The nice Jillucians have had their planet invaded by the wicked Gavanas. So, in desperation, they toss a whole bunch of glowing magic walnuts into the sky--where they fly across the galaxy in search of patsies willing to help them in their fight against the Gavanas. Eventually, a group of supposed misfits come to their aid--and using the power of the Force (or whatever it's supposed to be) they lead a battle for niceness....which is pretty important because the craptastic Gavanas now have their sights on Earth itself! If all this sounds a bit familiar, it's because it's a reworking of the plot from "Star Wars". However, in every possible way it's inferior and stupid....very stupid. The special effects are just abysmal. Comparing the artistry of "Star Wars" to "Message From Space" is like comparing the Mona Lisa to a velvet Elvis painting! The acting is also pretty bad...no, actually, it's horrible. The annoying daddy's girl is a character you just want to strangle--she's THAT grating on the nerves. The rest aren't very good, either, but at least they didn't fill me with hate! This isn't a glowing endorsement, however, as most of them suck--really, really suck. Overacting, over-emoting and ineptitude abound. It's also sad to see Sonny Chiba in this film, though he did have a pattern of making some GREAT martial arts films as well as really crappy fantasy/sci-fi films.So is any of this not terrible? Well, the music isn't bad. It's no "Star Wars" but some of it's decent--and seems strongly inspired from the music from "Once Upon a Time in the West" (seriously). I also like the narrator's nice soothing voice. I know this isn't much...but I am trying to be nice and find some positives.By the way, get a load of the big baddie's mother. In some close-ups, you can see her nose is simply some really crappy putty--one of the worst makeup jobs I've ever seen. Also, if you want to see a DELIBERATELY funny and more enjoyable "Star Wars" knockoff, try watching "Thumb Wars"--it's a hoot. Also, no matter how bad "Message From Space" is, it's STILL better than the infamous "Star Wars Holiday Special"!!

This movie was ready for release in Japan when Star Wars was released.If this film "rips off" anything, it's "The Seven Samurai".And, since Star Wars is a blatant "rip off" of two or three Japanese films - mostly Kurosawa's "Hidden Fortress", but also somewhat his "Yojimbo" - and took other major action bits - the attack on the Death Star, for instance - from English World War 2 films, accusing *anything* of being "a STAR WARS ripoff" simply shows how little the accuser knows of film history.Extra line.Extra line.

Okay, fans, here's a few clear-up moments for you.How did Vic Morrow get in this movie? He needed the money and wanted the vacation. Like Nick Adams before him, he wasn't exactly at the top of his career. He had little inkling though that The Twilight Zone movie was in his near future..Did Star Wars rip off anything from this movie? NO, since it was already made. The Japanese control distribution very carefully, and when they saw the grosses from SW they were in shock. They then summarily blocked it from the Japanese market for long enough for this film to be made. And by the way, the "Death Star Trench" was stolen from the British film "633 Squadron" along with some of its dialog. So, in fact, STAR WARS ripped of this and a bunch of other movies that people who really have seen a lot of movies could name.As for Philip Casnoff, I met him in NY when he was doing, of all things, SHOGUN - THE MUSICAL. I saw him at the stage door (he was wearing an exquisite calf-length coat and a matching hat..) and gave him (again, of all things..) a SHOGUN WARRIORS Liabe (the main ship in the movie). He said "Where the hell did you get this?" and went back through the stage door. I hear him saying "Hey you gotta see this. Some guy just gave me a miniature of a ship from some shitty Japanese movie I did years ago!" Then he came back out and we had a long talk about the movie. Keep in mind, this is the same guy who payed (and sang) the most authentic Frank Sinatra in USA TV's biopic.Is it a bad movie? What does that mean, objectively? I like it. I actually liked it enough to see it four or five times, once in a '70s sticky-floored Times Square theater populated by the first generation of Americas' crackheads and 40 drinkers.It doesn't have the best special effects of its era, but I thought the Bengal tigers in Gladiator looked like cartoons. I love the fake silver stuck-on nose on the warlords' mom's face..the extensive pyro effects, especially the Alliance space carrier. Enjoy it for what it is: an action adventure space opera created to drain off some STAR WARS money.Post Script: I got a chance to see the Japanese original version of this movie, subtitled. It's a completely different movie,mostly because the translation corrects and explains a LOT.Spoiler alert: like, why Philip Casnoff's character doesn't want to fight...why the rich girl is rich...and a whole lot of other stuff that would raise the rating of this movie by a point if viewers had seen the CORRECT version instead of the shortened (but not by much) and mistranslated version seen on TV and in the movies. It's literally a whole different movie.

I saw a Kabuki production in Tokyo in August, 2006. Read the 2nd half of the plot synopsis shown below. It is very clear to me that the business with the glowing walnuts, and the "chosen" ones (dog warriors, below) coming together to fight the good fight, was based on this Kabuki plot."Hakkenden: the original novel is an immense epic by 19th century novelist Takizawa Bakin published over many years, but eventually reaching one-hundred and sixty volumes. The Satomi clan is being attacked and its lord offers his daughter Princess Fuse to the warrior that will bring him the head of the enemy. It is his loyal dog that kills and beheads the enemy and, saying that her father must not go back on his word, Princess Fuse goes with the dog. Nevertheless, the Satomi clan is defeated and one of its loyal retainers goes to rescue Princess Fuse, shooting the dog, but unfortunately shooting Princess Fuse as well. The eight crystal beads of her rosary, each engraved with the Chinese characters of one of the Confucian virtues, goes flying through the air. Miraculously, each will be found with a newborn baby. These eight children, all of whom have the character inu for "dog" in their names, eventually meet and join together to restore the Satomi clan. The play features all the stars of the company and follows the adventures of the eight dog warriors as they meet and gradually join together, leading to a climactic fight on the roof of a dizzyingly high tower."