When Worlds Collide
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Movie Reviews of When Worlds Collide
Movie Review: Classic sc-fi thriller still packs a punch
Summary: 5 Stars
One of the best sci-fi movies of the decade, it won the 1952 Academy award for best special effects, and I think, deserved it.
George Pal's directorial talents enabled him to take the classic end-of-the-world novel by Wylie and Balmer and turn it into a rivetting and dramatic movie. The team has only a year to design and build the ship, a herculean task, and must overcome discord and even treachery from within that threatens to derail the entire project. The spaceship design was both graceful and impressive, although the carriage design concept used in the dramatic launch sequence was never used in actuality, unlike the staged design in the other classic movie of the period, "The Conquest of Space," another Pal movie, where it was.
I read both When World's Collide and also its sequel, After World's Collide, and I think the movie more than does justice to the original book. Overall, it's one of the best sci-fi movies of the decade and an outstanding adaptation of the original novel. It has been said that Pal's films are some of the most optimistic ever made, and that certainly shows in this film as the survivors escape certain doom on earth only to find salvation on a beautiful and idyllic new world.
A little note on George Pal here. He studied to be an architect, but early 20th century Hungary (where George was from) apparently didn't need many architects, and so George never found work there. But they did need illustrators and cartoonists for the burdgeoning advertising and cartoon business, and George soon found a job at the famous UFA studio in Berlin. Within two months, he was in charge of the cartoon and illustration department, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Movie Review: A classic Sci-Fi movie for all real Science Fiction fans
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie is a classic Sci-Fi from 1951, produced by George Pal, and providing a very interesting story, based on accurate scientific facts, at least in theory, as two of the characters say all the time in parts of this movie, upsetting one of the other person involved. The collision course theory could happen for real, just like all the meteorites are happening every day, just imaging a little bit bigger !
From an astronomy stand point the story line is accurate, the launch pad for the rocket though isn't but remember it was back in 1951, so overall the story is good and believable, but maybe not for the general audience who has seen Armageddon in the meantime, the true Science Fiction lovers will enjoy this very good movie, with a great cast, and pretty good special effects of tsunami, volcanoes and so on, at least for a 1951 movie.
The picture quality is great, perfect, but only in Fullscreen though, and the sound is all right but only mono, remember old movie. The Technicolor is perfect as well and it is a pleasure to watch, the DVD menu is nice but the extra feature is limited to only the trailer, nothing else(Paramount classic). A very good movie for all true Sci-Fi lovers of all ages, the only setback being that it is not long enough, 82 minutes, again standard length for a movie of these times, but we would like it longer.
Movie Review: From Nuclear Paranoia to Kitsch Fun - I love it!
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie freaked me out when I was 5. Now it is so kitsch I just can't stop laughing.
Special effects are ludicrous. Oil-painted canvas as background scenarios; a butane lighter as rocket engine. Acting lines are poor (except for the memorable: "You are scientific crackpots! Nothing will happen!"). On top of that, lip-locked kisses, and the absurd amount of cigarettes.
Its sci-fi concepts are beyond illogical, even for the genre criteria: a settler-rocket flying into a zooming Terran planet that crushes Earth, not to mention the life-saving lottery in which the doctor's daughter and her boyfriend are absurdly left hors-concour. The overt references to the Bible are amusing, as well as the long show-off scene of a first-generation helicopter. More seriously, the complete absence of African-Americans actors must be noted.
"When Worlds Collide" kicked off the wave of sci-fi (and horror) movies expressing anxieties over a Nuclear Holocaust during the emerging Cold War. The approaching planet is red, red, red. As interestingly, the movie also anticipates the white exodus from the city towards suburbia.
All in all, an interesting movie, which I recommend for a goofy time with some fun friends.
Movie Review: When Worlds Collide!!!!.....the DVD is excellent!!
Summary: 5 Stars
When Worlds Collide is one of my favorite films. WWC starts when that South African space observatory makes a terrifiyng discovery..the Earth is on a collision course with another star!! The scientists know the truth of what will happen, but the UN thinks that the new planet will pass the Earth's atmosphere. The scientists do know that is another planet thats called Zyra that was to have contained vegatable life, and water on it's surface. The scientists then build a giant rocket that will take a fraction of people, animals, and equipment and start a new life on Zyra. This movie took home an Oscar for it's special effects and it's packed with some good actors, Richard Derr, Barbara Rush, a very young Stuart Whitman and Frank Cady who later went on to play 'Sam Drucker' in Pettycoat Juction and Green Acres. I don't know who the guy was who played the role Dr. Hendron, but he would later go on to play on Mr.Ed as Wilburs pesty next door neighbor, and the guy who played the ruthless industry tycoon Mr.Stanton, does a very good job in the part. The DVD version is very excellent, the movie color is outstanding, the special effects don't mess up a bit, and the sound is terrific. If you like disaster movies, give this movie a try. I recemend it.
Movie Review: Noah's Ark, 50s Style!
Summary: 5 Stars
WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE is basically the story of Noah and the ark updated. A scientist discovers that earth is doomed, right in the path of an approaching planet and it's star! Of course, no one will listen and the world's governments simply laugh it off. So, private investors come to the rescue, giving millions of their own dollars to construct a spaceship capable of holding 40 people, livestock, etc. The problem is in choosing (by lottery) just who the lucky / blessed 40 folks will be. They will be the only remnant of humanity, attempting to start over on the planet Zyra (the very planet that will cause the first wave of earth's destruction)! Who should go? Who should stay? WWC poses some fairly astute moral dilemmas. I mean, why is the rich, bitter, and misanthropic industrialist getting on board just because he wants to save his own skin? This problem is addressed in a rather biting way! Though dated, I found the FX enjoyable, remembering when this was made. George Pal had his high points (War Of The Worlds, The Time Machine) and I consider WWC to be one of them. Barbara Rush (It Came From Outer Space) is in it for goodness sake! That's enough for me right there! Highly recommended...