Attack from Space (1965 TV Movie) User Reviews

Dumb but harmless fun.

[planktonrules · 2/10 · 4 July 2009]

Giving this movie is a bit problematic, as I saw the English-dubbed version sent to the United States. It is possible (but not likely) that the Japanese version is a lot different and not quite so silly. Additionally, I am not sure that this movie was intended to be for adults but was perhaps more of a kids' movie. If that is the case, then my not being so impressed by it is somewhat understandable.

This is a Japanese sci-fi movie about the Spherions and their unprovoked attack on the Earth. It seems the bizarre creatures on planet Emerald are concerned, as the aggressive Spherions could destroy them as well. Now you really need to see these "things" as the costumes they wear are pretty funny and it's just too hard to describe how stupid they look. However, their special agent who is sent to help the Earth, Starman, is pretty easy to describe. He actually looks a lot like Duck Dodgers of the 26-1/2 Century--with the same sort of body suit and a little antenna on his head!! This guy can fly through space without a ship and beat the snot out of the lame Spherions. I call them lame because they use guns that spout a lot of smoke but don't do much harm. Heck, an Uzi or Tommy Gun could do a lot more damage! However, Starman's amazing skills and powers appear to be no match for the power of the Spherions and it looks like Starman is dead (yeah, right). So, it's up to a group of very stupid but plucky Japanese people to take on the entire Spherion empire by themselves. However, every time they are about to gain the upper hand, the Spherions take one of them prisoner--at which point they give up the fight to get that single person back--and thus lose a planet of 6 billion! Seems like a reasonable trade, huh? But, at the last minute, Starman appears once again after a long absence and he smiles as he punches, kicks, flips and shoots the baddies. And, in the end, when the ship leaves the doomed Spherion space station without one of their family members, Starman flies her through space with no pressure suit or oxygen for an extended period. And, after the baddies all die, they have a good laugh and say goodbye to the hero wearing the silly leotards.

The film has decent production values, with nice uniforms and a few decent special effects. However, the story is just limp and silly throughout and will most likely make you laugh. But, because it is so limp and rather kitschy, it's also a great film to watch with friends, as you'll no doubt have a great time laughing at the absurdity of the film from start to finish.

By the way, this is one of three films that were created by hacking the 1958 "Super Giant" movie series apart and splicing it into three very bizarre films. I have also seen EVIL BRAIN FROM OUTER SPACE--which is even worse than ATTACK FROM SPACE.

Better than I expected.

[13Funbags · 3/10 · 5 April 2020]

This is actually pretty good for something that was made for Japanese tv in 1965. It has the longest fight scene ever and it's totally ridiculous. There a few things I didn't care for though. Even though Starman was just created in another galaxy, everyone on Earth knows who he is. That's just lame. Also they start off by explaining the powers he has and they never mention that bullets and fire can't hurt him. Besides those two minor issues, it's really not that bad.

Starman fights with help from his watch!

[Aaron1375 · 3/10 · 5 June 2020]

A movie like many others from Japan as I believe it is a fused together television show like Prince of Space and the Invasion of the Neptune Men edited together and dubbed into a movie. This one features the most heroic of all heroes, Starman! He flies, he is tough as steel and he fights so fabulously! He also has very incompetent villains; seriously, why were there literally no supervillains back in the early days featured in these movies? Superhero stuff in America was like that too, it was not as if they were not present in the comics, but instead we get a bunch of normal people attacking the super powered and nearly indestructible hero and if we are lucky we get one that is sort of clever...not in this particular film though.

The story, Starman is sent to stop this race of aliens from destroying the Earth or capturing it while a scientist along with his children are making a rocket. Well, the scientist and the kids get captured along with one assistant and get whisked away to outer space, as the attack from space is rather brief. Starman pursues the rocket, but is apparently killed by a missile hitting him and then falling into a death star. That is okay, as the kids' and the assistant have a plan and who knows, perhaps Starman will be back for a super long fight scene!

The fight scene at the end of this thing is incredibly long as Starman fights a huge army while needlessly flipping around and such. He is invulnerable, he has no reason to show off! I kind of wish they would have a fight as long as this thing in a Marvel film between hero and villain instead of the five minute fights we get that are cut with scenes of like other characters not involved in the fight, or trying to pad the part for the non powered person to save the day instead.

So, if you like to see a guy in a very silly costume fight a room full of military people, this film is for you! You may not think this at first as the film drags a bit, but once Starman finally reemerges it is game on! Not a very good film and probably a worse dub, but it is funny to watch so it has that going for it. It also features some really easy to defeat bad guys who show their might to the Earth by blowing up a mountaintop in an area where there are very few people to witness said might. I think they were still new to the whole villain thing.

