"The Mice" is rarely singled out as a noteworthy OUTER LIMITS episode, yet it has many distinctive qualities. The strangeness that we find in the best episodes of this series is here in full force. A prisoner exchange between Earth and a little-known alien society allows a bizarre creature to arrive on this planet. This prisoner behaves in its own alien way and is creepy and fascinating to watch. There are a couple of suspenseful scenes when the creature is on the loose and wreaks some havoc. In the cast are Michael Higgins, Diana Sands and Henry Silva: all very good actors who bring plenty of realism to their roles. It's especially interesting to watch the sympathetic connection between Sands and Silva. This episode does not waste Henry Silva (a wonderful performer) as another entry, "Tourist Attraction", does. He really carries the show and makes it a must-see for anyone who in interested in early 60s TV drama.
19 Reviews
Fascinating story of inter-planetary prisoner exchange
mackaroni27 October 2009
Warning: Spoilers
This interesting episode featured a story about a planet exchanging one of its more dangerous criminals for a human prisoner on Earth deemed just as dangerous. The popular character actor Henry Silva played the human prisoner from our planet who actually was frightened himself by the strange gelatin-like creature who produced its own protozoa type substance from a small lake near the prison facility. It sort of freaked me out when the creature would flap its crab-like paws. I thought the scene where Silva tries to escape from the prison facility while the guards are distracted by the alien creature was a bit claustrophobic and his acting was a bit melodramatic or over the top but all in all this was a fascinating story which showed that other planets in space could also produce shady characters and criminals much like us humans down here on Earth. This episode also featured one of the earlier roles for the great character actor Dabney Coleman. The irony of this story as it turns out, the character played by Henry Silva actually helps out the other characters in the episode including the sweet actress Diana Sands and we tend to be more sympathetic towards him even though he is a criminal. It again shows that the "awe and mystery" as the famous Control Voice mentions during the introduction of each Outer Limits episode of possible life on other planets will even stifle the evil done by human beings down here on Earth as even the most hardened of criminals from our own planet also somehow fears the unknown alien life on other planets.
The Mice
Scarecrow-8810 June 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Earth and the Planet Kromo have agreed to a "mutual transportation" where members of both their races will be sent through "transmission" to each other's planets. Sufficed to say, something goes horribly wrong when the Kromo representative starts to kill humans
Actor Henry Silva (last seen two episodes prior in "Tourist Attraction" with a far more impressive character and performance here) is a convict given a chance to be the human representative, but he wants to be looked at as not some mouse test subject but a man with feelings and a conscience. Meanwhile, the alien from Kromo (looks like a blob of Vaseline with legs, crabs for hands) is spending time by the science laboratory's nearby lake, throwing objects in that turn into flabby substances it then consumes. Learned through correspondence with the Kromo aliens, Dr. Thomas Kellander (Michael Higgins) understands that they live through photosynthesis, and there is a secret that is revealed at the very end that only punctuates the tragedy that is the loss of life, the alien erroneously taking violent means when not needed. Silva, as prisoner Chino Rivera, has a lot of fire and charisma, a part that doesn't just work as a stereotype, the actor transcends it, giving the character depth and dimension, by pointing out that he yearns for freedom, aches for it, impulsively attempting, futilely, to escape, almost doing so at one point. The loss of life is especially disconcerting considering if the Kromo race had just been up front and honest with Kellander and told them the reason was for contact and transport to Earth, it might have saved every death that occurs at the alien's claw-hands. That's the point, the lack of trust, and the inability to just communicate causes unneeded consequences that will only ruin what could have been a peaceful co-existence between two worlds, two species.
Another Alien Race Makes a Deal
Hitchcoc8 January 2015
If one were to evaluate the way science works in our culture using "The Outer Limits" as our guide, we would conclude that we stupidly launch headlong into whatever another alien culture wants and ask questions later. Henry Silva plays a convicted murderer who has been given the opportunity to participate in a major experiment. He volunteers to be sent to another planet through teleportation while the aliens send one of their own in exchange. The other guy comes first and he looks like a gigantic garlic with legs. He is allowed to roam around the compound. While there he spends lots of time at a pond where he throws things in the water. What develops is a living substance that he eats (actually he stuffs the substance in some part of his body). He is also quite dangerous when confronted, especially if his food source is threatened, and he manages to leave a couple of bodies in his wake. Meanwhile, Silva's prisoner becomes the center of things. It turns out the murder he committed was justified in his mind because the man had done horrible things to his sister. He develops a bond with a young female doctor at the facility who sees him in a much more positive light.
One thing. Watch the portrayal of the police in this episode. They are probably the most incompetent characters one has ever seen. When attacked, they throw their guns into the air and allow the threatening figure to get hold of them. The thing moves about two miles an hour and probably couldn't catch a one legged man. And it's not the element of surprise because they are out there looking for something dangerous. Just a sidelight.
