One of the first revelations that this was going to be a fun camp film was it's setting in the way distant future of 1980, replete with space age jargon and a goal to find out what's been happening to prior lost space missions. I found myself making comparisons between "The Phantom Planet" and the TV Series "Star Trek"; Planet had a very similar look and feel to Trek once the action moved to the planet Raton. But what a difference the ensuing five years made, as any single Trek episode blows this film away in story content and quality.
Astronauts Frank Chapman (Dean Fredericks) and Ray Makonnen (Richard Weber) are sent out from Lunar Base 1 to determine what's happened to a couple of ships that simply disappeared in outer space. A meteor storm damages their propulsion system, and while making repairs, Chapman is knocked unconscious by a stray light flash, and Makonnen loses his grip on the Pegasus IV and floats away reciting the Lord's Prayer (undeniably a prayer of thanks for getting him out of this). Later, while gaining his wits, one of the scenes in Chapman's delirium is seeing his partner float away in space exactly the way it happened, even though he was unconscious at the time!
With the Pegasus IV captured by a gravity ray, the ship is brought down to the living planet Raton, where miniature people marvel at the gigantic newcomer. Shortly after though, Chapman shrinks down to their size, a result of the planet's atmosphere. In retrospect, there really seems to have been no reason for this plot device, as all the remaining action doesn't rely on what size the characters are.
Of course the newcomer is tested by his captors, put on trial for "harming" one of them, and is punished by allowing him freedom on Raton with his choice of two beautiful women (Colleen Gray and Dolores Faith). Chapman is no Captain Kirk, and he can't be moved by the wiles of his female companions, all the while trying to figure out how to get back home. In the mean time, he must battle a jealous Ratonian (Ratonite?) in hand to hand combat, and team up with him to defeat the threat of an evil Solarite (Richard Kiel in a wild alien costume).
"The Phantom Planet" is a blast, and you'll have fun with it as long as you have patience and a good sense of humor. I have to say the film had me right from the start. What other movie can you name that uses the word "azimuth" even once, while here it's referenced a good half dozen times!
Astronauts Frank Chapman (Dean Fredericks) and Ray Makonnen (Richard Weber) are sent out from Lunar Base 1 to determine what's happened to a couple of ships that simply disappeared in outer space. A meteor storm damages their propulsion system, and while making repairs, Chapman is knocked unconscious by a stray light flash, and Makonnen loses his grip on the Pegasus IV and floats away reciting the Lord's Prayer (undeniably a prayer of thanks for getting him out of this). Later, while gaining his wits, one of the scenes in Chapman's delirium is seeing his partner float away in space exactly the way it happened, even though he was unconscious at the time!
With the Pegasus IV captured by a gravity ray, the ship is brought down to the living planet Raton, where miniature people marvel at the gigantic newcomer. Shortly after though, Chapman shrinks down to their size, a result of the planet's atmosphere. In retrospect, there really seems to have been no reason for this plot device, as all the remaining action doesn't rely on what size the characters are.
Of course the newcomer is tested by his captors, put on trial for "harming" one of them, and is punished by allowing him freedom on Raton with his choice of two beautiful women (Colleen Gray and Dolores Faith). Chapman is no Captain Kirk, and he can't be moved by the wiles of his female companions, all the while trying to figure out how to get back home. In the mean time, he must battle a jealous Ratonian (Ratonite?) in hand to hand combat, and team up with him to defeat the threat of an evil Solarite (Richard Kiel in a wild alien costume).
"The Phantom Planet" is a blast, and you'll have fun with it as long as you have patience and a good sense of humor. I have to say the film had me right from the start. What other movie can you name that uses the word "azimuth" even once, while here it's referenced a good half dozen times!