" , ¨Genoneva De Bravante¨ , "Revenge of the Pirates", "Son of the Red Corsair" ¨, ¨Captain Ghost¨, ¨Morgan the pirate¨ , Sci-Fi : "Mission Stardust" , Peplum : "I Am Semiramis" , ¨Nero and Messalina¨ , ¨Rosmunda e Alboino¨ and Spaghetti : ""The Relentless Four¨, "Texas Ranger" and this ¨Winchester One of One Thousand¨ also titled ¨Winchester Justice¨. ...4 ..3 ..2 ..1 ...morte (1967) Rating: 5/10. Average.
Perry Rhodan's fame is due to trivial science fiction literature, being an extremely successful German science-fiction literature (and audio book) series. There're European Perry Rhodan movies, a Japanese film and the "Sandmännchen" television series. From 1961 onwards, the astronaut set out to conquer foreign galaxies in various printed products as paperbacks, comics, etc. His futuristic journeys reflect a time in which only weapons and robots undergo their further development and ultimately function as indispensable tools to advance conquest and imperialism.
Ordinary 60's Sci-Fi/Euro-spy movie with usual components : aircrafts, pursuits , crashes , struggles , chases , fantastic artifacts, simple helicopters: the popular Bell 47G , international conspiracy , and explosive women . It borrows heavily from the 60's Italian Science Fiction from directors Antonio Margheriti, Alfonso Brescia in films as Space man, The war of the planets, Cosmos: War of the Planets, Battle of the Stars, and OO7 series that at the time starred Sean Connery , such as : Dr No, From Russia with love , Thunderball, and Goldfinger . It has some flaws and gaps , as it does tend to get a bit old , including repetitive nature of some scenes, but it has big fun, so it cares. Lang Jeffries gives a passable acting as a brave astronaut who takes on an criminal organization commanded by Pinkas Braun. Lang has an easy going air about him that makes him great to see. He plays a two-fisted astronaut, though he was usually an international agent or playing Peplums or Spaghetti westerns. Lang was a Canadian actor who emigrated to Italy to get fame and fortune , he married Rhonda Fleming , and obtaining success in Spaghetti Western : Requiem for the Gringo ; Eurospy : Agente X 1-7 operazione Oceano, Z7 Operation Rembrandt ...4 ..3 ..2 ..1 ...morte , The Becket case and Peplum : Alone Against Rome , Fire over Rome, Sword of the empire , Revolt of the Slaves . In fact , according to the "Revolt of the Slaves" pressbook, Jeffries served in the U. S. Army during the Korean War and was one of only three survivors out of 177 soldiers in his unit who landed at Inchon in the fall of 1951. Co-stars the gorgeous and mysterious Eurotrash starlett Essy Persson, who at the time starred some erotic films . Along with other ordinary secondaries , usuals in Euro-spy , thriller , Spaghetti and Peplum , such as : the Spanish ones Daniel Martín, Luís Dávila and Italians Gianni Rizzo, Tom Felleghy, John Bartha and Germans: Pinkas Braun, Joachim Hansen.
It displays a thrilling score by Antón Garcia Abril, as well as atmospheric cinematography from Manuel Merino and Riccardo Pallottini, being really necessary a perfect remastering because de film copy is washed out. The pic was written by Spaghetti expert Sergio Donati and director himseld; being professionally realized by Primo Zeglio . This is one of the uncountable stories that the Italian producer pioneers were joined by Spanish producers , who established around Rome, Madrid or Canary Islands, especially to shoot the exteriors , a new stable center for filming Euro-spy movies, action, fantasy or Spaghetti Westerns. Primo was married to Paola Barbara who usually plays his films in secondary roles . He was a good professional , a craftsman who wrote and directed all kind of genres as Adventure : "Seven Seas to Calais" , ¨Genoneva De Bravante¨ , "Revenge of the Pirates", "Son of the Red Corsair" ¨, ¨Captain Ghost¨, ¨Morgan the pirate¨ , Sci-Fi : "Mission Stardust" , Peplum : "I Am Semiramis" , ¨Nero and Messalina¨ , ¨Rosmunda e Alboino¨ and Spaghetti : ""The Relentless Four¨, "Texas Ranger" and this ¨Winchester One of One Thousand¨ also titled ¨Winchester Justice¨. ...4 ..3 ..2 ..1 ...morte (1967) Rating: 5/10. Average.