There is one red herring in the plot as well (unless I missed something). A policeman, lying in the transportation device, disappears. Where did he go? No one mentions him. Also, there is critical denouement. Why did the aliens do what they did without using other means? Food for thought (no pun intended).
One thing. Watch the portrayal of the police in this episode. They are probably the most incompetent characters one has ever seen. When attacked, they throw their guns into the air and allow the threatening figure to get hold of them. The thing moves about two miles an hour and probably couldn't catch a one legged man. And it's not the element of surprise because they are out there looking for something dangerous. Just a sidelight.
There is one red herring in the plot as well (unless I missed something). A policeman, lying in the transportation device, disappears. Where did he go? No one mentions him. Also, there is critical denouement. Why did the aliens do what they did without using other means? Food for thought (no pun intended).
Easily overlooked, but better than some suggest.
Sleepin_Dragon13 May 2023
A Scientist has devised some ingenious technology, that allows people to be transported to another planet, a scheme is set up to transport prisoners to The Plant Chromo in an exchange. The Prisoners are volunteers the alternative is life in prison.
This isn't an episode I'd deem a classic, I wouldn't say it has anything particularly memorable, other than the obvious, a few years ago there was an advertising campaign for a blocked nose/sinuses relief product, it put me in mind of that.
Not a classic, but definitely still full of merits, I like the question of ethics, the value of a Prisoner's life, did he have any choice but to accept the mission, it was definitely an interesting concept.
The first half has an element of suspense, that opening sequence definitely added a degree of curiosity, I found the second half just bizarre, some of it perhaps didn't make a lot of sense. It is very well paced, I really did like the characters.
There are two terrific performances here, Henry Silva and Diana Sands were both terrific I thought, and despite the less than convincing looking subject from Chromo, they both managed to make their characters so sincere, they both bolstered the story hugely.
7/10.
This isn't an episode I'd deem a classic, I wouldn't say it has anything particularly memorable, other than the obvious, a few years ago there was an advertising campaign for a blocked nose/sinuses relief product, it put me in mind of that.
Not a classic, but definitely still full of merits, I like the question of ethics, the value of a Prisoner's life, did he have any choice but to accept the mission, it was definitely an interesting concept.
The first half has an element of suspense, that opening sequence definitely added a degree of curiosity, I found the second half just bizarre, some of it perhaps didn't make a lot of sense. It is very well paced, I really did like the characters.
There are two terrific performances here, Henry Silva and Diana Sands were both terrific I thought, and despite the less than convincing looking subject from Chromo, they both managed to make their characters so sincere, they both bolstered the story hugely.
7/10.
interesting casting
d-millhoff31 July 2010
This episode stands out not so much for its creepiness or writing or any of the traits we usually associate with Outer Limits, Twilight Zone, etc, as for some unusual casting against type and against Hollywood 'rules' of the time.
Henry Silva usually plays creepy, stiff bad-guy types. But in this episode, he's personable, dynamic, and outgoing.
More interestingly, Diana Sands - a black actress - is cast as a central character. This was rare in 1964. She plays a doctor - NOT a nurse - and interacts closely with Silva's character in a time when blacks and whites rarely touched each other on television.
Probably, her light complexion and Silva's character being Hispanic mitigated the circumstances, but still pretty unusual for the time.
Henry Silva usually plays creepy, stiff bad-guy types. But in this episode, he's personable, dynamic, and outgoing.
More interestingly, Diana Sands - a black actress - is cast as a central character. This was rare in 1964. She plays a doctor - NOT a nurse - and interacts closely with Silva's character in a time when blacks and whites rarely touched each other on television.
Probably, her light complexion and Silva's character being Hispanic mitigated the circumstances, but still pretty unusual for the time.
Melted Wax And Microwaved Headcheese
ferbs5410 May 2017
Viewers of the groundbreaking television show "The Outer Limits" were most likely wondering just HOW the series' creators could possibly top the memorable Zanti aliens that had been presented to them in the closing days of 1963. But in the program's initial offering of 1964, "The Mice," this fondly remembered program almost managed to do just that, giving the world an alien so truly grotesque and eye-catching that it almost carried the entire hour on its ownsome. This episode, #15 in a whopping 32-episode season (today, we're lucky if a program manages to squeeze out two dozen), turns out to be a solid albeit middling affair in a generally remarkable run of programs, saved by that creature costume and some very fine acting turns by a cast of solid pros.