Why am I just now discovering Starman?

[bensonmum2 · 5/10 · 13 July 2017]

Why am I just now discovering Starman? And there are four of these movies? I can't believe I've never heard of this before. Attack from Space may be my introduction to Starman, but it won't the last time I pay him a visit.

In Attack from Space, the Earth is threatened by a race of aliens known as the Spherions. They show they mean business by blowing up one of the mountains in the Himalayas (odd choice, but whatever). A benevolent race of aliens from the Emerald planet send their superhero, Starman, to Earth to help defeat the Spherions. Starman discovers that one of the Earth's top scientists and his family have been abducted. Can he rescue the Earthlings and save the planet?

Rating and writing about a film like Attack from Space is difficult because, honestly, it's a train wreck of a film. Special effects, dubbing, lighting, acting, plot, logic, and just about anything else you can name is so bad it's impossible to put into words. It's bad, but it's also bizarrely fun. Things like the crazy looking council on the Emerald planet, the Nazi-esque aliens dressed like 1940s era US Navy officers, Starman's lumpy superhero suit, and, most of all, the ridiculous fight choreography - I can't describe what joy these things brought to me. Even though the fight scene between Starman and the Spherions overstayed its welcome by what seemed like hours, it's still the real highlight of the film. Starman has a style of fighting I've never seen before. He reminded me of the Cowardly Lion from the Wizard of Oz trying to do Kung Fu. Hysterical. The use of silly looking guns, reversed camera shots, and the most obvious dummy I've ever seen only added to the fun. Seriously, this is truly one of those "so bad it's good" type movies. I'm looking forward to the others in the series.

There's a Starman Weighting in the Sky

[wes-connors · 1/10 · 19 November 2008]

"The Earth is threatened by the forces of the evil Spherions (sic), an alien race out to conquer the universe. The Spherions (wouldn't they be Sapphirans?) are aided in their attempt to take over the Earth by some of the world's top scientists. Standing in the way of the alien invaders and their treacherous allies is Starman, mighty interplanetary champion sent to Earth to defend the planet against galactic menaces," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.

Ken Utsui (as Sûpâ Jaiantsu, or Super Giant) must save Earth and the galaxy from Nazi-saluting aliens from "The Sapphire Galaxy". This compliments the films gemstone theme, as Mr. Utsui is from "The Emerald Planet"; and, the comic book characters slightly resemble DC Comics' "Green Lantern". This is the American (English edited and dubbed) version of the Japanese super-hero's fifth and sixth movies, Jinkô eisei to jinrui no hametsu (1957) and Uchûtei to jinkô eisei gekitotsu (1958). Herein, the series substitutes additional fighting, explosions, stock footage, and other paunchiness, for lost charm and direction.

* Attack from Space (1964) Teruo Ishii ~ Ken Utsui, Utako Mitsuya, Junko Ikeuchi

The Emerald Planet

[richardchatten · 3/10 · 28 October 2023]

Extracted by Shintoho from a TV series, although pure space opera, 'Attack from Space' has serviceable production design with vivid special effects - although the spaceships still recall Ed Wood's hubcaps - and provides an interesting backdrop of postwar Japan; while the threat to mankind is prophetically called the 'Death Star'.

As befits the postwar spirit the stress is upon the citizens of Earth uniting behind Starman against an alien race called Superians who plan "to conquer the entire universe" (starting by blowing up the Tower of London) while the noble Dr Yamanaka declares himself "against war" and constantly stresses that the project he's working on is for "peaceful purposes".

Starman himself being Japanese shows a considerably greater propensity for violence than your average superhero, ditto his enthusiastic use of firearms.

Will Starman be fricasseed?

[Bernie4444 · 5/10 · 10 October 2023]

Ken Utsui (1931-2014) is a very popular actor. We seldom notice him in his 179 movies and TV series. He was in Seven Samurai (1954) as Samurai Wandering Through Town (uncredited.)

Yes, it is another Starman (Ken Utsui) episode. This time he is fighting the Spherion in his usual way. Will he be able to save the universe again?

And will he be able to save the schoolgirl (Utako Mitsuya 29 years old at the making of this episode) that is being held again and turned into a robot for what purpose? They will be sorry if she ever gets loose on the space station.

This is just one episode of what could be described as an after-school special. It does not have the depth of "The Cisco Kid".

Safe for kids as no real blood and guts.

"Starman Is Likely To Make Trouble! Kill Him!"...

[azathothpwiggins · 26 May 2021]

In ATTACK FROM SPACE, planet Earth is once again in grave peril. The Sepherians are up to their old tricks! With nuclear holocaust imminent, Starman (Ken Utsui) is called upon to save humanity. Much mischief is made by the Sepherians, but Starman doesn't get involved until they start messing with the annoying kids.