Inane 'space' adventure that spends too much time on Earth
jamesrupert201425 January 2021
A team of astronauts led by stalwart hero Perry Rhodan (Lang Jeffries) land on the moon only to discover an alien starship captained by a sexy, supercilious woman (Essy Persson) with a crew humanoid robots and a scientist dying of leukemia (John Karlsen). The film starts out as an classic space opera, albeit cheap and poorly acted (I watched a dubbed version with a terrible English script), with an interesting premise and adequate visuals (the alien ship is more imaginative than most) but as soon as the 'plot' requires everyone to go to Earth (to find a cure for leukemia), the film degenerates into a tedious 'Euro-action-thriller' with terrible special effects (notably the shots of things being levitated by Rhodan's alien 3-button do-all gadget). I am not familiar with the vast 'Perry Rhodan' canon but apparently fans have disowned this lackluster cinematic depiction of their hero. The film lacks the entertaining imagery and style common to 1960's Italian science fiction films (such as Antonio Margheriti's 'Gamma One' series) and the lengthy interval spent on Earth undermines what little interest the opening and closing scenes generate. For hard-core genre fans only.
"Mission Stardust"
Uriah4314 July 2013
Due to a recent discovery of an extremely valuable metal on the surface of the moon a 5-man team commanded by "Major Perry Rhodan" (Lang Jeffries) is sent into space to obtain some of it and bring it back to earth. Once they prepare to land however their electronics and communications suffer interference which prevents them from contact with earth. Additionally, as they begin to patrol outside of their spaceship they notice a large alien spacecraft in the distance. Upon further investigation they encounter a robot which takes them inside the spacecraft commanded by a beautiful but condescending woman named "Thora" (Essy Persson). Along with her is a very ill, older gentleman by the name of "Crest" (John Karlsen) who desperately needs medical attention. Since the disease he has contracted (leukemia) is unknown on their home planet of "Akron", the decision is made to transport him back to earth for medical care as quietly as possible in order to prevent any governments from getting their hands on advanced technology. Now, having given a quick synopsis of the plot, I think it's only fair to state that I was unaware that this film was based on a European science-fiction novel. Because of that I cannot compare how accurate this movie was with regard to the book. I would also like to add that the version I saw was titled, "Mission Stardust" and from what I understand there are other titles it goes by as well. Likewise, it was initially filmed in Italian and dubbed in English which might lessen the effect to some degree. Further, this movie was filmed 36 years ago and as a result the special effects appear quite primitive compared to today's standards. Add in the fact that the character development needed a bit more work along with some rather poor acting on everybody's part and this film should probably merit a very low score. But in spite of all the flaws, this movie was actually somewhat entertaining. But only to a certain extent. Of course, in order to get any enjoyment from it a person will need to make some allowances. But that doesn't excuse the poor character development, the substandard acting or the rather vague outline. All things considered then I rate it as slightly below average.
Moderately entertaining camp sci-fi fun.
BA_Harrison9 November 2020
Groovy theme music and multi-coloured visuals greet viewers of Italian space movie Mission Stardust, a 1967 sci-fi flick based on the popular German Perry Rhodan series of novels by K.H. Scheer and Walter Ernsting. It's a movie that is very much of its era, with highly stylised alien spacecraft, unrealistic spacesuits, robots that fire energy beams from their eyes, a sexy extraterrestrial, and a loose comic-book plot that is almost as random as that of the following year's Barbarella.
The film's hero, astronaut Major Perry Rhodan (Lang Jeffries), leads a mission to the moon to find a valuable metal. After landing his rocket on the moon's surface, Rhodan and his crew discover an alien craft, and are invited on board by one of the ship's robots, where they meet the very human-like alien inhabitants - elderly male Crest (John Karlsen) and sexy blonde Thora (Essy Persson) - who explain that they are stranded on the moon, and that Crest is suffering from a serious illness. Rhodan's medical officer identifies the disease as leukaemia, and explains that there is a Dr. Frank Haggard in Mombassa who might be able to save Crest's life...
