27 reviews
Crash Of Moons bests illustrates the mind of the Fifties Science fiction creator, the hack creator, not the Robert Heinleins or Isaac Asimovs. In this film which was cobbled together from the old Rocky Jones Space Ranger TV show, rocketry was the limit, the ultimate in our technology. Lasers and computers were not conceived.
Again some knowledge of the show which I had and which at the age of 7 I devotedly watched is required. Two planetary bodies that are inhabited are going to crash. One of these is a 'gypsy moon' that roams space without a star it revolves around Posita which is ruled by John Banner before he was Sergeant Schultz. The other is Ophesius which is ruled by perennial villain Queen Cleolanta, Patsy Parsons. She was one evil woman, but she's heading for the last roundup.
After the usual Cleolanta intrigues Rocky Jones tries to bombard Posita with something called a 'tortanic' missile. Several of them which make some big bangs after the gypsy moon is evacuated, but don't budge it an inch off course. As I said rocketry was the limit of TV writers imagination.
How does it end? If you're an old Rocky Jones fan like me you know.
Again some knowledge of the show which I had and which at the age of 7 I devotedly watched is required. Two planetary bodies that are inhabited are going to crash. One of these is a 'gypsy moon' that roams space without a star it revolves around Posita which is ruled by John Banner before he was Sergeant Schultz. The other is Ophesius which is ruled by perennial villain Queen Cleolanta, Patsy Parsons. She was one evil woman, but she's heading for the last roundup.
After the usual Cleolanta intrigues Rocky Jones tries to bombard Posita with something called a 'tortanic' missile. Several of them which make some big bangs after the gypsy moon is evacuated, but don't budge it an inch off course. As I said rocketry was the limit of TV writers imagination.
How does it end? If you're an old Rocky Jones fan like me you know.
- bkoganbing
- Dec 18, 2011
- Permalink
There's not really that much wrong with Crash of the Moons. Basically it's a few episodes of Rocky Jones, Space Ranger merged into a film. It is extremely dated, however. Winky's treatment of Vena is a good example of this. One has to remember that it was geared to be shown to children in the 1950's. In this respect, it succeeds. If you like children's sci-fi from the 1950's, go ahead and take a look at it. You'll see John Banner in a pre-sgt. Schultz role. He does a pretty good job in it. All in all, I'd give it a 6 out of 10. Not great, but not bad.
Another movie made up of several segments of an old Rocky Jones Space Ranger serial. Jones joins the struggle of another planet facing destruction from another planet. It is a typical but satisfying saga of Rocky Jones with fair acting and a decent plot but a corny script and cartoonish images.
- dstillman-89383
- Apr 18, 2019
- Permalink
Had this been a 1940s Sci-Fi serial, there would be no question about its place in sci-fi cinematic history. Instead, Crash of Moons - an assemblage of episodes from the 1954 Rocky Jones TV series - sits firmly in the 1950s sci-fi schlock category. Crash of Moons, and the rest of the Rocky Jones adventures, has a very strong serial feel to it, and is enjoyable for many of the same reasons the 1940s serials are still entertaining. For info on the original 1954 series from which this comes, see http://pro.imdb.com/title/tt0046639/
Jones (Richard Crane) is a space-ship captain who flies around the solar system with his improbably named navigator "Winky" (played by the ill-fated child prodigy Scotty Beckett) representing the United Worlds - an interplanetary political entity which has a very strong resemblance to Star Trek's federation. In Crash of Moons, Jones and Winky find themselves trying to deal with a pair of "gypsy moons" whose eccentric orbit is going to collapse, destroying them both. Of course, both moons are inhabited (I assume, by people who do not require consistent sunlight, food, energy sources, and an atmosphere), and one is presided over by dictator Cleolanta (Patty Parsons). Jones has a number of support personnel - an elderly science professor, The United Worlds' Secretary of Space, a lovely and smart young woman, and a child prodigy. They all pool their resources to avert the crisis, but Cleolanta has other plans.
