Conquest of Space
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Movie Reviews of Conquest of Space
Movie Review: ASCIFI great
Summary: 5 Stars
If you are a fan of SCIFI movies this is a must for any collection. It is one of the 50's movies that made SCIFI a legitimate movie form The story is a bit corny by today standards, but it is a very watchable movieMovie Review: great movies
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this for a ward of mine and he loved it. He just came home from the nursing home and these were gifts for the great job he did on learning how to walk again.Movie Review: "We'll have no unnecessary floating around aboard this ship."
Summary: 4 Stars
Translating ones imagination effectively to the silver screen can be tricky, especially during a time when special effects were not created through the use of computers, and, in the 50s, few did it better than George Pal (Destination Moon, When Worlds Collide, The War of the Worlds). While Conquest of Space (1955) isn't necessarily his best work, there felt, to me at least, just as much effort put forth as in any of his other films, that's to say a whole lot more than most. Produced by George Pal and directed by Byron Haskin (Treasure Island, The War of the Worlds, Robinson Crusoe on Mars...I'd like to see this last one released onto DVD), the film stars Walter Brooke ("The Green Hornet", Tora! Tora! Tora!), Eric Fleming (Queen of Outer Space, "Rawhide"), and comedian turned actor Phil `Frank DeFazio' Foster ("Laverne & Shirley"). Also appearing is Mickey Shaughnessy (From Here to Eternity), Benson Fong (Our Man Flint, The Love Bug), Ross Martin (The Colossus of New York, The Great Race), William `No relation to Dennis' Hopper (The Bad Seed, 20 Million Miles to Earth), Vito Scotti (The Boatniks, The Godfather), William `Harding' Redfield (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), and Joan Shawlee (Prehistoric Women, The Wild Angels).
The film begins with a voice over monologue telling us that `This is a story of tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow...', okay, I know this is meant to put the viewer in the proper frame of mind, but my cynical side immediately started making jokes...perhaps it's the day after the day after tomorrow, sometime around 4 PM? Don't mind me...anyway, we soon witness the majesty of what may be one of man's greatest achievements, a giant, circular space station orbiting the Earth, the brainchild of Colonel Samuel T. Merritt (Brooke), a driven man seemingly hell bent on conquering space (hence the title of the film). The station serves a two-fold purpose, the first being an observatory, and the second, and more importantly, a launching pad for future missions into the great, inky void we know as outer space. As the story proceeds we meet various individuals and learn the crew on the station is basically a melting pot of ethnicities (although I didn't see any African Americans) and also the world of tomorrow is comprised of not a multitude of little gooberments, but one, large monolithic entity that rules all. Some stuff happens, then some more stuff, and then we get the word from the Supreme International Space Authority (SISA)...Mars is a go! There's some trepidation as this wasn't part of the original plans, but apparently mankind's need for exploitable resources is worsening by the day, so, with a hand picked crew (including his son...how's that for nepotism?), General Merritt (the new mission came with a promotion), board a specially designed rocket and begin a perilous mission...but a lengthy tenure in orbit has begun to take its toll on the General, developing into a form of the `space madness' that could threaten all...are we explorers on the verge of one of the last, great frontiers, or are we trespassers within God's domain, venturing into areas not meant for us?
