Comely but nefarious females from space (aided by bald henchmen wearing sunglasses and long leather jackets) are abducting humans and shrinking them down to doll-size in order to harvest their organs for a perfect race. Director Antonio Margheriti's first in a series of 1960s sci-fi mini-epics, filmed simultaneously and reusing many of the same actors, costumes, and groovy props. Distributed Stateside by M-G-M as "Wild, Wild Planet"--the opening credits adding "The" to its title--Margheriti's efforts ultimately prove humorless to science-fiction connoisseurs unimpressed with the toy-like miniatures and wooden, occasionally campy lines of dialogue. For others seeking a colorful, glittery blast from the past, the film proves to be an amazing little ride: at times intentionally funny, always good to look at, and cast with lots of sexy women and handsome, virile men. The plushness of the art direction and production belie any sense of financial strain, as the pop-art colors swirl about the screen (it's most certainly a visual treat). The plot isn't exactly involving, nor need it be. What we are offered here is a live-action, comic-strip vision of an orderly futuristic society beset with the usual villains and a mad scientist at the helm (a dead-ringer for Rex Harrison who, in the film's oddest touch, hopes to fuse himself together with a curvy female lieutenant!). Great fun, provided your brain is in check and your nostalgia radar is higher than your expectations. **1/2 from ****

This Italian sci-fi movie was filmed at the same time as two other Italian sci-fi movies--the names are listed on IMDb. While this was done for economy sake, it also made the three movies seem very similar--in other words BAD! I don't know if I have a strong enough stomach to watch them all, but at least taking a quick look is worth your time if you are a bad movie fan.Now as for the plot, I found it all very confusing and irrelevant. There was something about a mad scientist doing eugenics experiments on people as well as shrinking them. Yeah, whatever. Instead, what I loved was the crazy mid-1960s Italian sets, makeup and costumes. They were so over the top and silly and EXCESSIVE that the film was like what you'd expect if you combined Liberace's home with Star Wars! The blue eye shadow, the vinyl clothes, the silly "modern" cars, etc. were all so laughably bad--making the sets for BARBARELLA look tame and understated!!! The bottom line is that the story and dialog totally stink but the awfulness of the set designs make the whole silly thing worth a look. I particularly liked all the bald guys in sunglasses with four arms as well as at the end when the entire evil lair was destroyed by pink Kool-Aid! A truly bizarre and pointless film that pops out off the screen due to its garishness.

Maybe I was REALLY ready to be entertained, but I saw this for the first time early this morning, after a night spent dealing with bad heartburn and an "iffy" stomach. At first I was happy to find a good "background noise" to fall asleep to, but then I actually got into it. Between the spaceship and "future car" models that look like they came right out of a Quisp box, and the stilted "mod" English the translators came up with for the dubbed version, this thing is really funny. Best line: The commander and two other "good guys" are wrestling around what looks like a dorm room with 3 buxom, long-haired lovelies (who are all mysteriously wearing what look like black swim trunks under their long, groovy '70s dresses). The commander warns his men to "Watch out for those gadgets on their chests! Priceless.

Not a bad variation of THE MYSTERIANS crossed with BRAVE NEW WORLD with little WESTWORLD tossed in. I have to say the sets were pretty darn impressive in design for such a low low budget. How many indies have we all sat through that don't even try? Seriously, it surprises me that so many people can see the entertainment value in current day schlock like SKY CAPTAIN, BLADE:TRINITY or THE FORGOTTEN but don't get as big a kick out of vintage stuff like WILD WILD PLANET. For me, I'd rather see it in a low budget film than in a crass Studio product (emphasis on "Product"). But, hey, I loved THE APPLE!Director Anthony Margheriti was a prolific Italian filmmaker who did a series of 60's SF films and WILD WILD PLANET may have been the best. The film is slow in developing, and you have to question such an extensive use of miniatures when they rarely work (if at all). Still, it's a reminder that it's too bad Italy (and really the rest of the world outside of Asia) have basically given up on trying to compete with the U.S. in the SF genre.