Travel to find your home
Added 7/9/2009
This Journey is a search in reverse, pardon the pun. It is a discovery of a world where everything depends on your perspective and vantage point. Close your eves before you blur your vision. Our travellers leave and find they share a portion of a universe not so unique, that they aren't unique and how everything is in perfect balance - not what we tell ourselves! We need to be special, and existing 'on purpose'. When you have a double then what purpose fits? Perhaps to just be different again, or just to get back where you belong. Can we cope with the wierd discoveries that space travel risks?
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Too Bad, Really!
Added 7/7/2009
This would be a good movie if only it had a decent plot. The acting is there, the special effects are top-notch for the time, the spy-eye camera sequence is Bond worthy, but the basic story at the heart of the action is severely flawed on different levels. For beginners, there is no science in this science/fiction flick. Picture, if you can, a world in which manned flights to Mars are a part of history, but also in which no one has bothered to notice the planet opposing Earth in the same orbit. This is sooo wrong. Alright, fans of the worlds of Gerry Anderson, like me, are used to such physical impossibilities and scientific lapses. However, even if you accept the conventions of this "world", you are still left with a hugely annoying plot complication - - while the astronauts are in a pre-programmed state of suspended animation during most of their "journey", in the course of post-landing interrogation, one of them is accused of having turned the ship around mid-mission. What!!?? I watch this and feel sorry for Roy Thinnes, who did a good job with material not worthy of his talent. The ending is also a disappointing bust. Still, for die-hard fans of Gerry Anderson's creations I do recommend this film. It is eye-pleasing, stupid fun punctuated with some decent performances from several familiar faces, including Lynn Lorring, Ed Bishop, and George Sewell. Shame MST3K never got hold of this.
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Like a 'Night Gallery' Episode with decent effects.
Added 6/5/2009
There's some decent sci-fi metaphysics, but nothing that approaches the best Outer Limits episodes or even something like "The Terminator." Even for a camp / cult film there's just not a lot here to hang on to. It goes without saying that the characters are totally dull and lifeless. But the screenwriters did not even begin to explore the wonderful possibilities of their material. All in all, not very memorable. But, I'd snatch it up before it disappears again if this is your type of thing. Great sets and the feel is just perfectly 1969.
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JOURNEY TO THE FAR SIDE?
Added 6/4/2009
THIS IS A GREAT EARLY SCI-FI MOVIE THAT PLANTS THE SEED IF ANOTHER
PLANET TYPE EARTH EXISTS. THE MOVIE QUIRKS WHEN ROY THINNES SEES HIMSELF IN HIS MIRROR SHAVING AND BEGINS TO WONDER WHAT REALLY HAPPENED ON HIS SPACE SHIP JOURNEY.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS MOVIE!!!!!
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Buy it ONLY if you must complete your collection...
Added 4/10/2009
This movie was released on 10/1969, but started filming during 1968. It generated a great number of the miniatures and props that would be used just months later in Gerry Anderson's UFO TV series (which began production in 04/1969). Additionally, a few of the actors joined that production. Thus, it's easy to make comparisons... but I think that is unfair, because this is a movie--not a series episode. A different kind of focus and treatment is done. In a general way, it is a better work than the UFO TV series because of that. UFO had a couple of key problems, mostly with the script dialog, mostly flat acting, and very abrupt endings.
The most glaring problem with "Doppelganger" is the idea of a mirror version of the Earth, in the exact opposite orbit. It is physically impossible as there is no gravitational lock to prevent 'drift'--one planet catching up to the other. Anybody with just a little knowledge of astrophysics would know this. Even if we accept this preposterous idea, certainly we could send a more advanced communication probe so that we might communicate with them? This idea isn't even explored... even if they dreamed up some kind of "solar blockage" issue preventing it from working, there's no reason why two probes could be sent out to solve that problem. Since it is an "opposite" world, they'd send the probes in opposite directions, thus their paths would never cross (as what happened to the astronauts). This is of course ignoring the fact that speech is exempt from being spoken in reverse... obviously this would be much harder to enact. Anyway, if you can overlook these glaring faults, the movie is enjoyable.
**SPOILER ALERT**
"Doppelganger" did have a fairly abrupt ending that left me unsatisfied. From a logical standpoint, it was highly flawed. Even if the polarity of electrical systems was reversed and "shorted out" radio communications (but not the rest of the systems--curious enough, as the vehicle could still maneuver), any vehicle capable of remote control would have a physical cut-off switch for full manual control. Even if we assume that they goofed and it is fully electrically driven and that control unit is fried, the fact is that remote control requires communications to receive and process signals. No doubt the radio communications would leverage the same system, so he should still be able to communicate with ground based control. Then... if they find they can't communicate and the re-entry vehicle is not responding properly to controls (it is coming in at too steep an angle and speed), why continue the forced remote control? Even still, they have radar imaging and can see how fast the vehicle is coming in... the rocket tower shield should have been closed as a measure of precaution. But no, these glaring faults are left to force a particular ending... the spacecraft crashes and destroys the entire EUROSEC installation.
