Mission Stardust

MISSION STARDUST is a nearly incomprehensible, psychedelic sci-fi yarn featuring: Spaceships, killer robots, international espionage, mercenaries, double crosses, machine gun-toting nurses, and an insanely addictive theme song.

This movie also includes Thora (Essy Persson), one of the most stunningly beautiful aliens to ever grace the screen!

MISSION STARDUST is highly enjoyable, in spite of seeming as though it's being made up, on the spot, while the cameras roll...

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.

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"!

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".

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.