In "The Mice," as in the previous "Zanti Misfits," Earth has been contacted by the beings of another world. Here, that world is Chromo, which lies comparatively close to ours, at only 10 light-years distance; around twice the distance of our nearest neighbor, Alpha Centauri. The Chromoites have given our scientists here on Earth the technological know-how to construct a teleportation device (something like the transporter beam on the upcoming "Star Trek") and have proposed an exchange of one of their race, for a visit, for one of ours. Thus, the scientist in charge of the Neo-Kinematics Division of some unnamed research facility, Dr. Thomas Kellander (Michael Higgins, who would go on to appear in such classic films as "The Conversation" and "The Stepford Wives"), seeks a volunteer for the experiment, and winds up choosing convict Chino Rivera (the great character actor Henry Silva, who had just appeared in the #13 "OL" episode "Tourist Attraction") as the guinea pig/mouse of the title. The Chromoite is successfully transported to Earth, and spends its time wandering around the facility grounds, ultimately killing a scientist who had discovered that it was growing some kind of gloppy food in a nearby lake. Chino is of course accused of the crime, although resident doctor Julia Harrison (Diana Sands, who had recently appeared in the film "A Raisin in the Sun" and that same year would star in the Broadway show "The Owl and the Pussycat" with Alan Alda) defends him and maintains his innocence. Ultimately, the Chromoites are exposed in their underhanded plot, leading to a violent confrontation....
"The Mice," as I mentioned up top, is a solid-enough episode that is redeemed by three factors: the Chromoite itself, a very fine acting contribution by Henry Silva, and the inclusion of Diana Sands in a supporting role. Let's take the alien first. It is truly a bewildering mess of a creature, resembling nothing less than a bipedal blob of melted wax and overly microwaved headcheese, equipped with twitchy, crab-claw appendages. It is a truly revolting-looking creature, one of the most way out of all "Outer Limits" creations, and never more hideous than when it is stuffing that lake-spawned doughy glop into its midriff orifice. Unfortunately, I have always felt that the creature costume here was a bit insufficient, and that the outfit itself should have been longer, so as to reach down to the feet of the actor wearing the darn thing. How much more effective would it have been if the alien seemed to be gliding along on the ground, rather than running on two legs! As for Silva, who is thankfully still with us (age 88, as of this writing), he is simply dynamic, and gives an energetic and vital performance. And then there is the matter of Diana Sands, an attractive black actress playing a doctor on a television show of the early '60s...and with nothing being made of her race whatsoever! I know that this sounds fairly unremarkable now in the early 21st century, but trust me, back in the early '60s, this was rather remarkable. (Similarly, the Duane Jones character in "Night of the Living Dead" would be praised, five years later, for the fact that nothing whatsoever was made of his race, either.) Other than the "Amos 'n' Andy Show" of the early '50s, not too many African-Americans had been permitted to carry a television show, or even appear as lead performers, and even then, certainly not portraying skilled professionals. That same '63 - '64 season, the TV show "East Side, West Side" was being aired, which starred George C. Scott and Cicely Tyson, and her role was seen as something of a big deal at the time. ("East Side, West Side" producer David Susskind would soon bring in Diana Sands and James Earl Jones to star in one Emmy-winning episode, "Who Do You Kill?.") Anyway, my point is that the inclusion of a black woman as a doctor here, and with the inference that nothing is very remarkable about that fact, was very praiseworthy, and deserving of any modern-day viewer's approbation. "The Mice" gives us an interesting script, courtesy of co-writer (and first-season producer) Joseph Stefano, always-interesting cinematography by the great Conrad Hall (especially the shadowy outdoor scenes), and just adequate direction by Alan Crosland, Jr., who would go on to helm episode #25, "The Mutant." It also features a unique score for an "OL" episode by Dominic Frontiere, with none of the usual musical cues to be had. In all, it is a fairly entertaining and memorable hour, slightly padded as it is (LOTS of shots of that Chromoite lumbering around by the lake and through the countryside). Still, it was certainly better than just about anything else on television on the night of January 6, 1964, I have a strong feeling....
In "The Mice," as in the previous "Zanti Misfits," Earth has been contacted by the beings of another world. Here, that world is Chromo, which lies comparatively close to ours, at only 10 light-years distance; around twice the distance of our nearest neighbor, Alpha Centauri. The Chromoites have given our scientists here on Earth the technological know-how to construct a teleportation device (something like the transporter beam on the upcoming "Star Trek") and have proposed an exchange of one of their race, for a visit, for one of ours. Thus, the scientist in charge of the Neo-Kinematics Division of some unnamed research facility, Dr. Thomas Kellander (Michael Higgins, who would go on to appear in such classic films as "The Conversation" and "The Stepford Wives"), seeks a volunteer for the experiment, and winds up choosing convict Chino Rivera (the great character actor Henry Silva, who had just appeared in the #13 "OL" episode "Tourist Attraction") as the guinea pig/mouse of the title. The Chromoite is successfully transported to Earth, and spends its time wandering around the facility grounds, ultimately killing a scientist who had discovered that it was growing some kind of gloppy food in a nearby lake. Chino is of course accused of the crime, although resident doctor Julia Harrison (Diana Sands, who had recently appeared in the film "A Raisin in the Sun" and that same year would star in the Broadway show "The Owl and the Pussycat" with Alan Alda) defends him and maintains his innocence. Ultimately, the Chromoites are exposed in their underhanded plot, leading to a violent confrontation....
"The Mice," as I mentioned up top, is a solid-enough episode that is redeemed by three factors: the Chromoite itself, a very fine acting contribution by Henry Silva, and the inclusion of Diana Sands in a supporting role. Let's take the alien first. It is truly a bewildering mess of a creature, resembling nothing less than a bipedal blob of melted wax and overly microwaved headcheese, equipped with twitchy, crab-claw appendages. It is a truly revolting-looking creature, one of the most way out of all "Outer Limits" creations, and never more hideous than when it is stuffing that lake-spawned doughy glop into its midriff orifice. Unfortunately, I have always felt that the creature costume here was a bit insufficient, and that the outfit itself should have been longer, so as to reach down to the feet of the actor wearing the darn thing. How much more effective would it have been if the alien seemed to be gliding along on the ground, rather than running on two legs! As for Silva, who is thankfully still with us (age 88, as of this writing), he is simply dynamic, and gives an energetic and vital performance. And then there is the matter of Diana Sands, an attractive black actress playing a doctor on a television show of the early '60s...and with nothing being made of her race whatsoever! I know that this sounds fairly unremarkable now in the early 21st century, but trust me, back in the early '60s, this was rather remarkable. (Similarly, the Duane Jones character in "Night of the Living Dead" would be praised, five years later, for the fact that nothing whatsoever was made of his race, either.) Other than the "Amos 'n' Andy Show" of the early '50s, not too many African-Americans had been permitted to carry a television show, or even appear as lead performers, and even then, certainly not portraying skilled professionals. That same '63 - '64 season, the TV show "East Side, West Side" was being aired, which starred George C. Scott and Cicely Tyson, and her role was seen as something of a big deal at the time. ("East Side, West Side" producer David Susskind would soon bring in Diana Sands and James Earl Jones to star in one Emmy-winning episode, "Who Do You Kill?.") Anyway, my point is that the inclusion of a black woman as a doctor here, and with the inference that nothing is very remarkable about that fact, was very praiseworthy, and deserving of any modern-day viewer's approbation. "The Mice" gives us an interesting script, courtesy of co-writer (and first-season producer) Joseph Stefano, always-interesting cinematography by the great Conrad Hall (especially the shadowy outdoor scenes), and just adequate direction by Alan Crosland, Jr., who would go on to helm episode #25, "The Mutant." It also features a unique score for an "OL" episode by Dominic Frontiere, with none of the usual musical cues to be had. In all, it is a fairly entertaining and memorable hour, slightly padded as it is (LOTS of shots of that Chromoite lumbering around by the lake and through the countryside). Still, it was certainly better than just about anything else on television on the night of January 6, 1964, I have a strong feeling....
Another appearance by the Silvanator!
planktonrules29 February 2012
Warning: Spoilers
"The Outer Limits", like other anthology shows, relied on lots of guest appearances by character actors. However, oddly, Henry Silva stars in this one--just a few episodes after appearing in another. But, since he was a pretty good actor, I certainly won't complain!
The show begins with a prison warden trying to get a volunteer for a scientific experiment. It seems that the Earth has been contacted by an advanced civilization (a pretty typical theme for this show) and wanted to do an exchange program--sending one of their beings to the Earth and accepting one of ours as a cultural exchange. But, since the equipment is mostly untested, they want to send a seemingly expendable person...a prisoner. Silva agrees to be the guinea pig--but there turns out to be MUCH more to the story than that--and much that the Earth has not anticipated.
Not a bad episode overall. Silva's good performance helped to overcome the silly looking alien--that's for sure. And the plot was rather creative and interesting. Well worth seeing.
The show begins with a prison warden trying to get a volunteer for a scientific experiment. It seems that the Earth has been contacted by an advanced civilization (a pretty typical theme for this show) and wanted to do an exchange program--sending one of their beings to the Earth and accepting one of ours as a cultural exchange. But, since the equipment is mostly untested, they want to send a seemingly expendable person...a prisoner. Silva agrees to be the guinea pig--but there turns out to be MUCH more to the story than that--and much that the Earth has not anticipated.
Not a bad episode overall. Silva's good performance helped to overcome the silly looking alien--that's for sure. And the plot was rather creative and interesting. Well worth seeing.
It SNOT What It Seems!
profh-114 October 2009
A distant planet contacts Earth and sends plans for a matter-transmitter (a primitive prototype for the Transporter seen on STAR TREK 3 years later). The authorities decide to test it by using a convict pulling a life sentence. But when the alien arrives, things get a LOT stranger than anyone imagined...
Like a lot of "lesser" OUTER LIMITS episodes, this one rambles a bit, and the more action-filled 2nd half is more confusing than suspenseful. But there are 2 standouts that make it memorable. One is Henry Silva's convict, who proves a far more fascinating and likable character than one might expect (indeed, I find this one of his BEST roles!). The other is the alien, which I can only describe as looking like something you'd get if you blew your nose too hard. Not sure if the thing is actually frightening, or just really disgusting to look at!
Look quick (and carefully) near the end for an early cameo role by Dabney Coleman, still more than a decade away from fame as the preacher on MARY HARTMAN, MARY HARTMAN (growing that moustache must be the best career move he ever made).
I get a kick out of it when Silva's character hands a revolver over and says, "Just watching him for you. He's a killer!"
Like a lot of "lesser" OUTER LIMITS episodes, this one rambles a bit, and the more action-filled 2nd half is more confusing than suspenseful. But there are 2 standouts that make it memorable. One is Henry Silva's convict, who proves a far more fascinating and likable character than one might expect (indeed, I find this one of his BEST roles!). The other is the alien, which I can only describe as looking like something you'd get if you blew your nose too hard. Not sure if the thing is actually frightening, or just really disgusting to look at!
Look quick (and carefully) near the end for an early cameo role by Dabney Coleman, still more than a decade away from fame as the preacher on MARY HARTMAN, MARY HARTMAN (growing that moustache must be the best career move he ever made).
I get a kick out of it when Silva's character hands a revolver over and says, "Just watching him for you. He's a killer!"
Assumptions and Honesty
andyetris23 June 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This is yet another OUTER LIMITS episode where a good idea got lost due to clumsy handling. Despite some good acting and more action than SOME episodes, the plotting prevents the buildup of real suspense and the story elements aren't handled in such a way as to reinforce the plot idea; as a result we wind up kind of confused at the end!
Earth scientists have established contact with a distant space civilization, the Chromomites. They build a matter-transporter with the aim of exchanging representatives; the Chromomites demand that the first being to pass through the transporter be an important Earthman, a kind of scientific diplomat. However Earth's authorities decide that it would be best to test the device by sending a criminal, just in case, and they select a man they believe to be no more than a hardened killer. However when the Chromomite representative arrives, it soon appears that the aliens may have had the same idea...
Earth scientists have established contact with a distant space civilization, the Chromomites. They build a matter-transporter with the aim of exchanging representatives; the Chromomites demand that the first being to pass through the transporter be an important Earthman, a kind of scientific diplomat. However Earth's authorities decide that it would be best to test the device by sending a criminal, just in case, and they select a man they believe to be no more than a hardened killer. However when the Chromomite representative arrives, it soon appears that the aliens may have had the same idea...
Poorly Written Episode
claudio_carvalho23 February 2018
When the prison warden summons three inmates serving life sentences, they are interviewed by Dr. Thomas 'Kelly' Kellander that is seeking a volunteer with authorization of the government to test a teleportation system to another planet. Chino Rivera accepts the offer and learns that the advanced civilization from planet Chromos has contacted the earthlings and offered the technology for teleportation. They propose an exchange of natives from each planet and soon Dr. Kellander receives an alien that walks freely in the facility. However Dr. Robert Richardson finds a strange goo floating on the lake and decides to investigate, but is murdered by the alien. Meanwhile Chino tries to escape from the facility and stumbles upon Dr. Richardson´s body. He is accused of murder and only Dr. Julia Harrison believes him. What is the real intention of the alien from Chromos?
Despite the potential of the storyline, "The Mice" is a poorly written and acted episode of "The Outer Limits". How can an alien come to Earth and circulate unmonitored in a state-of-art military facility? The attitudes of the sluggish security officers are ridiculous. Nobody comments the fate of the officer sent to Chromos. The way Dr. Julia Harrison reports her findings nearby the lake to Dr. Kellander is unthinkable. My vote is five.
Title (Brazil): "Os Camundongos" ("The Mice")
Despite the potential of the storyline, "The Mice" is a poorly written and acted episode of "The Outer Limits". How can an alien come to Earth and circulate unmonitored in a state-of-art military facility? The attitudes of the sluggish security officers are ridiculous. Nobody comments the fate of the officer sent to Chromos. The way Dr. Julia Harrison reports her findings nearby the lake to Dr. Kellander is unthinkable. My vote is five.
Title (Brazil): "Os Camundongos" ("The Mice")
Compelling and attractive story, it cannot be said of the freak alien!!!
elo-equipamentos8 July 2020
There isn't any boundaries to The Outer Limits series, this one is a engrossing story on Sci-Fi setting, where a prominent scientist Dr. Thomas Kelly Kellander (Michael Higgins) has an advanced project with faraway planet Chromos, after previous agreements they sent a blue print to earthlings built a chamber of molecular transportation, they planned develop an interplanetary exchange with prolific minds to learn each other, however Dr Kelly Kellander didn't finds anyone interest in this odd and dangerous travel, so he has to go into a penal institution to get any volunteer, the prison warden brings to him three convicts as potential applicants, Dr. Kelly explains all possibilities to this journey, but just one agrees, the leery and shaky Chino Rivera (Henry Silva) no reward is offer, but due Chino was sentenced to life imprisonment any attainable output is welcome, firstly the Chromonite being should arrives first at chamber, then Chino will be transported afterwards, therefore the Alien actually is an awful monster, what a dreadful freak, the designer should be arrest at mental asylum and throw away the key by such inability to make something feasible, after a terrible fright they have to postpone Chino transportation, meanwhile the mute and unfriendly Chromonite guest has an unusual behavior, fine episode if we forget the freak alien!!!
Resume:
First watch: 2020 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.25
Resume:
First watch: 2020 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.25
"Maybe you'll find freedom in some other world."
classicsoncall10 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I think we need a contest between 'Star Trek' and 'The Outer Limits' for the goofiest looking alien monster. 'Star Trek' had its share, but the walking blob of Jello with lobster claws for hands in this story takes the cake. It came to Earth by virtue of a teleportation exchange between our planet and the one called Kromo some ten million light years away. Only thing is, the human intended to be sent to Kromo never made it. Instead, an unlucky security guard fell into the transportation chamber and just vanished, never to be heard from again! What??!! That was just one of the anomalies in this story which wasn't really thought out very well. The alien from Kromo managed to walk around at will with virtually no resistance by the lab scientists who arranged for its arrival; those security guards were entirely inept. The bright spot here was Henry Silva's portrayal of prisoner for life, Chino Rivera. His impassioned plea to be treated like a man instead of a laboratory mouse resonated with Dr. Julia Harrison (Diana Sands), one of the researchers on the project. However, I found it odd that The Outer Limits would offer two episodes in a row in which an alien was sent to Earth for nefarious purposes, but for different reasons. In the prior 'Zanti Misfits', the Zantis sent an ant-like criminal to Earth to be exterminated, while here, the 'prisoner' was a noted scientist sent to prepare an invasion to conquer us for Earth's fertile soil. Why he was a prisoner was never explained, it seemed to contradict his description as a noted scientist.
The Mice
Prismark105 June 2023
A prison warden is looking for volunteers. Chino Rivera (Henry Silva) volunteers and it involves being transported to alien planet of Kromo.
It is a mutual exchange and the alien being from Kromo has already arrived. It is supposed to be a scientist and feeds by photosynthesis. Only the alien monster seems to according to Chino, a garbage eater spending a lot of time by the pond.
The photosynthesis part was a lie. The alien wants to feed and is prepared to kill if the food source is threatened.
Silva gives a committed performance, a prisoner incarcerated for murder. Only Chino thinks that the death was justified. His character has some kind of understanding with Dr Julia Harrison (Diana Sands.)
The alien rubber monster looks terrible. It seems the minster manages to roam around at will and no one seems to be bothered. This is an ineptly guarded facility.
Apart from Silva, one of the leads is a black actress. There is nothing much going here, the story moves at a slow pace.
It is a mutual exchange and the alien being from Kromo has already arrived. It is supposed to be a scientist and feeds by photosynthesis. Only the alien monster seems to according to Chino, a garbage eater spending a lot of time by the pond.
The photosynthesis part was a lie. The alien wants to feed and is prepared to kill if the food source is threatened.
Silva gives a committed performance, a prisoner incarcerated for murder. Only Chino thinks that the death was justified. His character has some kind of understanding with Dr Julia Harrison (Diana Sands.)
The alien rubber monster looks terrible. It seems the minster manages to roam around at will and no one seems to be bothered. This is an ineptly guarded facility.
Apart from Silva, one of the leads is a black actress. There is nothing much going here, the story moves at a slow pace.
Absolute joke
nickenchuggets28 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
When I wrote about The Invisible Enemy (my first choice for overall worst Outer Limits installment) I mentioned that it was a tossup between that one and The Mice. Because I haven't watched this one since 2019, I decided to rewatch it and instantly regretted it. The episode really is terrible. Part of this is because the story just isn't well put together and the other part has to do with the absurdity of the monster. The story begins with Chino (Henry Silva), a criminal serving a life sentence for killing his sister's husband, wanting to partake in a teleportation experiment. A scientist tells Chino how the experiment is going to phase his molecules at a speed faster than light to a distant planet called Chromo. At the same time, chromoite scientists will be sending a member of their race to Earth so the two planetary civilizations can give each other technology. When the experiment commences, a native of the planet chromo gets teleported into the lab and starts causing havoc. It escapes the testing facility and wanders into the wooded areas surrounding it. Chino manages to escape and spots it next to a lake, where it seems to be eating (and by that I mean pulling some weird substance from the edge of the lake and sticking it on itself). Meanwhile, Chino is being unjustly blamed for the dead researchers the chromoite keeps on killing. Later on, the chromoite kills some cops that are sent to subdue it and it goes back to the lab. It continues to wreck lab equipment and terrorize people until Chino comes face to face with it and shoots it with a revolver. One of the scientists rushes in and pleads with Chino not to kill the chromoite, and Chino turns the gun on the scientist. However, he's just playing games and tells the scientist he was only holding the chromoite till he got here. The scientist gets on the radio link connecting earth to chromo and angrily asks why humanity was lied to. The chromoites told earth that their species survive the same way plants do (photosynthesis) and essentially make their own food, but this volunteer they sent to earth killed people. Moreover, the chromoite they sent is actually a scientist and is apparently the key to finding out how to feed the people of chromo. The chromoites were afraid humanity was not going to help them get the food they need. I feel like watching this already sucked away enough of my energy so I won't make elaborate arguments here: this episode is not very good. Silva is a good enough actor for the part, but unfortunately he's trapped in one of The Outer Limits' weakest plots. Even at the climax of the story when the chromoites are revealed to be liars, it's extremely underwhelming to learn this entire debacle was about food. Chino also steps into the teleporter at one point, but passes out for some reason. It just seems like something that had no place in the episode and contributes nothing. If there's anything this episode is truly guilty of, it's having a laughable looking antagonist. The chromoite literally looks like a bipedal piece of snot. I don't know what they were thinking. Overall, I still have the same negative opinion on The Mice as I did when I first saw it, but at least it has a kind of noir feel to it since Silva's character is a criminal and we're meant to empathize with him. It brings it more into line with one of my favorite movie genres.
Inhabitant Exchange
AaronCapenBanner12 March 2016
Henry Silva stars as a prisoner named Chino Rivera serving a life sentence for murder who is given a chance to participate in a unique exchange program with another planet called Chromo that has recently contacted Earth, and left instructions on how the teleportation machine will work. The Chromo comes through first, and is revealed to be a bizarre, gelatinous, crab-clawed biped that proceeds to leave the compound, murdering a scientist in its quest to recreate its food supply in the water. Just how can this thing be stopped, and what is its ultimate plan? Unique monster design to be sure, but overused in the broad daylight, and slow episode is otherwise much too dull.
Good performances, weak supporting premise
retrocollage6 January 2012
Warning: Spoilers
There are some good performances here, but they're marred by a ridiculously weak supporting premise.
This story was produced during the height of the Cold War; so how likely is it that: 1.) such an important project as teleportation would NOT be kept top secret (which would rule out the use of prisoners as test subjects)? 2.) the grounds of a major research organization would NOT be patrolled by military squads, instead of lightly-armed civilian guards in very thin patrols? 3.) trained scientists (whose job is to test the truth of everything) would take the words of an extra-terrestrial civilization at absolute face value, and, without proof, trust that the E-Ts'intentions were peaceful? 4.) an extra-terrestrial being would be allowed to roam the outside world freely, WITHOUT armed military escort or even surveillance?
A more minor point is that due to medical ethics, there has been a long- standing prohibition against prisoners being used as test subjects in what amount to medical experiments (teleportation would be a good example of such experiments), even when they volunteer. Prisoners aren't considered competent to give informed consent to being test subjects; they are not only detained by, but are considered to be under the protection of, the State.
The willing suspension of disbelief is one thing, but a poorly crafted premise is another. The screenwriters give us no incentives really to believe in the story when its premise is so weak.
This story was produced during the height of the Cold War; so how likely is it that: 1.) such an important project as teleportation would NOT be kept top secret (which would rule out the use of prisoners as test subjects)? 2.) the grounds of a major research organization would NOT be patrolled by military squads, instead of lightly-armed civilian guards in very thin patrols? 3.) trained scientists (whose job is to test the truth of everything) would take the words of an extra-terrestrial civilization at absolute face value, and, without proof, trust that the E-Ts'intentions were peaceful? 4.) an extra-terrestrial being would be allowed to roam the outside world freely, WITHOUT armed military escort or even surveillance?
A more minor point is that due to medical ethics, there has been a long- standing prohibition against prisoners being used as test subjects in what amount to medical experiments (teleportation would be a good example of such experiments), even when they volunteer. Prisoners aren't considered competent to give informed consent to being test subjects; they are not only detained by, but are considered to be under the protection of, the State.
The willing suspension of disbelief is one thing, but a poorly crafted premise is another. The screenwriters give us no incentives really to believe in the story when its premise is so weak.