All right, there is some real hokum in this film, like the notion that a man can remove the glove of his spacesuit and sift through alien soil with his hand (they did make it to Mars, by the way...it's getting back that turns out to be the real pain), but one would do well to keep in mind this film was made about 50 years ago. I was really amazed at the level of achievement in this film in terms of special effects and wonder how many minds were blown at the time (did anyone notice how much the rocketship looked like our current stealth bomber?). The space station, the rocketship, space walks, Martian landscapes...all were created with a real eye for detail and geared towards fostering the belief that we were in space...which I accepted easily, but the one aspect I found very difficult to buy off on, one which came up a few times, was the notion that the crew on the space station, and specifically on the rocketship, were the very best of the best the Earth had to offer, especially in terms of the wisecracking, comic relief/electrician Jackie Siegle (with thick, Brooklyn accent), played by Phil Foster...don't get me wrong, his was one of the more interesting characters in the movie, and I've always assumed the distant future would be one without distinctive, somewhat exaggerated stereotypes (too much Star Trek, I suppose)...but again, given the age of the film, one should make for allowances. The script is a little weak, but the story does move along at a fairly good clip, wasting little time and certainly not overstaying its welcome with a roughly 80 minute running time. This isn't really a character driven story, but focuses more so on occurrences, settings, and the problems incurred (the space station, the mission to Mars, etc.), although I did like the speech the Japanese astronaut made with regards to the importance of making the venture to Mars. I also thought the theory put forth by the General's son, played by Fleming, was a well presented in that, basically, we are where we in terms of development as being a part of some great plan (Earth's resources are nearly depleted around the same time we begin to venture into space). There are a number of noteworthy scenes and sequences...some of my favorites include the scene where two of the Mars mission crewmembers, prior to leaving, receive televised messages from their loved ones back on Earth...my thoughts immediately turned to `Oh yeah, one of these two guys ain't coming back from the trip'...and I was right...here's a tip...if you're ever flying in a spaceship traveling 20,000 mph and ordered to go outside and fix a video receptor, you might want to think twice...another sequence, and perhaps the funniest (unintentionally) is in the rocketship as it is blasting off towards Mars...all of the crewmembers faces are shown as being mashed due to extreme gravitational forces...pulling a few G's, I think is what they say, the being people who get to ride in machines that go really, really fast. All in all a strong, albeit dated, effort that falls just shy of being a sci-fi classic, but still worthy of attention, if you enjoy imaginative movie making and getting a glimpse at some amazing special effects artistry of the day.
The widescreen (1.85:1), enhanced for 16X9 TVs looks really sharp and clean, and the Dolby Digital mono audio comes though very clearly. There are no special features, not even a trailer, so if that's your bag, you're going to be disappointed. Some extras would have been nice, but I'm happy with what's here.
Cookieman108
Movie Review: Terrific special effects overshadow the story
Summary: 4 Stars
CONQUEST OF SPACE was the fourth and final of producer George Pal's space operas of the fifties (preceeded by Destination Moon, When Worlds Collide and The War of the Worlds (Special Collector's Edition)). The film reunited Pal with WAR director Byron Haskin. As a lifelong fan of these types of films, I've never understood why CONQUEST is rarely mentioned in the literature or discussions among other fans. Perhaps the film wasn't well received at the time, as radiation-fueled giant insects, etc. were a mainstay of mid-fifties sci-fi. And, in much the vein of DESTINATION MOON, the film is an earnest attempt to depict Mankind's future in space.
CONQUEST OF SPACE [Spoilers ahead] deals with the first manned flight to Mars, which is launched from an Earth-orbiting space station simply called "The Wheel." But even as the human race boldly forges ahead into the future, human weaknesses remain. The general in charge of the mission goes a bit nuts, endangering the crew. It seems he has gotten religion, and decides that Man ought not to be leaving Paradise for the blasphemous attempt to explore other worlds. It falls to the general's son, also a member of the crew, to save everyone from his zealous father.
The most striking aspect of James O'Hanlon's script (from a book by rocket pioneer Willy Ley and astronomical artist Chesley Bonestell) is how the film's attitude toward religion differs from Pal's previous films. In both WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE and WAR OF THE WORLDS, Man's faith in God basically either saves the day, or gives us hope for tomorrow. In CONQUEST, the general's beliefs threaten not only to destroy the crew, but jeopardize the future of space travel. At one point, the general describes their situation thusly: "Our destination is Mars. . .or Hell."
