Uchu Kara no Messeji

View Movie

Lang:

• Japan • 1978 • 105m •

• Directed by: Kinji Fukasaku. • Starring: Vic Morrow, Shin'ichi Chiba, Philip Casnoff, Peggy Lee Brennan, Etsuko Shihomi, Tetsurô Tanba, Mikio Narita, Makoto Satô, Seizô Fukumoto, Hiroyuki Sanada, Jerry Itô, Isamu Shimizu, Masazumi Okabe. • Music by: Ken-Ichiro Morioka.

In this Star Wars take-off, the peaceful planet of Jillucia has been nearly wiped out by the Gavanas, whose leader takes orders from his mother rather than the Emperor. King Kaiba sends out eight Liabe holy seeds, each to be received by a chosen one to defend the Gavanas. Each recipient, ranging from hardened General Garuda to Gavana Prince Hans to young Terrans Meia, Kido, and Aaron all have different reactions to being chosen.

Trailers:

Length:

Languages:

Subtitles:

German Trailer

2:55

Trailer #1

2:07

Trailer #2

2:48

TV Spot

0:31

Review:

The nice Jillucians have had their planet invaded by the wicked Gavanas. So, in desperation, they toss a whole bunch of glowing magic walnuts into the sky--where they fly across the galaxy in search of patsies willing to help them in their fight against the Gavanas. Eventually, a group of supposed misfits come to their aid--and using the power of the Force (or whatever it's supposed to be) they lead a battle for niceness....which is pretty important because the craptastic Gavanas now have their sights on Earth itself!

If all this sounds a bit familiar, it's because it's a reworking of the plot from "Star Wars". However, in every possible way it's inferior and stupid....very stupid. The special effects are just abysmal. Comparing the artistry of "Star Wars" to "Message From Space" is like comparing the Mona Lisa to a velvet Elvis painting! The acting is also pretty bad...no, actually, it's horrible. The annoying daddy's girl is a character you just want to strangle--she's THAT grating on the nerves. The rest aren't very good, either, but at least they didn't fill me with hate! This isn't a glowing endorsement, however, as most of them suck--really, really suck. Overacting, over-emoting and ineptitude abound. It's also sad to see Sonny Chiba in this film, though he did have a pattern of making some GREAT martial arts films as well as really crappy fantasysci-fi films.

So is any of this not terrible? Well, the music isn't bad. It's no "Star Wars" but some of it's decent--and seems strongly inspired from the music from "Once Upon a Time in the West" (seriously). I also like the narrator's nice soothing voice. I know this isn't much...but I am trying to be nice and find some positives.

By the way, get a load of the big baddie's mother. In some close-ups, you can see her nose is simply some really crappy putty--one of the worst makeup jobs I've ever seen. Also, if you want to see a DELIBERATELY funny and more enjoyable "Star Wars" knockoff, try watching "Thumb Wars"--it's a hoot. Also, no matter how bad "Message From Space" is, it's STILL better than the infamous "Star Wars Holiday Special"!!

Review by planktonrules from the Internet Movie Database.

Release Anniversaries

Movie Database

Movies By Year: