Conquest of Space
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Movie Reviews of Conquest of Space
Movie Review: Conquest of Space
Summary: 4 Stars
Seller gave me very good, very prompt and efficient service -- thank you!! The movie's dated but still a lot of fun, rating AAA++++.Movie Review: A bad movie but a great piece of hard science fiction
Summary: 3 Stars
The truth is I really hate giving this movie a mediocre rating. Because there is so much I genuinely admire in it.
Perhaps the best place to start is with Destination Moon, which the producer, George Pal, released five years earlier. Destination Moon is a pure piece of hard science fiction. It's not a film with much interest in human relationships or emotions, and doesn't pretend otherwise. And taken simply for what it is, Destination Moon is superb. Made in the 1940's and released in 1950, seven years before the launch of Sputnik, it nevertheless depicted space travel in a serious and realistic way - and as something that could actually be achieved in the near-term. For 1950, this was an incredible triumph of imagination and insight. And blessed with the talents of famed space artist Chesley Bonestell, Destination Moon was at times truly awe inspiring to look upon. The lunar landscape backdrop is breathtaking even today.
Five years on and still two years before the launch of Sputnik, Pal released this film: Conquest of Space. And almost everything I just said about Destination Moon could equally well be applied to Conquest of Space. Judged purely as a piece of hard science fiction, Conquest of Space is also a masterpiece. It should also be added that the special effects are even more impressive than those found in Destination Moon.
But Conquest of Space tries to be more than this. It tries to tell a story of real psychological depth. It deals with how humans might respond to the demands and deprivations of long term space travel. In this it is clearly influenced by the problem of what was then termed "battle fatigue" (today we would say post traumatic stress) that would have been so familiar from WWII and the war in Korea.
It is in trying to tell this more psychologically complex tale that Conquest of Space gets into trouble. To be brutally frank, the talents of the actors and the screenwriters simply aren't up to the task. The workman-like performances (and in this pre Sigourney Weaver era, they were all men) that were entirely adequate, even appropriate in Destination Moon just don't deliver the goods in Conquest of Space. Which is why, as much as I hate to say it, when judged as a movie, Conquest of Space falls flat.
And yet... Even given all this, as I said in the beginning, I still find much to admire in this work. It certainly does not deserve the obscurity it languishes in today. For all its flaws, I would unhesitatingly recommend Conquest of Space to any serious fan of hard science fiction.
Theo.
Movie Review: Not First Rate
Summary: 3 Stars
George Pal made some good science fiction movies in the 50s. This is not one of them. It is merely watchable.
The story is of an international mission to Mars sent to try and get information about exploiting the resources of that planet. The mission that gest sent was intended to be a moon mission but had its objective changed at the last minute.
The crew is led by a visionary general who helped to make space travel a reality. He is a no nonsense type of CO who wants everything to be just perfect. That includes his son who is assigned to the mission even though he does not want to be there.
The problem with the mission besides primitive technology is that the general goes mad on the way to Mars. He jeopardizes the mission and the lives of his crew. It is left to the son to salvage things.
Most elements are very predictable. The effects were good for the 50s but are laughable now. The show was worth watching for fans of the genre just to see how much has changed but I have no desire to ever watch it again.
Movie Review: decent sci-fi tale for 1955 (3.5/5)
Summary: 3 Stars
for a science fiction film released in 1955,this one is pretty good.the
effects are above average.the acting is good,the story is good,as is
the dialogue.all of these elements are much better than in the later
released television show Lost in Space,which i was reminded of.there's
even a message that isn't pounded into the viewer with a sledge
hammer.there are a couple instances of stereotypical characters
behaving in a stereotypical way,but these moments are kept to a
minimum,thankfully.certainly with the era and the genre,there is ample
opportunity for hammy and over the top dialogue and acting but there is
little of that.what we do get is an entertaining and sobering 81 minute
tale that makes you think.for me,Conquest of Space is a 3.5/5
Movie Review: the f/x are still pretty good but the story really shows it's age
Summary: 3 Stars
i loved this one as a kid but though the f/x still look good today the story really isn't that good. while i was young i guess i must not have been able to see all the problems with the script,like the way the captian suddenly becomes a slave to religion when up till then that was never brought up is a little silly and it makes me mad that the only person on the trip who has religion is played as the nut who may kill them all. i still like the movie but this little fact took a lot of the fun away for me,still we have a classic sci-fi movie that i like but the religion as the bad guy hurts the over all story!