Star Trek fans will find more than the United Worlds concept interesting - the Rocky Jones series also consistently cast women in positions of considerable power and responsibility - a bold move for 1950s TV.
The special effects are not at all bad for their time. Mostly, the effects involve miniatures and some creative imagery which merely suggest what they are meant to represent, but the effects scenes are all sewn and filmed together in a surprisingly classy way. The cinematography and directing are quite good for early TV.
The script is predictably silly, very inventively deploys technobabble, and has nothing whatsoever to do with science, or even real technology. It is therefore what one might expect had Star Trek Voyager been produced in the 1950s by the same writing team which created it in the 1990s.
The acting is serviceable for its intent - family TV viewing. Characterization is a bit light - even for heroes Jones and Winky - but this is not surprising since the film is really just an excerpt from a TV series.
I heartily recommend Crash of Moons for those interested in Sci-Fi TV history and B film addicts. Keep what this is intended to be in mind and keep your expectations low, and you just might have a good time with it!
Jones (Richard Crane) is a space-ship captain who flies around the solar system with his improbably named navigator "Winky" (played by the ill-fated child prodigy Scotty Beckett) representing the United Worlds - an interplanetary political entity which has a very strong resemblance to Star Trek's federation. In Crash of Moons, Jones and Winky find themselves trying to deal with a pair of "gypsy moons" whose eccentric orbit is going to collapse, destroying them both. Of course, both moons are inhabited (I assume, by people who do not require consistent sunlight, food, energy sources, and an atmosphere), and one is presided over by dictator Cleolanta (Patty Parsons). Jones has a number of support personnel - an elderly science professor, The United Worlds' Secretary of Space, a lovely and smart young woman, and a child prodigy. They all pool their resources to avert the crisis, but Cleolanta has other plans.
Star Trek fans will find more than the United Worlds concept interesting - the Rocky Jones series also consistently cast women in positions of considerable power and responsibility - a bold move for 1950s TV.
The special effects are not at all bad for their time. Mostly, the effects involve miniatures and some creative imagery which merely suggest what they are meant to represent, but the effects scenes are all sewn and filmed together in a surprisingly classy way. The cinematography and directing are quite good for early TV.
The script is predictably silly, very inventively deploys technobabble, and has nothing whatsoever to do with science, or even real technology. It is therefore what one might expect had Star Trek Voyager been produced in the 1950s by the same writing team which created it in the 1990s.
The acting is serviceable for its intent - family TV viewing. Characterization is a bit light - even for heroes Jones and Winky - but this is not surprising since the film is really just an excerpt from a TV series.
I heartily recommend Crash of Moons for those interested in Sci-Fi TV history and B film addicts. Keep what this is intended to be in mind and keep your expectations low, and you just might have a good time with it!
Crash of Moons isn't half bad. Considering that it was an MST experiment, you're tendency is to brace for the worst, especially considering it falls into that dreaded 50s-era space movie.
The plot is quite evident and the characters are engaging. Rocky Jones is a take-charge, aggressive, and well-meaning character who made James T. Kirk possible a generation later. Miss Ray, whose mini-skirted character is constrained by 1950s perception of women, comes off well. Despite her character being rather hamstrung, she manages to breathe life into the role and lessens the effect. "Winky", on the other hand, is an annoying character who would have been the first to die had he been in either a 80s slasher flick or the original Star Trek series.
Be willing to suspend your disbelieve with respect to the scientific end of the story. But don't let that get in the way of enjoying a good rainy Saturday afternoon movie.
Sterno says sign up for a mission with Rocky Jones.
The plot is quite evident and the characters are engaging. Rocky Jones is a take-charge, aggressive, and well-meaning character who made James T. Kirk possible a generation later. Miss Ray, whose mini-skirted character is constrained by 1950s perception of women, comes off well. Despite her character being rather hamstrung, she manages to breathe life into the role and lessens the effect. "Winky", on the other hand, is an annoying character who would have been the first to die had he been in either a 80s slasher flick or the original Star Trek series.
Be willing to suspend your disbelieve with respect to the scientific end of the story. But don't let that get in the way of enjoying a good rainy Saturday afternoon movie.