Starman doles out a lesson for the alien marauders, using his patented ballet fu to toss them around like lemons in a cement mixer! The seemingly endless final battle is a wonder to behold!

An epic saga of gargantuan proportions, every aspect of this movie is fun! Of course, it helps if you're about 8-10 years old. At certain points, there's a definite, pre-STAR WARS vibe going on. There's even a "Death Star". Hmmm, did a certain, ultra-famous sci-fi director happen to watch this movie as a youngster?...

Based on an old TV show

[lordzedd-3 · 1/10 · 22 July 2006]

I hear that this is based on a really old TV show, Starman. I heard good things about it. But it's like this movie I think I'd rather pass on the TV show. This movie has terrible production value, the story was boring and repetitive. The dubbing was God Awful and basically it's one big stink fest. Anyone who calls GAMERA or GODZILLA cheesy, don't know what cheesy is. Look up cheesy in the dictionary and you'd find a picture of this movie. Look at the costume for a second, goofy with that antenna. The evil aliens were just humans. Not one monster except for the council. I love Japanese stuff, and I'm the one defending Japanese sci-fi when other people call it crap. But this is one of those rare times when the Japanese dropped the ball big time and didn't care. I give ATTACK FROM SPACE...THE NOOSE!

Silly space opera

[jamesrupert2014 · 4/10 · 29 March 2018]

This film, the third of the anglicised Starman 'franchise', combines episodes 5 and 6 of the Japanese kid's show "Super Giant" into a tale about an attempted Earth takeover by aliens from the Sapphire Galaxy. As in the previous installments, the story opens with the benign beings of the Emerald galaxy, who are once again concerned about the state of the neighbourhood and send Starman to protect Earth against nuclear-armed aggressors. Also as in previous installments, the aliens use mind control to enslave humans, children are held as pawns to ensure cooperation, and Earth's future lies in hands of the intergalactic caped hero. While marginally better than the boring "Atomic Rulers" (the first film in the series), "Attack from Space" lacks the surreal silliness that made the second film ("Invaders from Space") so endearing. Beyond a couple of spaceship shots, some rudimentary scenes of cities being attacked, and possibly the first cinematic use of the term "Deathstar", the film does not have much to offer even the least demanding viewer. Unlike the odd but entertaining 'Salamandermen' in the previous film, the aliens in this opus are just humans in vaguely Nazi uniforms and the climactic battle between the invading horde and Starman is an interminable brawl, full of poorly choreographed 'martial arts' moves and silly 'reverse motion' shots, but with little of the gymnastics that highlighted the fights with the acrobatic 'Salamandermen'. Even by 1950's kid's show standards, the movie makes little sense and veers into complete ludicrousness when Starman rescues one of the hostages by carrying her, sans spacesuit, through space from the satellite to the Earth scientists' rocket ship. Overall, other than a checkmark on budget-tokusatsu (or 'camp') aficionados' life-lists, the film has little to offer.

Beyond Inane

[mcjensen-05924 · 1/10 · 5 December 2023]

I never adhered to the So Bad It's Good philosophy for trying to eke some sort of enjoymet from the worst things ever produced and released to an unsuspecting public. This is a prime example, along with such garbage as The Phantom Creeps which has an equally absurd high rating on this laughable site. I will admit this is a well rounded effort, as every aspect of this is so horrendous you'd think the entire production team just dialed it in as they had to get home to pluck their nose hairs. The action sequences will make your head hurt. Editing in nonexistent. The effects making this thoroughly unconvincing superhero will make you roll your eyes so far back in your head they may never return to their proper place. But I understand there's those out there who simply adore this brand of useless trash so have at it if you dare.

Ouch - So bad, it's great campy fun!

[jbar19 · 8/10 · 7 June 2004]

This is another movie I wish MST3K had a chance to screen.

This movie is the combination of 2 Japanese movie serials from the Super Giant series of the late 1950s.

When I first saw this movie when I was a child, it scared the hell out of me, as it contains the usual 'violence against children' seen in movies like 'Invasion of the Neptune Men' and to a lesser extent, 'Prince of Space'. Even today, the scene where the Nazi-like soldiers kidnap the children is a little too edgy for anyone under 12 years old.

But the allure of this movie is the innocent and almost naive story line. Even though the movie has many ridiculous ideas, the actors remain deadly serious throughout.

The film opens with a bunch of ridiculous looking aliens with costumes that are right out of a 3rd grade theatre production. The aliens send 'Star Man' to protect the Earth from a invasion from the 'Spherions'.