The real star of the film, though, is its amazing special effects. I know other people have pointed out the similarities between CONQUEST and Stanley Kubrick's 2001 - A Space Odyssey. And whether either ever admitted it publicly, you'll never convince me that Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke didn't see this movie prior to writing 2001. Anyway, the composite shots of the always-spinning Wheel and various ships, spacemen, etc. are first-rate. Also impressive are the bird's eye (uh..."Wheel's eye", I guess) views of rockets being launched from Earth. Many modern viewers seem to have little patience for pre-CGI effects; but I think CONQUEST's space scenes are probably the best of any fifites science fiction film.
And while it's true some of the dialogue dates the film, it doesn't completely ruin the experience. The lone Japanese crew member's lengthy justification for volunteering for the mission--in which he apologizes for World War II and offers a ludicrous explanation regarding his countrymen's reduced size--is especially grating in these politically-correct times. And no early space-exploration film would be complete without the obligatory comic-relief character, who, unfortunately, is neither very comic or relieving in any way.
Even if you're a fan of 1950's sci-fi, it's possible you may have missed this rarely-seen film. In the final analysis, it doesn't quite measure up to the other three George Pal films mentioned above. But it certainly deserves more notice than it has been given.
Movie Review: Destination Mars !
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm delighted that George Pal's "Conquest of Space" has been released on DVD. Of course, I am a "baby boomer" who loves science fiction movies from the 50s--in fact, I have an interest in the whole history of sci-fi/fantasy films. It's possible that younger viewers, used to the current technological wizardry in film, will find "Conquest" dated and slow. If they give it a chance, though, there is much to enjoy.
After the spectacular "When Worlds Collide" and "War of the Worlds", George Pal returned to the almost "semi-documentary" style of his first big feature, which heralded the 50s sci-fi boom, "Destination Moon". Stationed above the earth in a huge, wheel-shaped space station, a group of astronauts prepare to fly a spaceship to the moon. They are then notified of a change in plan--the moon is no longer the target--they are to undertake a much longer, and more perilous journey to the planet Mars.
There are no big stars in this film--clearly most of the budget went on special effects. Most of the actors are quite stoic, including faces familiar to fans of vintage television--actors like Eric Fleming, William Hopper and Ross Martin. The leader of the expedition, General Merritt, is played by Walter Brooke, a no-nonsense commander who goes by the book, although he actually finds himself turning to the "good book". He finds strength in the Bible, although it creates doubts in his mind about Man's right to invade new worlds. Mickey Shaughnessy over-acts outrageously as Sergeant Mahoney, a stereotypical, emotional Irish American--although his performance is actually a welcome contrast to that of most of the other actors.
One other performance of note--Benson Fong plays Imoto, the Japanese member of the crew. With just ten short years since the end of the war between the United States and Japan, it is interesting and refreshing that George Pal decided on a Japanese character in this film. The message is obvious--we should put aside our past earthly squabbles--if we are to explore the vast unknown of space, we must all pull together. This is a theme that the Star Trek series was to champion later. I should add that Fong has a compelling speech about Japan's interest, and pride, in being part of the great adventure.
The theme of science and religion not necessarily being incompatible is raised here, perhaps not entirely successfully. It is a debate that continues to this day.
For 1955, the special effects are excellent--the space station--the interstellar vehicles--the astronauts going for "space walks"--you cannot help but wonder how much this film influenced the Kubrick masterpiece, "2001". Two renowned experts were on hand to add to the film's authenticity--Willy Ley was one of the world's foremost pioneers in rocketry--Chesley Bonestell was a writer and artist, famous for his paintings of other worlds and "spacescapes". His work enhanced "Destination Moon", and it is a major plus here. George Pal's frequent collaborator, Byron Haskin, directs with his usual professionalism.
The DVD is gorgeous--this is a very colourful film, and the quality here, except for the occasional strident flesh-tone, is excellent. There are no extras, except a trailer.
"Conquest of Space" is now some fifty years old, but it still captures our sense of wonder about the future, and the exploration of our solar system and beyond. If your idea of a sci-fi movie is loads of action, and plenty of aliens to battle, this film may not be for you. On the other hand, if--as I said earlier--you have a more serious interest in the history of the sci-fi film, "Conquest of Space" deserves a place in your DVD collection.