Sterno says sign up for a mission with Rocky Jones.
- classicsoncall
- May 12, 2006
- Permalink
Oh boy! I really trashed Manhunt in Space. I think this flopper deservedly rates worse than Manhunt. It goes nowhere and fungi growth was more exciting than this tripe.
Poor Cleolanta. She's so misunderstood. Smug Rocky struts around and thankfully, there's no mention from Winky about his "gay nightlife". There's a lot more talking, a really awful (to watch) space marriage on the rocks, and crappy space effects cut-outs. Then, there's Bobby. You decide who's more annoying: Bobby or the Winkster? Personally, I'd jettison them out of an airlock into a black hole not before first subjecting them to killer flesh eating alien mutants.
At least there's Vena. She's just a cosmic girl!
Poor Cleolanta. She's so misunderstood. Smug Rocky struts around and thankfully, there's no mention from Winky about his "gay nightlife". There's a lot more talking, a really awful (to watch) space marriage on the rocks, and crappy space effects cut-outs. Then, there's Bobby. You decide who's more annoying: Bobby or the Winkster? Personally, I'd jettison them out of an airlock into a black hole not before first subjecting them to killer flesh eating alien mutants.
At least there's Vena. She's just a cosmic girl!
Don't believe the people who say this isn't terrible. It's bad on every level and almost impossible to watch in one sitting. I can deal with the cardboard sets and complete lack of action but every word these people say is ponderous. There is literally no need to ever even look at the screen so this should have just been a radio show. Did I mention the main plot device is that things built to be in space can't survive in an atmosphere so they could have never gone to space in the first place? Total trash.
I do like watching the classic serials of the 1940s and '50s what with their constant two-fisted action scenes and cliffhangers, although I'd never experienced the delights of ROCKY JONES, SPACE RANGER previously. CRASH OF MOONS is an example of three episodes of the popular TV series being stitched together to make a single movie.
And boy, is it a dog. It's a drawn out sci-fi movie that drags along in the doldrums for the entire running time, featuring a plot so slight that it barely holds the viewer's attention. The tale is about the titular pair of moons that have been sent out of orbit and are on a collision course with an inhabited planet. Rocky and his team (including a woman, a kid, and a bizarre old professor guy who might as well sit around smoking a pipe) go to help them evacuate, but the planet's stupid queen wants nothing to do with it.
I associate these kinds of serial and TV shows with plenty of action and excitement, but CRASH OF MOONS is sorely lacking in that department. There are lots and lots of shots of spaceships landing and docking in which the ships look like they've been drawn on the screen or perhaps animated with a piece of cardboard. Even worse, there are only a couple of fight scenes, and attempts to generate any kind of suspense fall flat. The queen and her people are so unlikeable and stupid in behaviour that you wish the moons would crash on to them and kill them all. Add in a stolid hero and cheap production values and you have CRASH OF MOONS, an entirely dated sci-fi outing.
And boy, is it a dog. It's a drawn out sci-fi movie that drags along in the doldrums for the entire running time, featuring a plot so slight that it barely holds the viewer's attention. The tale is about the titular pair of moons that have been sent out of orbit and are on a collision course with an inhabited planet. Rocky and his team (including a woman, a kid, and a bizarre old professor guy who might as well sit around smoking a pipe) go to help them evacuate, but the planet's stupid queen wants nothing to do with it.
I associate these kinds of serial and TV shows with plenty of action and excitement, but CRASH OF MOONS is sorely lacking in that department. There are lots and lots of shots of spaceships landing and docking in which the ships look like they've been drawn on the screen or perhaps animated with a piece of cardboard. Even worse, there are only a couple of fight scenes, and attempts to generate any kind of suspense fall flat. The queen and her people are so unlikeable and stupid in behaviour that you wish the moons would crash on to them and kill them all. Add in a stolid hero and cheap production values and you have CRASH OF MOONS, an entirely dated sci-fi outing.
