A fantasy tale following exploits of a group of rebel forces engaged in a life and death struggle, while trying to save the planet Metropolis . The movie's opening prologue in the English version states: "Metropolis, known ages ago as planet Earth, now faces its gravest hour. Lord Graal, has just escaped from the prison - satellite where his brother - ruler of the peaceful, galactic democracy had exiled him. Malevolent and power-hungry, Graal has plans of vengeance that might forever alter the destiny of mankind". Hoping to overthrow his brother and to establish a cruel dictatorship , the evil Graal (Ivan Rassimov) enlists the support of the nutty Dr. Kraspin (Arthur Kennedy) , helped by Lady Agatha (Barbara Bach) , who has invented a chemical capable of turning an ordinary person into a relentless soldier , wanting to use him as a warfare prototype . They test this chemical on the pilot Golob (first top-billed film for Richard Kiel) , turning the unsuspecting victim into a mindless but indestructable automaton possessing superhuman strength. As a team of valiant heroes (Corinne Clery , Leonard Mann, Marco Yeh , Massimo Serato) battle a Galactic leader who wants at whatever cost to overthrow his brother , and he'll stop at nothing to get it .The people of Metropolis must somehow outwit Graal before he can create an army of these soldiers, or their planet will be completely eliminated. From a Distant Planet - The Greatest Ever Challenge to Mankind. Light years beyond tomorrow...The film's closing epilogue in the English print states: "Once again Planet Earth had narrowly escaped disaster. Once again, it had found in itself the intelligence, the insight and the strength to repel a mortal enemy. Once again, man was to live at peace in the galaxy".
Colorful Sci-Fi with thrills , chills , spaces battles , dogfighting and botchering special effects . This Star Wars rip-off takes elements here and there of the previous famous fim , such as : storm-troopers dressed in black Darth Vader style ; the likable robodog bears resemblance to R2D2 , scenes set on a desert planet ; a Falconesque spaceship and other various similar sets , props , atrezzo , gowns , vehicles, and background design elements . It fact , The Humanoid (1979) takes part of a late-1970s cycle of Italian Sci-Fi pictures really influenced by the classical Star Wars (1977) . It is a real and spectacular pantomime , and , like most pantomimes , it is a lot of fun and entertaining enough. Essentially an adventure movie set in outer space , this amusing but silly film results to be an average Sci-Fi flick with no much interest , though to be appreciated for those cinemagoers looking for bad pictures . Set at cinematic standard of the Seventies , but at the same time with traditional and rudimentary special effects , including overwhelming battles and aerial scenes galore.
It contains a colorful and brilliant cinematography by cameraman Silvano Ippoliti shot on location in Eilat, Israel and studios from Cinecittà Studios, Dear Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy. Adding a weird and synthesizer soundtrack by Ennio Morricone with a lot of electronic music. The motion picture was lousily written and directed by Aldo Lado. He is a good writer and filmmaker who has directed a few films with great casting . His first film was a giallo titled The short night of the butterflies or Short Night of Glass Dolls or Paralysed or Malastrana with ingrid Thulin, Jean Sorel. After directing the extremely violent and successful : ¨Last stop in night train¨. Following other movies with not much success such as : La Cosa Buffa, Sepolta viva , La disubbidienza, La cugina , Il nocturno di Chopin and The humanoid . Rating : 4/10 , inferior Sci-Fi , though it has some diverting scenes and entertainment enough.