If I had the chance to author the ending, it would go like this: Ross is able to communicate enough information to EUROSEC about the 'complete reversal' he witnesses at the Phoenix, so the suspicion is confirmed. But then, he docks and doesn't realize the danger of reversed polarity--his communication system is then shorted out. Ross decides to return to Earth and makes his descent. He repeats requests for telemetry for a proper trajectory, but he gets no response. He continues on a previous path he assumes will be correct. As he comes within range, the strength of the tracking station signal manages to get through and automatically takes computer control of his vehicle. Because of the previous damage, it doesn't function properly... Ross has only moments to disengage and go to full manual, which he does--but it's too late. The vehicle is out of control and crashes into a fiery mess, taking Ross with it. EUROSEC survives, but Webb remains disturbed about the whole incident. There is a meeting to discuss another mission, but it is scrubbed due to insufficient funds. Webb gazes at photographs of the solar system, frustrated that he'll never learn anything more about the "parallel" Earth. At least with an ending like this, we're left being able to see the characters consider what they've learned but remain unable to do anything about it. The mystery will prevail.
**END SPOILER**
This story did have a lot of potential and some of it was handled well for its time. Despite the obvious signs of miniature models and sets, the production values are excellent ("Doppelganger" was nominated for an Academy Award for special effects, unjustly losing to the movie "Marooned").
Character development is relatively weak, despite some excellent actors in the cast (like Roy Thinnes). The space scenes seem desperate to emulate the production values of "2001: A Space Odyssey", which would be an impossible task (not only budget-wise but for the talent required).
Overall, to watch it is a fun trip back in time to classic late 60's sci-fi productions. It does hold up well in that regard. But after watching it once, one gets the feeling that it will be placed in a box and not watched again for many years. So, overall I'm giving this production 3 stars (***). Worth watching for the sake of the genre, but not worth buying new (buy it used, rent it, or borrow it).
Incidentally, if you'd like to see a pictoral exploration of the movie, check out the review on Belligerent Bunny (http://bbbms.blogspot.com/2003_09_27_archive.html).
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Travel to find your home
Added 7/9/2009
This Journey is a search in reverse, pardon the pun. It is a discovery of a world where everything depends on your perspective and vantage point. Close your eves before you blur your vision. Our travellers leave and find they share a portion of a universe not so unique, that they aren't unique and how everything is in perfect balance - not what we tell ourselves! We need to be special, and existing 'on purpose'. When you have a double then what purpose fits? Perhaps to just be different again, or just to get back where you belong. Can we cope with the wierd discoveries that space travel risks?
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Too Bad, Really!
Added 7/7/2009
This would be a good movie if only it had a decent plot. The acting is there, the special effects are top-notch for the time, the spy-eye camera sequence is Bond worthy, but the basic story at the heart of the action is severely flawed on different levels. For beginners, there is no science in this science/fiction flick. Picture, if you can, a world in which manned flights to Mars are a part of history, but also in which no one has bothered to notice the planet opposing Earth in the same orbit. This is sooo wrong. Alright, fans of the worlds of Gerry Anderson, like me, are used to such physical impossibilities and scientific lapses. However, even if you accept the conventions of this "world", you are still left with a hugely annoying plot complication - - while the astronauts are in a pre-programmed state of suspended animation during most of their "journey", in the course of post-landing interrogation, one of them is accused of having turned the ship around mid-mission. What!!?? I watch this and feel sorry for Roy Thinnes, who did a good job with material not worthy of his talent. The ending is also a disappointing bust. Still, for die-hard fans of Gerry Anderson's creations I do recommend this film. It is eye-pleasing, stupid fun punctuated with some decent performances from several familiar faces, including Lynn Lorring, Ed Bishop, and George Sewell. Shame MST3K never got hold of this.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Like a 'Night Gallery' Episode with decent effects.
Added 6/5/2009
There's some decent sci-fi metaphysics, but nothing that approaches the best Outer Limits episodes or even something like "The Terminator." Even for a camp / cult film there's just not a lot here to hang on to. It goes without saying that the characters are totally dull and lifeless. But the screenwriters did not even begin to explore the wonderful possibilities of their material. All in all, not very memorable. But, I'd snatch it up before it disappears again if this is your type of thing. Great sets and the feel is just perfectly 1969.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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