What follows is hardly 'The science fiction film that staggers the imagination!', as the tagline claims - much of the film feels like cheaply produced filler - but it is still a reasonably entertaining piece of '60s pulp sci-fi, largely thanks to its hilariously wobbly alien spaceship, the sexy ladies (in addition to Thora, we also get Haggard's tasty assistant Dr. Sheridan and hot Nurse Silva), and the silly sci-fi technology (including a hand-held device that can not only levitate objects and project a force field, but - wait for it - also acts as a televisual communication device. Far-fetched or what?!!?!).
5.5/10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb.
The film's hero, astronaut Major Perry Rhodan (Lang Jeffries), leads a mission to the moon to find a valuable metal. After landing his rocket on the moon's surface, Rhodan and his crew discover an alien craft, and are invited on board by one of the ship's robots, where they meet the very human-like alien inhabitants - elderly male Crest (John Karlsen) and sexy blonde Thora (Essy Persson) - who explain that they are stranded on the moon, and that Crest is suffering from a serious illness. Rhodan's medical officer identifies the disease as leukaemia, and explains that there is a Dr. Frank Haggard in Mombassa who might be able to save Crest's life...
What follows is hardly 'The science fiction film that staggers the imagination!', as the tagline claims - much of the film feels like cheaply produced filler - but it is still a reasonably entertaining piece of '60s pulp sci-fi, largely thanks to its hilariously wobbly alien spaceship, the sexy ladies (in addition to Thora, we also get Haggard's tasty assistant Dr. Sheridan and hot Nurse Silva), and the silly sci-fi technology (including a hand-held device that can not only levitate objects and project a force field, but - wait for it - also acts as a televisual communication device. Far-fetched or what?!!?!).
5.5/10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb.
So bad, it's occasionally hilarious
Leofwine_draca15 July 2017
Warning: Spoilers
MISSION STARDUST is a very cheap and cheerful Italian science fiction B-movie with a cast that includes good and bad aliens, a race of killer robots, and plenty of flying saucer mayhem. It was shot on the sun-drenched Canary Islands. It seems to be posited as a kid's movie because it's too sloppy and laughable for any adults watching to take it seriously. The cast includes Eurospy veteran Lang Jeffries as the wooden hero and a minor appearance for Dakar, the black actor later to appear in the likes of ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS. The film features plenty of action and effects, but none of them are remotely believable, and the repeated shots of floating people and vehicles had me laughing out loud every time they appeared. Overall, it can only be described as a piece of so-bad-it's-occasionally-hilarious cinema.
Sci-fi Eurospy mash-up
walletminati25 December 2017
If you like Sci-fi films set in space, and you hate Eurospy movies, then you'll probably dislike a good portion of this movie. If its vice versa, you'll probably see this film as a quite decent film, and if you like both genres, you shouldn't skip this one at any cost. The film features very decent and pretty-looking special effects for space scenes, quality music score extremely typical for the 60's, some decently creepy looking robots, plenty of alien weapons technologies, and a ton of cliches. The film progresses at a decent pace, has decent-for-b-movies story plot twists, and despite the many negative reviews, you shouldn't be disappointed, if you're not expecting anything else than what is written above.
Sold as a Eurospy
BandSAboutMovies31 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Known in Italy as 4...3...2...1...Morte, this Primo Zeglio-directed science fiction movie is based on the German book series Perry Rhodan by K.H. Scheer and Walter Ernsting.
Looking for radioactive material that can be more powerful than uranium, Major Perry Rhodan (Lang Jeffries, The Junkman, Spies Strike Silently) leads the four-man crew of the Stardust on a moon mission. There, he attempts to help Commander Thora (Essy Persson, Cry of the Banshee) save a scientist named Crest (John Karlsen, The Church). Of course, there's a traitor, a crime lord, some robots and plenty of shenanigans.
Looking for radioactive material that can be more powerful than uranium, Major Perry Rhodan (Lang Jeffries, The Junkman, Spies Strike Silently) leads the four-man crew of the Stardust on a moon mission. There, he attempts to help Commander Thora (Essy Persson, Cry of the Banshee) save a scientist named Crest (John Karlsen, The Church). Of course, there's a traitor, a crime lord, some robots and plenty of shenanigans.
Not pure Rhodan but worth a laughable look
gurpsgm-114 November 2004
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".
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".
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