- Leofwine_draca
- Jul 30, 2016
- Permalink
I completely disagree with the previous review. The special effects for this show were above and beyond their limited budget. Other shows of this genere that had limited budgets that did well include Star Trek for one. They used salt shakers for equipment fer crying out loud. The plot line for Crash was a little corny, but look at the time period that it was made in. TV was in it's infancy and it's targeted audience were the kids of the 50's, you know..."Baby Boomers". Their older brothers & parents didn't have TV. They only had radio serials like Superman & Jack Armstrong. As you said about "Poor Cleolanta", she was a total hottie for any age. She has the most beautiful eyes & pretty face. Winky, played by Scotty Beckett, if you didn't recognize him was Scotty from the Little Rescals, you know the one with the hat on backwards. John Banner, who later played lovable Sgt Schultz (I know nothinnnnngggg) played Bavarro. Sally Mansfield, who later was a regular on The Bachelor Father in the early 60's, played Vena Ray. She was fairly hot also. I guess it's all about individual taste. You also have to remember that a lot of plot lines and gizmos from this show were borrowed by the later shows. The best thing to say is watch it 7 make up yer own mind.
By all appearances this serial could have been made any time since the mid forties. The cardboard sets, the moon kings with lightning bolts sewn onto their aprons, you know the drill. This one is a Rocky Jones adventure, featuring the space cop's dealings with the insufferable Bitch Queen of planet Offeecious, a commie planet that won't join the United Planets. When the noble messengers of intergalactic reason announce that Offeecious is on a collision course with this other, vaguely Slavic planet, Bitch Queen decides to blow the other guys up rather than evacuate her land. This introduces a moral to the effect of "The greatness of a nation is not in its land, but its people," which is hammered home five or six times in the climactic talkfest. The BQ's constant nasal ranting about "OffEEEEcious" provides relief from some seriously wanting space effects, is this a TV show?
- jonathan-577
- Feb 20, 2007
- Permalink
This is a pretty standard example of the kind of 1950's sci-fi movie that, on the one hand, now comes across as thoroughly dated and often unintentionally funny, but that also has a certain charm, at least to those who can appreciate the genre. This is not a bad film of its kind, despite its deficiencies.
The "Crash of Moons" has to do with a pair of 'gypsy moons', one of which is inhabited, that are locked into an irregular orbit around each other (as one character helpfully describes it, 'like two children on a playground'), and that are headed for a collision with another inhabited moon. The 'United Worlds' sends Space Ranger Rocky Jones and his friends to save everybody. One of the moons (whose leader is John Banner, better known as Sergeant Schultz from "Hogan's Heroes") is quite cooperative, but the other world is ruled by an entertainingly mean-spirited queen who, for reasons that apparently satisfy her, would rather eliminate the Space Rangers than have their help.
Most of the characters are stereotypes, but the actors are not bad, and most of them seem to enjoy what they are doing, which gives it some real life most of the time. Some of the events and much of the jargon in the dialogue lack any plausibility, but the basic premise of the impending collision comes across pretty well, and creates some real interest. The direction could have been a lot better, because in many of the crises the tension is prematurely defused, but on the other hand there is usually enough going on to keep the viewer's interest. The 'special' effects are about what you would expect, but at least they're good for some chuckles.
This movie won't be of general interest today, but if you enjoy movies such as "Plan 9 From Outer Space", this one is worth a look. "Crash of Moons" is not nearly as uproariously inept (what movie is), but it will keep your attention and provide some light entertainment.
The "Crash of Moons" has to do with a pair of 'gypsy moons', one of which is inhabited, that are locked into an irregular orbit around each other (as one character helpfully describes it, 'like two children on a playground'), and that are headed for a collision with another inhabited moon. The 'United Worlds' sends Space Ranger Rocky Jones and his friends to save everybody. One of the moons (whose leader is John Banner, better known as Sergeant Schultz from "Hogan's Heroes") is quite cooperative, but the other world is ruled by an entertainingly mean-spirited queen who, for reasons that apparently satisfy her, would rather eliminate the Space Rangers than have their help.