Star Man is a slightly paunchy, overacting, average-looking, middle aged Japanese man. He flails his arms around, beating up Japanese extras in highly exaggerated and very poorly choreographed fight scenes. The fight scenes alone are worth the price of admission. Many times, actors aren't even close to being hit when they do flips and pretend to be knocked out.

Also, watch for the scene where Star Man disables flying saucers by bending what can only be described as a metal rack from a refrigerator.

As with most early Japanese Sci Flicks, there are numerous technical errors like people being able to breathe and fly through space.

But I recommend this movie to any B Movie fan. It's very campy and the shoddy production values are more than made up for by the movies goofy charm.

One of the reasons the TV show 'Batman' was so successful was because the actors took their roles so seriously. This is also what makes this movie work. All of the actors take their silly roles very seriously, as if they are acting in 'Hamlet. This only makes 'Attack from Space' even more enjoyable.

"The effects have worn off. The doctor thinks again!"

[hwg1957-102-265704 · 6/10 · 27 December 2022]

Starman, played calmly by Ken Utsui, is sent from the Emerald planet to help the earth fend off attacks from the Spherions. There is something rather charming about these 'Starman' films, made in Japan but re-packaged and dubbed in America, that is hard to define. Perhaps it is the quaint special effects. Or the serious approach the actors make to the lightweight material. Or the disregarding of things like space having no oxygen. Or the enthusiastic way that Starman beats people up or kills them with a smile on his face and a jolly laugh on his lips. Or the Spherions behaving and dressed like Nazis led by someone who looks like General Macarthur. Whatever, I enjoyed it and look forward to seeing the others in the series.

Did the fight scene near the end inspire "Kill Bill"?

[mikedrumgod · 5/10 · 28 October 2023]

Great film. I love old B/W SciFi however corny. Take it as it is. Strings attached to dummies in tge fight scene. Dodgy tight fitting Star Man suit , especially at the end. A good laff and some fab direction. The tension during the line up inspection looking for humans is excellent.

The scene of Starman propelling the girl through space with pressure suit or oxygen and a Cape blowing int the wind in space is is indicative of the guesswork needed about stellar conditions before real exploration of the universe had truly begun.

I only caught the last hour so can't say much more about the intro but ,I'll definitely be watching again.

Worth a watch.

Starman!

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 14 May 2021]

There are nine Super Giant films and all of them were brought to the U. S. by Medallion Films, who turned them into four movies. This story would be The Artificial Satellite and the Destruction of Humanity and The Spaceship and the Clash of the Artificial Satellite combined to make one longer film. So basically, this would be the fifth and sixth parts of the story. If you want to get caught up, you'll need to check out Atomic Rulers of the World and Invaders from Space. When you finish this one, you can get the rest of the story in Evil Brain from Outer Space.

Starman is a human-like being created from the strongest steel by the Peace Council of the Emerald Planet. He's been sent to our planet to protect us from the Sapphire Galaxy, who are blowing up the Hiamlayans. To make their plan move quicker, they kidnap Dr. Yamanaka and his family and force him to use his spaceship - yes, he just so happens to have a spaceship - to decimate the Earth.

Strangely enough, this movie has a death star and a weapon that destroys planets. I mean, Star Wars would never steal anything from a Japanese movie, right?

Best Starman Fight ever!

[Bezenby · 8/10 · 18 October 2015]

Hell, there might not be any sinister aliens here, but my god does that end fight pack a literal punch! Lordy! I'm getting ahead of myself here. What this all boils down to is that Starman is up against some Nazi aliens called the Spherions who are out to destroy earth using a space station equipped with the firepower to destroy an entire planet. Sound familiar? Well, that bit about the Death Star won't as I've never heard that phrase used before.

Death Star you say? Well, it ain't a big space station that can destroy planets (although the Nazi aliens have one of them too), but an actual Star that means death for Starman. This film may be lacking in the scary alien department, but in the Starman floating through space department, this one wins.

Also, this film has the best Starman fight ever, as instead of Starman taking on thirty to forty bad guys at a time, this time round he takes on about one hundred guys armed to the teeth, takes their guns from them, and shoots the hell out of everyone while laughing. I put the death toll here in the thousands as this fight scene goes on forever.

Also, the makers of the film must have acquired a dummy that they then dressed in a bad guy costume, because your going to see this dummy about eight or nine times, being pushed off balconies or thrown across a room. Basically, the dummy makes the end fight scene easy.

Starman manages to kill most of the Spherion species in this film as you would expect, but makes you a bit sad at the end by waving goodbye when you know the actual actor that played the Starman died this year.

But for Starman fans I'd watch the film in the following sequence: Evil Brain from Outer Space, Invaders from Space, Attack from Space, and Atomic Rulers of the world.

Yep