Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (Widescreen)
Starring: John Brady, Kevin Murphy, Trace Beaulieu, Jim Mallon, Michael J. NelsonDirector: Jim Mallon
Studio: Universal Studios
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Running Time: 75 minutes
DVD Release: May 6th 2008
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DVD Review
From the makers of the highly successful cult classic TV series comes Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie - one of the most outrageous, most irreverent, and most hilarious big-screen spoofs ever! A mad scientist, in his quest for world domination, concocts a diabolical scheme to subject the human race to the worst movie ever made: 1955's This Island Earth. It's up to one test subject's quick wit, sharp sense of humor, and utter intolerance for cinematic garbage to foil the plans of the scientist and to save the Earth. Experience the hijinks and low jabs of Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie - where the worse the movie is, the better time you'll have!
User Reviews
Soooo funny! - Rating: 5/5
This movie is hysterical. It stays true to the original show and is just great in general.
MST3K - The Movie - latest edition - Rating: 4/5
Hello. Since I am a true MST3K fan I am not going to describe the movie, This Island Earth. It is a well-known movie and their are plenty of descriptions available on the internet.
Rather, I would like to focus on the MST3K production itself. This is definitely an enjoyable MST3K production as are most, if not all, of their productions.
As a fan, there are some things that I would have changed but I think that the MST3K people were trying to appeal to a wide audience and draw in other people that might not have been as familiar with the show as the fans are familiar.
Any MST3K fan will tell you that the show on TV wasn't long enough. Bear in mind, that we are talking about a show that filled a 2-hr time slot. So, that is probably my biggest complaint with this big screen production. The whole thing, including credits is something like 70-75 minutes long. They should have included a short or additional breaks with skits.
I am also sad that TV's Frank did not make an appearance. I know he left the show right around that time but it would have been nice if he stuck around just to be in this movie. I was also a little disappointed that familiar MST3K personnel like Paul Chaplin, Bridget Jones and Mary Jo Pehl did not make appearances in skits like they typically do on the TV shows.
It is a shame that this movie didn't do very well in the theaters but I think that is largely due to the promotion of it. They certainly could have promoted it more but I think the movie should have been treated like a new Rocky Horror Picture Show complete with audience participation.
As far as this specific release is concerned the picture quality is clear. There is nothing wrong with this release. The widescreen format is much better than previous commercial releases of this movie. I only wish that they would have included some bonus features.
In closing, if you are a fan of this stuff like I am you will definitely enjoy this experiment. It is certainly worth getting, watching and having.
Outstanding service! - Rating: 5/5
The quality of the dvd was and is excellent and the arrival time was very quick. Thank you very much!
"So The Aliens Live In Hooterville?" - Rating: 4/5
Filmed at Energy Park Studios in St. Paul, Minnesota, this Mystery Science Theater 3000 big screen adaptation of 1955's "This Island Earth" will tickle the fancy of any aficionado of the show, fan of science fiction, or lover of comedy. The plotline is essentially unchanged from the brilliant TV show, although sets are more extensive and costly. In this iteration Dr. Forrester (Trace Beaulieu) taunts his test subjects Mike Nelson, Crow T. Robot (also Trace Beaulieu), and Tom Servo (Kevin Murphy) with the classic sci-fi film about atomic power, aliens with giant foreheads, and huge mutant insects, in an effort to break their wills, an effort that, predictably, fails.
"This Island Earth" follows Dr. Cal Meacham (Rex Reason) and Dr. Ruth Adams (Faith Domergue) as they journey to the planet of Metaluna with giant foreheaded Exeter (Jeff Morrow,) who is on a mission to save his home planet from destruction by meteors. The Metalunans are much advanced over humans, but need the help of Meacham and Adams for purposes of obtaining uranium to shield their planet from destruction. The thing that's most interesting about this film is that they spend a whopping total of about five minutes on Metaluna before Exeter, Meacham, and Adams start back toward Earth. It's like they go to the planet, tell the ruler "no, we won't help you" and promptly leave. All this makes for a movie with a very short running time and even with the MST3K host segments the final product is only 74 minutes long, which is a bit of a disappointment considering the original unedited version of "This Island Earth" is 87 minutes long.
The choice of material was controversial both within the MST3K camp and with fans. The film was readily and cheaply available, but was viewed by many as not as strong a choice as could have been made as "This Island Earth" is viewed by many sci-fi historians and fans as a classic of the genre and something of a good movie. Certainly the film is not among the worst that MST3K has skewered ("Monster a Go-Go" anyone?) and as a result the riffing is weaker than a normal MST3K episode. Don't get me wrong, there are some great lines from Nelson and company: "Suddenly I have a refreshing mint flavor.", "Hey! It's a moth equipped with a lightning bug!", and my personal favorite exchange after seeing the wacky Metalunan architecture that so resembled dreadful album covers from the 1970's, "It looks like Dr. Seuss designed their planet....They're really into 'Yes' on this planet."
While I like the film, this is the first (and likely only) time I can't give five stars to an MST3K production. While good, the riffing and host segments weren't as funny or wry as their best efforts ("Manos," "Hobgoblins," "Mitchell," etc.), and the film lost some of it's low budget charm when dressed in the trappings of a Hollywood release. I certainly like the movie and recommend it, but still believe that it could have been so much more than good; with the right movie it could have been great.
Mystery Science Theater 3000 The Movie - Rating: 5/5
Despite the warning that this DVD might not play on players downunder I took a punt and it played ,much to my delight.