Most of the characters are stereotypes, but the actors are not bad, and most of them seem to enjoy what they are doing, which gives it some real life most of the time. Some of the events and much of the jargon in the dialogue lack any plausibility, but the basic premise of the impending collision comes across pretty well, and creates some real interest. The direction could have been a lot better, because in many of the crises the tension is prematurely defused, but on the other hand there is usually enough going on to keep the viewer's interest. The 'special' effects are about what you would expect, but at least they're good for some chuckles.
This movie won't be of general interest today, but if you enjoy movies such as "Plan 9 From Outer Space", this one is worth a look. "Crash of Moons" is not nearly as uproariously inept (what movie is), but it will keep your attention and provide some light entertainment.
- Snow Leopard
- Jul 16, 2001
- Permalink
This is another film that is a series of shows strung together to form a sort of movie. This is the second one I know of featuring Rocky Jones and his copilot/navigator Winky...the other one was titled "Manhunt in Space". That one was centered around a space pirate ring and a new invention on Rocky's ship that turned it invisible. I would have to say that Manhunt was a bit better than this one as it had more action than this one did. This one was very talky and featured way too many shots of ships taking off and landing. I saw this one as a feature on the show, Mystery Science Theater 3000 as they did both this one and "Manhunt". Not sure how long the series ran, but it had to go on for a season or two as each movie is made up of three episodes of the show and in the first one they had already established more than a couple of the villain characters in it suggesting that there were at least more than a couple of shows before the "Manhunt" episodes. Not sure how long it was, but it was probably only a one or two season show because it is one that I had never seen as a child. All the shows they show as repeats it is strange this one never showed up. It really is not that much worse than the original Star Trek.
The story in this one has Rocky first having to try and save Bobby, the professor and Vena as they are on a space station that is about to get caught up in the middle of two traveling planets. They later find out that one of the two planets is on a collision course with the planet that is ruled by the somewhat evil queen Cleolanta! So, they have to try and warn her of the impending danger and at the same time escape her clutches as she is a very stupid leader. So it is a race against time so we get lots of talking, lots of takeoffs and finally a crash of moons!
This one was a rather good episode of MST3K. With a lot of films they do that are sequels, the sequel tends to get a lot of the same jokes. The Hercules films was especially bad near the end. The second Fugitive Alien also suffered the same fate as did Master Ninja. Not that they were bad episodes, but they all had a been there done that feel. This one they managed to make feel fresh as they did not repeat the same jokes over and over. I also enjoyed the bumps involving the Bannergram as they episode ended in very funny fashion.
So, this was not bad, bad...just a lot of inaction going on. If not for the riffs from MST3K, it would have been kind of dull. "Manhunt in Space" featured episodes that were a bit more entertaining as Rocky does more fighting and though there are not many space fights in the series, they once again did more in that episode. This one just had to many scenes where they were talking. I wonder if there were any more of this pieced together films?
The story in this one has Rocky first having to try and save Bobby, the professor and Vena as they are on a space station that is about to get caught up in the middle of two traveling planets. They later find out that one of the two planets is on a collision course with the planet that is ruled by the somewhat evil queen Cleolanta! So, they have to try and warn her of the impending danger and at the same time escape her clutches as she is a very stupid leader. So it is a race against time so we get lots of talking, lots of takeoffs and finally a crash of moons!
This one was a rather good episode of MST3K. With a lot of films they do that are sequels, the sequel tends to get a lot of the same jokes. The Hercules films was especially bad near the end. The second Fugitive Alien also suffered the same fate as did Master Ninja. Not that they were bad episodes, but they all had a been there done that feel. This one they managed to make feel fresh as they did not repeat the same jokes over and over. I also enjoyed the bumps involving the Bannergram as they episode ended in very funny fashion.
So, this was not bad, bad...just a lot of inaction going on. If not for the riffs from MST3K, it would have been kind of dull. "Manhunt in Space" featured episodes that were a bit more entertaining as Rocky does more fighting and though there are not many space fights in the series, they once again did more in that episode. This one just had to many scenes where they were talking. I wonder if there were any more of this pieced together films?
Well, they tried I guess - an "E" for Effort???
It pains me to think about this movie. It's 3 episodes put together for one film. It is as boring and cheesy as it gets. Listen, I enjoy my cheesy "B" films but this one is just a real snooze fest.
Maybe if I was a little kid I would like this - maybe. But as it is, I'm older and do not care for this at all.
Watch this only if you are super bored and really want to watch something that is super boring so you can be extra bored. -- Yes it's that bad.
2/10
It pains me to think about this movie. It's 3 episodes put together for one film. It is as boring and cheesy as it gets. Listen, I enjoy my cheesy "B" films but this one is just a real snooze fest.
Maybe if I was a little kid I would like this - maybe. But as it is, I'm older and do not care for this at all.
Watch this only if you are super bored and really want to watch something that is super boring so you can be extra bored. -- Yes it's that bad.
2/10
- Rainey-Dawn
- Mar 13, 2019
- Permalink
- mark.waltz
- Feb 8, 2023
- Permalink
Being familiar with Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, I was confused as to what this was exactly. It seems like back in the early 1950's, there were several films released that were just compilations of TV episodes. Was this the first ever TV movie? I can't find any earlier ones! Anyway, I'm glad I didn't need to be familiar with the show to understand this. Then again, I mostly didn't care. I honestly didn't think Bobby was that annoying. It's still a bad movie, mostly because of how boring it is.
The basic plot is that two moons are about to collide and the people on them must be evacuated. Like most cheesy B-movies of this time, its main fault is that it's just too boring. The action scenes look as fake as ever. I guess I like the idea of an ongoing story, but it amounts to very little in the end. This was certainly an old shame for the first days of TV. Even back then, we had our fair share of bad shows. *1/2
The basic plot is that two moons are about to collide and the people on them must be evacuated. Like most cheesy B-movies of this time, its main fault is that it's just too boring. The action scenes look as fake as ever. I guess I like the idea of an ongoing story, but it amounts to very little in the end. This was certainly an old shame for the first days of TV. Even back then, we had our fair share of bad shows. *1/2
- ericstevenson
- May 30, 2016
- Permalink
A couple of inhabited planets are on a collision course. The space federation called the United Worlds warns the rulers of both planets of the deadly situation. The problem is that the ruler of one of the planets, Ophesius, is an evil queen who wants nothing to do with the United Worlds. When she finally accepts the situation, rather than organise a mass evacuation she decides to simply blow the other planet up.
This was made up into a feature film by merging a few episodes of the Rocky Jones Space Ranger TV series together. Like a lot of sci-fi films of the 50's it has cold war undertones. The planet Ophesius represent communist thinking in the way that they refuse to join up with everybody else and are only interested in themselves. Well, more accurately, this is how Americans in the 50's mostly thought of communists, as opposed to any particular accuracy of depiction. Whatever the case, you don't need to know this and the film works as a space adventure. Personally I found it interminable but others with a keen interest in 50's sci-fi may well completely disagree. But I think this one is even going to try their patience somewhat.
This was made up into a feature film by merging a few episodes of the Rocky Jones Space Ranger TV series together. Like a lot of sci-fi films of the 50's it has cold war undertones. The planet Ophesius represent communist thinking in the way that they refuse to join up with everybody else and are only interested in themselves. Well, more accurately, this is how Americans in the 50's mostly thought of communists, as opposed to any particular accuracy of depiction. Whatever the case, you don't need to know this and the film works as a space adventure. Personally I found it interminable but others with a keen interest in 50's sci-fi may well completely disagree. But I think this one is even going to try their patience somewhat.
- Red-Barracuda
- Jan 1, 2014
- Permalink
- bensonmum2
- May 13, 2017
- Permalink
While travelling home in their XV2 Orbit spacecraft, pilot Rocky Jones (Richard Crane), co-pilot Winky (Scotty Beckett), translator Vena (Sally Mansfield), elderly scientist Prof. Newton (Maurice Cass) and his young ward Bobby (Robert Lyden) discover a strange atmospheric corridor that connects two roaming moons, Posita and Negato, the inhabitants of which have been at war for millennia.
Alert! Learn this: Crash of Moons AKA The Gypsy Moon is another feature compiled from several episodes of 50s sci-fi TV series Rocky Jones Space Ranger and as such is full of incredibly cheap effects, laughable dialogue and implausible science. It does, however, successfully drive home the value of a classical education...
In this adventure, insufferable space brat Bobby is forced to read classic Greek literature as part of his education, something that proves very handy when he and his fellow space travellers find themselves in several dangerous situations that mirror Homer's The Odyssey. Armed with Bobby's recently acquired knowledge of The Trojan Horse, the Sirens, and Odysseus's return to Ithaca, Rocky and Co are not only able to negotiate peace between Posita and Negato, but also successfully thwart another dastardly plot by power-mad Queen Cleolanta of Ophesia (Patsy Parsons).
Ridiculously contrived and completely logic-free, the plot also suffers from an excess of outlandish scientific twaddle, and is further hampered by the need for language translation between races, something that is achieved through the use of a machine that prints the results on miles of ticker tape, an extremely slow process that is repeated ad nauseum. Dull, dull, dull!
Thank heavens then for the film's lovely ladies, without whom this would be a lot less bearable; cast regulars Mansfield and Parsons look great in their usual skimpy 50s space outfits, and they are joined by buxom beauty Maria Palmer as Potonda, owner of two of the biggest 'positives' to be found on Posita.
Alert! Learn this: Crash of Moons AKA The Gypsy Moon is another feature compiled from several episodes of 50s sci-fi TV series Rocky Jones Space Ranger and as such is full of incredibly cheap effects, laughable dialogue and implausible science. It does, however, successfully drive home the value of a classical education...
In this adventure, insufferable space brat Bobby is forced to read classic Greek literature as part of his education, something that proves very handy when he and his fellow space travellers find themselves in several dangerous situations that mirror Homer's The Odyssey. Armed with Bobby's recently acquired knowledge of The Trojan Horse, the Sirens, and Odysseus's return to Ithaca, Rocky and Co are not only able to negotiate peace between Posita and Negato, but also successfully thwart another dastardly plot by power-mad Queen Cleolanta of Ophesia (Patsy Parsons).
Ridiculously contrived and completely logic-free, the plot also suffers from an excess of outlandish scientific twaddle, and is further hampered by the need for language translation between races, something that is achieved through the use of a machine that prints the results on miles of ticker tape, an extremely slow process that is repeated ad nauseum. Dull, dull, dull!
Thank heavens then for the film's lovely ladies, without whom this would be a lot less bearable; cast regulars Mansfield and Parsons look great in their usual skimpy 50s space outfits, and they are joined by buxom beauty Maria Palmer as Potonda, owner of two of the biggest 'positives' to be found on Posita.
- BA_Harrison
- Apr 8, 2013
- Permalink
This feature was re-edited from a two-part episode of the popular 1954 syndicated "Rocky Jones, Space Ranger" series, which lasted only one season because its sophisticated (for the time) special effects, sets and wardrobe requirements made it too expensive to show a profit. Fortunately the films survived (unlike the "Captain Video" kinescopes) to be available to students of the genre. Richard Crane was the perfect space captain, and Sally Mansfield as Vena Ray, Rocky's miniskirted assistant, makes sure the adult male interest level stays measurably acceptible. Alexander Laszlo's title theme is in 3/4 time, very unusual for a space opera, and it uses plenty of theremin.
Once again, Rocky bloody Jones and his civil partner Winkie turn up in my collection for a viewing, along with all them other characters we watched the last time...Atlasman, Cleopatro, The Kid, Prof Alzheimers, Some Dude, and Gigantic Vibrating Vulva...eh...one them I might have made up...
This time, right, there's these two gypsy moons that float about, and they are heading for Officius, a planet run by a complete pain in the arse, and Rocky right, Rocky right...Rocky...he's gonna have to convince the leader of Officius to get off the planet, but like, she wants to blow up the moon that will destroy her planet...It took me three days to watch this SH!TE. Three days!
