I was brought up in the seventies and by stupid coincidence I found a box of The Six Million Dollar Man. I remember it from my youth but was afraid to pick it up, I had seen so many old series that didn't stand their time. Before I would start with the series of The Six Million Dollar Man I wanted to pick up this flick. This is were it all started with. The original version is still available on VHS but the re-edited version was brought out on DVD under the name 'The Moon And The Desert' and it's exactly what this flick did, going to the moon and rescuing a prisoner in the desert.The first 45 minutes is were you see how Steve Austin (Lee Majors) got involved in his terrible accident. And this is a must see. Okay, it's based on the book Cyborg by Caidin. But the editing of his accident and going to the moon was edited with real footage of the crash of the Northrop M2-F2. It did work out fine and still works nowadays. Once his accident happened it's decided that Steve needs some robot arm to become a cyborg, even his legs and eye were replaced making him the six million dollar man. The second half of this flick Steve had to agree with making him some cyborg and starts to life with it which results in being given orders to use his strength. Some pieces were a bit slow but the acting was top notch, Lee Majors surely gives the feeling that he can't go on with his new body but once he's used to the prosthetics the six million dollar man is (re)born.The score used is a bit out dated and the traditional bionics sound effects are not heard in this film, what they did was the use of slow-motion, another thing that became a trademark for the series. Just after this flick Barbara Anderson (Joan Kahn) made the horror Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark. Weird to see is that the personalities used here was played by actors never appearing again in the series but what a popular names they were, Martin Balsam (Dr. Rudy Wells) of Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) fame and Darren McGavin (Oliver Spencer) , he is most fondly remembered by cult TV fans as heroic newspaper reporter Carl Kolchak in the classic but short-lived horror TV series Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974-75), both sadly died.This is a must see with some effects still used today, just watch when his arm is injured during a rescue, and long before the Cyborg flicks from the Cannon Group became notorious in the eighties. Recommended for all sci-fi geeks. Even as it had a few mistakes in editing, suddenly 2 moonwalkers while Steve is on his own, and script, his bionic eye wasn't used even as they showed it a lot. Gore 0/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 4/5 Story 4/5 Comedy 0/5

Steve Austin is a rebellious NASA test-pilot who is critically injured in a horrific crash, losing both legs, his right arm and his left eye in the process. His doctor, with the backing of a mysterious government agent, uses experimental prosthetic surgery to give him new limbs and a new eye, which will give him superhuman strength and sight. The surgery is a success, but what does the government have planned for him ? This pilot TV-movie for one of the most successful US TV series of the seventies is a surprisingly low-key but intriguing story, with a great central idea. The rotten intelligence services want a super-agent, capable of incredible feats of strength and agility, who can infiltrate situations by stealth where a team of operatives could not. Their solution - take a man as good as dead and rebuild him as a cyborg; a bionic man with artificial limbs and senses infinitely more powerful than a normal man. Henri Simoun's script, based on a book by Martin Caidin, is really just a three-character play (Anderson, as a bit of totty, is pretty but unnecessary) between the unwilling roboman (Majors), his doctor (the always-reliable Balsam) and a control agent (McGavin), but it explores the Frankenstein theme with surprising subtlety and the relatively few action scenes are handled well. Also good, in the classic seventies style, is the depiction of government as ruthless strategists with limitless resources and no compassion - they see their creation not as a man, but as their product, which is only worth having if it is an asset to their operations. Perhaps a little too sober and ponderous at times, but a great story nonetheless.

The TV movie that led to "The Six Million Dollar Man" becoming one of the biggest hits of the 1970s, and being fondly remembered by many who were the right age at the time (not least me - I still remember playing with my Steve Austin doll), is strikingly different from what would come. Admittedly the series was hardly a laugh riot, but the source was even straighter, with nothing to indicate that Col. Austin would eventually acquire a bionic girlfriend (and dog) and meet the likes of Bigfoot, a double, and alien killer machines. (We won't mention that "Sweet Jaime" song.)Not only does Henri Simoun's teleplay furnish our hero with some actual doubt over how much of a human being he is now, but the relationship between him and his superior officer is less chummy - no benevolent Oscar Goldman of the OSI here, instead the OSO's colder Spencer (Darren McGavin, easily taking the acting honours). Plus, when Steve is eventually sent into the field, it's surprisingly straightforward - the movie emphasises drama over derring-do (note the lack of DANANANANANANA sound effects). This isn't always for the best; the actual crash isn't as effective as it could have been, and 30 years on some elements have dated somewhat - who'd be so casual about a nuclear-powered motor today? - but if ultimately it's not as much fun as the series, it's also a bit more thoughtful.Footnotes: This movie was edited into two parts and shown on the series as "The Moon And The Desert." More importantly, no one here calls him "a man barely alive," let alone says "We can rebuild him" or "We have the technology."

Great show. Fans from the airing of the original show never forget it! Re-airing of the show in countries around the globe garner each time a new flush of fans. There are SO MANY web sites dedicated not only to the show, its lead actors,but the concept of bionics, too. Most discussions about the series occurs at these sites.'Everyone' is waiting (with baited breath) for a theatrical movie to be made of the original show concept conceived by Martin Caidin, explored in the TV movie / first episode pilot Cy'borg / Moon and the Desert.Fabulously original sci-fi idea, which is believable and outlandish both at the same time. Part of the show's appeal was the exploration of the human side of 'the machine', and individual identity. It is this element that spans the years, remains current and absorbing to fans, as well as aspects of where science could take us in the future. The show covered so many bases from flying and space, to scientific discoveries, communication technology, paranormal elements, and the action,spy and political thriller genre were also well mined for story ideas. The show appealed to adults and children alike. (Of course another huge appeal factor it has to be acknowledged was the lead actor, Lee Majors!)