Plot: What’s it about?
In War of the Robots, we’re shown an alien race with some serious problems, ones that could spell the end of their kind. But these martians have no desire to vanish without a fight, so a plan is struck to solve their more pressing issues. The aliens need masterful genetic scientists in order to keep hope alive, but they’re out of luck within their own kind. So of course, a squadron of humanoid robots is sent down to Earth, with a plan to not only get the needed scientists, but to get the best ones around. After they’ve kidnapped the scientists, it seems as though their worries are over, but that isn’t the case. Can a team of commandos take on the aliens, rescue the scientists, and restore Earth’s reputation? In War of the Planets, we find ourselves with a pretty similar picture, though the presence of Hammer Studios’ regular John Richardson breaks the tedium. Once again, the fate of an entire world, perhaps even the entire galaxy rests with normal men & women, who must rise above to overcome their foes.
This two disc set houses a pair of sci/fi epics so bad, you can’t help laugh your fool head off, as they’re simply too bad to believe. Now that might cause some folks to avoid this release, but for fans of schlock cinema, especially lovers of bad, low budget sci/fi, Retromedia has given us two “so bad they’re hilarious” jewels. Both of these Italian clunkers were made by director Alfonso Brescia and producer Luigi Alessi, who were known for their plentiful attempts to cash in on the Star Wars craze with low rent sci/fi productions of their own. As you can imagine, the special effects come off as laughable, the performances are atrocious, and the productions just seem to have been slapped together, which was probably the case. But as bad as War of the Robots & War of the Planets are, I had a blast watching them and when I invited over some film buff friends, it was a night loaded with fun and laughter. You’ll need a sense of humor and hopefully a taste for sci/fi, but rest assured, you’ll have a ball with these two movies, perhaps two of the most unintentionally hilarious sci/fi movies to ever be produced. And since Retromedia has issued both in this collection for a low price, why not take a chance on a couple of bad movies?
Video: How does it look?
The films are presented in full frame transfers and while I am sure they were once projected in theaters, I have no clue as to the intended aspect ratios involved. I can tell you that War of the Planets begins in a 1.66:1 widescreen version, then opens up to full frame, so perhaps these are open matte editions, but I can’t be certain. I can tell you that while the images in both cases are less than impressive, I was surprised by how good they looked, as these kind of movies were shot on bad stock for no money, so they were doomed from the start. The visuals look soft and fuzzy throughout, though grain isn’t as bad as expected and in the end, even the prints seem to be in solid condition. But the softness is what sinks these transfers, though like I said, we have to judge these treatments on a different scale.
Audio: How does it sound?
Just as I discussed with the video, the audio here is limited because of the productions’ lack of talent & resources, but comes across in decent enough fashion. The sound effects are the most insane & hilarious ones ever heard in sci/fi, which is a real compliment, since the genre is home to some really stupid ones, after all. The music is just as much fun, usually with liberal doses of other movies’ soundtracks tossed in, with minor alterations made to avoid lawsuits. The dialogue is audible and stable, though with how bad some of the lines are, you might wish it wasn’t. All in all, solid audio for two movies that don’t need much beyond just that.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes no bonus materials.