Although slightly less annoying that the last Rocky Jones crap I watched, this one still manages to unentertain with people having fistfights, talking, and the usual serial condensed as film type stuff....Kind of funny to see Rocky using a pencil and protractor in space, as well as Yale locks on the prisoner doors on Officius...
Otherwise - avoid unless led by compulsion to watch....
This time, right, there's these two gypsy moons that float about, and they are heading for Officius, a planet run by a complete pain in the arse, and Rocky right, Rocky right...Rocky...he's gonna have to convince the leader of Officius to get off the planet, but like, she wants to blow up the moon that will destroy her planet...It took me three days to watch this SH!TE. Three days!
Although slightly less annoying that the last Rocky Jones crap I watched, this one still manages to unentertain with people having fistfights, talking, and the usual serial condensed as film type stuff....Kind of funny to see Rocky using a pencil and protractor in space, as well as Yale locks on the prisoner doors on Officius...
Otherwise - avoid unless led by compulsion to watch....
1950 TV converted to spectacular... well, a watchable movie filled with future technology. The advantage of this film is that you do not have to wait until next week to find out what happens.
The filming location is Griffith Observatory, 2800 E Observatory Rd, Los Angeles, California, USA. People that live near will recognize it immediately. The Griffith Observatory is home to a Foucault pendulum that demonstrates the rotation of the Earth. The pendulum is a large, heavy weight suspended from a long cable that swings back and forth in a fixed plane while the Earth rotates beneath it. The pendulum is located in the main rotunda of the observatory and is visible from the lower-level. The Foucault pendulum is often used to teach people about the rotation of the Earth.
Two populated moons are about to crash. One governed by good people. The other is ruled by a devious, tricky, tyrantita Patsy Parsons as "Queen Cleolanta." Richard Crane as Rocky Jones is in the middle. The action is a gas.
One of my favorite Rocky Jones Characters is Trinka (Nan Leslie) who started later with Lois Nettleton in "The Bamboo Saucer" (1968)
The filming location is Griffith Observatory, 2800 E Observatory Rd, Los Angeles, California, USA. People that live near will recognize it immediately. The Griffith Observatory is home to a Foucault pendulum that demonstrates the rotation of the Earth. The pendulum is a large, heavy weight suspended from a long cable that swings back and forth in a fixed plane while the Earth rotates beneath it. The pendulum is located in the main rotunda of the observatory and is visible from the lower-level. The Foucault pendulum is often used to teach people about the rotation of the Earth.
Two populated moons are about to crash. One governed by good people. The other is ruled by a devious, tricky, tyrantita Patsy Parsons as "Queen Cleolanta." Richard Crane as Rocky Jones is in the middle. The action is a gas.
One of my favorite Rocky Jones Characters is Trinka (Nan Leslie) who started later with Lois Nettleton in "The Bamboo Saucer" (1968)
- Bernie4444
- Oct 26, 2023
- Permalink
I bought this movie for a couple of dollars at a "Clearance warehouse sale" one day when just looking around. The cover looked pretty good, (in colour), but the movie is B&W, (I wish they wouldn't try to trap us with coloured covers on B&W movies, but it's a common thing to look out for!).
When I watched it I was pleasantly surprised. It turned out to be better than I expected. I was disappointed that it was a B&W, but the effects are pretty good, certainly better than, say, "Invaders from Mars" which has crappy effects, and it is great to see John Banner in something else apart from Hogan's Heroes.
Overall, this movie isn't too bad for a B grade, and certainly worth the two dollars from a nostalgia point of view. It isn't my favourite sci-fi, but it's not my worst either. It's o.k.
When I watched it I was pleasantly surprised. It turned out to be better than I expected. I was disappointed that it was a B&W, but the effects are pretty good, certainly better than, say, "Invaders from Mars" which has crappy effects, and it is great to see John Banner in something else apart from Hogan's Heroes.
Overall, this movie isn't too bad for a B grade, and certainly worth the two dollars from a nostalgia point of view. It isn't my favourite sci-fi, but it's not my worst either. It's o.k.