Strong technical production values highlight this passable science fiction offering from the '50s, which is good because it lacks both action and excitement. The budget is a big hindrance in that the special effects of the space-fungus going on a rampage really are dire; a moving sheet with some lumps of rubber stuck to it does not make a threatening menace in my opinion, nor does the sight of a pizza coming out of someone's suitcase. Despite the flaws and lack of any worthwhile B-movie thrills, the film is watchable thanks to a strong cast and their well-developed characters. For once in a '50s film we grow to like and have an interest in the characters involved, whether it be Lyn Thomas's "Typhoid Mary" character, a woman who unknowingly carries the extraterrestrial bacteria upon her, or Robert Ellis as the driver-turned-hero. Strong character turns from Bill Williams - as the stern, deadly serious John Hand - and Paul Frees as the angry and love-struck scientist highlight the rest of the supporting cast to good effect.
Unfortunately the title is something of a misnomer, seeing as this is a purely earthbound thriller with little in the way of sci-fi elements. Instead, much of the film opts for a hard-boiled detective story approach with only a few moments in dingy laboratories or with rampaging monsters. The pacing is fast and the music under worked but effective and the dialogue sharp. Never does the film become boring or outstay its welcome, as the short running means the film is compacted down into a series of short, often gripping scenes. The military investigation into the fungus is kept interesting thanks to the aforementioned characters and events culminate in a thrilling episode on a plane, where the virus gets loose. Sadly this is followed by an unexplained conclusion; one moment we see the fungus covering the plane, the next it has disappeared and everyone is walking away into the sunset happily. What?! I guess they really did run out of budget at the end of the film and just had to tie it up as quickly as possible, no matter how unsatisfactory that might be. Otherwise, SPACE MASTER X-7 is an intelligent, non-campy and effective '50s thriller surprising in its maturity considering the cheesy theme.
Unfortunately the title is something of a misnomer, seeing as this is a purely earthbound thriller with little in the way of sci-fi elements. Instead, much of the film opts for a hard-boiled detective story approach with only a few moments in dingy laboratories or with rampaging monsters. The pacing is fast and the music under worked but effective and the dialogue sharp. Never does the film become boring or outstay its welcome, as the short running means the film is compacted down into a series of short, often gripping scenes. The military investigation into the fungus is kept interesting thanks to the aforementioned characters and events culminate in a thrilling episode on a plane, where the virus gets loose. Sadly this is followed by an unexplained conclusion; one moment we see the fungus covering the plane, the next it has disappeared and everyone is walking away into the sunset happily. What?! I guess they really did run out of budget at the end of the film and just had to tie it up as quickly as possible, no matter how unsatisfactory that might be. Otherwise, SPACE MASTER X-7 is an intelligent, non-campy and effective '50s thriller surprising in its maturity considering the cheesy theme.