The Mysterians

When Godzilla with its American scenes with Raymond Burr made it to the USA it started a run of Japanese science fiction that lasted well over a decade. When I was a lad I well remember the TV commercials for this film and how I just had to go see it.

60 years later The Mysterians holds up rather well. A group of aliens arrive and demand a small tract of land for use. We have to grant it because these folks are way technologically superior to us earthlings. But when a big robot starts doing to Japan what live monsters usually do it's time to resist.

What I remember best from this was the rather quick end the USA and the USSR terminate the Cold War to fight these aliens. They also start researching and move quickly up the scale in weaponry.

They are a mysterious group these Mysterians. We never do see their faces.

It's always been a pet theory of mine that a lot of cultural differences will melt rather quickly if earth ever did face an alien invasion. The Mysterians is one of those few films that support that thesis.

I wish they'd show this thing. Back in my younger days after its theatrical release it was constantly on local TV in New York City.

The Japanese tape begins with an overture. The music with the overture is the greatest film score ever written by Akira Ifukube. So this film concerns hooded aliens who come to Earth with plans to capture and have sex with Earth women. So they release a huge bird-like robot named Mogera (it later returned renovated in Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla) to prove they mean buisness. The army manages to defeat it by booby trapping the bridge and blowing it up while the monster is using it. Then the battle for the cosmos begins with the Mysterians and their ray firing ships and the humans and their markalite lasers. This is another film I believe inspired the film Independence Day. It's certainly the most colorful of any of the fifties invasion flicks. A must. Eiji Tsuburaya also did an exellent job with his marvelous miniatures and special effects.

There's something endearing about this movie. The plot is good, casting is good (with so many pretty faces, no wonder the Mystery guys wanted to come to earth), and even the score (by Akira Ifukube) remains in your head long after you see the movie. But above all there's a special atmosphere about this movie that won't let you forget it any time soon.

Mogera (Of Godzilla vs Space Godzilla fame almost 40 years later) makes its debut in this movie, and it started its career as weapon of the aliens not a giant UN transformer robot.

Once the fact that the Mysterians showed themselves, earth defense force ( thus the movie's Japanese title Chikyu Boeigun ) musters up all its plans for super weapons and goes on the offensive against the Mysterians (who've shacked up in Japan even before they got official permission from them ).

If military technology can catch up with the aliens so quickly as in this movie, we won't have any problems. In reality from what I understand, we're not even near parity.

Special effects are good, and weapons looks cool (Designed by famous Japanese sci-fi artist Shigeru Komatsuzaki. They have kind of a retro look which still works today) which all adds up to make this movie one of Toho's best.

It's one of a kind movie, and highly recommended to watch.

I just rented "The Mysterians" which seems to be called "Earth Defence Force" in the Japanse version. The movie holds up well because it seems that the people involved treated the story seriously. When I was young I remember that the "Marcolights" were pretty cool and the music was very dramatic. The music still sounds good today but the sound quality on the tape wasn't that good.

I am glad to see the writers took the job seriously and had the characters ask the questions we asked from the audience. Can the Mysterians be trusted even though they say they are peaceful? Should we ask for a nuclear strike? The Marcolights have a limited range, how can we get around that? Should we wait for the Electronic Cannon or attack right now with the giant airships and Marcolights?

There were a few flaws. For example one of the characters mentioned that a fixed base was a weakness. I assume that is because you can't depend only on a defensive shield. A base must be defended by mobile fighter craft as well. The flying saucers performed that function until they unexpectedly retreated to the base during the climatic battle. The other weak point was the giant airships Alpha-1 and Beta-1. They moved like zeppelins and the standard cannon seemed weak. I guess their plot purpose was to be shot down so that Beta-2 could built for a second attack on the Mysterian base.

If you saw this movie as a kid it is still enjoyable as an adult. If you've never seen it then it is probably only of interest to those who want to see the early days of Japanese monster movies. You may be pleasantly surprised to see the leader of the Seven Samurai as the head scientist.

For the first fifteen minutes of "Chikyu Boeigun" (known in USA as "The Mysterians"), nothing happens. Scientist poking around a forest fire site comes face to face with a giant, metallic bird like monster. Then this film takes off, becoming more and more exciting. After the monster ravishes a village, the military kills it. We discover it's from the planet Mysteriod, and citizens of that planet are setting up a base here on Earth. The rest of the film concerns the battles betwen the Earth and The Mysterians. A bunch of Inoshira Honda's touches abound. There's a doomed hero (Ahikio Hirata) literally going on a kamikaze mission through the alien base, the plea for all nations to drop their petty squabbles and join forces to save the Earth, and wall to wall giant monster/spaceship excitement. Musician Akira Ifukube's score is militaristic, throbbing, and perfect. While "Gojira" is the best Japanese sci-fi classic, "The Mysterians", a candy coated treat is a close second, being the most fun.

Trivia note: Musician Akira Ifukube invented the famous Godzilla roar.