Good Story And Acting
StuOz28 June 2014
A prisoner is asked to be apart of a dangerous experiment.
Not really a favourite episode, in fact for several years I hated it, but a more recent screening went over a bit better as the acting and general story draw you in from beginning to end.
After 15 episodes of quality entertainment, I am sorry to say that the next two or three Limits shows leave one hell of a lot to be desired.
In fact, after watching The Mice I would even consider jumping two or three shows and going straight to the episode: The Invisibles (this one is a total knockout). From The Invisibles onwards the series continues to be very good.
Not really a favourite episode, in fact for several years I hated it, but a more recent screening went over a bit better as the acting and general story draw you in from beginning to end.
After 15 episodes of quality entertainment, I am sorry to say that the next two or three Limits shows leave one hell of a lot to be desired.
In fact, after watching The Mice I would even consider jumping two or three shows and going straight to the episode: The Invisibles (this one is a total knockout). From The Invisibles onwards the series continues to be very good.
A clumsy blob of pudding proves too much to handle for mankind...
fedor822 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
A very interesting premise, but unfortunately some nonsense got in the way.
The biggest piece of nonsense is doubtlessly the fact that the violent pudding alien is allowed to roam freely. That makes absolutely zero sense. Right after being beamed over to Earth it started smashing up the lab and acting like a feral lunatic, and yet they let it simply waltz around as it pleases?! Just how daft are these alleged scientists. As dumb as the writers hope the audiences are, apparently.
Also dumb is the cheesy plot-device of Chino getting caught at the exact location where the alien's victim was lying. In fact, he actually trips on the corpse, which belongs in slapstick comedy not sci-fi drama. We already knew that Chino as a convicted murderer was going to be the fall guy, but to make it this obvious is just ludicrous, totally overboard simplification.
A less obvious flaw but nonetheless illogical is WHY the institute's windows are sealed by a force field. After all, it's not a prison.
Chino's early whining over how he's not being treated with dignity is pretty stupid too; he was undergoing a standard medical exam so what was he whining about: he volunteered, didn't he?
Some time later the monster attacks the nurse, and she very stupidly fails to report this crucial event immediately. No rush to warn everyone that the killer is that huge blob of formless jelly, ey? Really silly. Almost as dumb as the scientists trusting these completely unknown aliens. Almost SJW levels of naivety.
The episode's abysmal failure lies in how EASILY the monster gets everything accomplished, each sabotage and deception going more smoothly than the previous - and all this despite acting without outside help and with no superpowers that might make him a formidable adversary. All thanks to the blithering incompetence and rampant stupidity of the scientists and the cops.
And why the hell did the monster beam over the cop to his planet? It made no sense.
A good premise with solid characters ruined by a dumb plot and clumsy script.
One of several episodes that ends with the narrator blathering about love. What the hell has love got to do with anything here?
Read my reviews of the entire series on my "The Outer Limits (1963-1965) - All Episodes Rated & Reviewed" list.
The biggest piece of nonsense is doubtlessly the fact that the violent pudding alien is allowed to roam freely. That makes absolutely zero sense. Right after being beamed over to Earth it started smashing up the lab and acting like a feral lunatic, and yet they let it simply waltz around as it pleases?! Just how daft are these alleged scientists. As dumb as the writers hope the audiences are, apparently.
Also dumb is the cheesy plot-device of Chino getting caught at the exact location where the alien's victim was lying. In fact, he actually trips on the corpse, which belongs in slapstick comedy not sci-fi drama. We already knew that Chino as a convicted murderer was going to be the fall guy, but to make it this obvious is just ludicrous, totally overboard simplification.
A less obvious flaw but nonetheless illogical is WHY the institute's windows are sealed by a force field. After all, it's not a prison.
Chino's early whining over how he's not being treated with dignity is pretty stupid too; he was undergoing a standard medical exam so what was he whining about: he volunteered, didn't he?
Some time later the monster attacks the nurse, and she very stupidly fails to report this crucial event immediately. No rush to warn everyone that the killer is that huge blob of formless jelly, ey? Really silly. Almost as dumb as the scientists trusting these completely unknown aliens. Almost SJW levels of naivety.
The episode's abysmal failure lies in how EASILY the monster gets everything accomplished, each sabotage and deception going more smoothly than the previous - and all this despite acting without outside help and with no superpowers that might make him a formidable adversary. All thanks to the blithering incompetence and rampant stupidity of the scientists and the cops.
And why the hell did the monster beam over the cop to his planet? It made no sense.
A good premise with solid characters ruined by a dumb plot and clumsy script.
One of several episodes that ends with the narrator blathering about love. What the hell has love got to do with anything here?
Read my reviews of the entire series on my "The Outer Limits (1963-1965) - All Episodes Rated & Reviewed" list.
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