Superstar!
At an alien space station a delegation is having a meeting concerning an impending disaster. The aliens, Pairans, look like human size starfish with a big eyeball in the middle. The aliens decide that they need to contact the Japanese scientist Dr. Kumara. The results are disastrous. People run in fear at the sight of the alien. They need a new plan.
They decide they need to send an emissary down to Earth with the likeness of a human so as not to draw attention to themselves. They manage to get a photo of a popular Japanese entertainer Hikari Aozora. One of the Pairan leaders, Ginko, volunteers for the mission. She is changed to the likeness of Aozora using a transmuter.
Toru, Isobe’s son finds the transformed alien floating in a lake and rescues her. Isobe is a professor that consults with Dr. Matsuda and Dr. Kumara. The alien claims amnesia but exhibits superpowers. Eventually the scientists become suspicious and Ginko reveals her true identity and the reason for her visit.
She explains she is from Paira, a world on the same orbit as Earth but on the other side of the Sun. She says she is there to save the Earth from destruction. There is a rogue planet on a collision course with Earth. Dr. Matsuda has been working on an explosive energy source that can destroy the rogue planet dubbed Planet “R”; however, Dr. Matsuda has been kidnapped. With Earth running out of time it is a race to find Dr. Matsuda and use his weapon to save the Earth.
"Warning From Space" was released in 1956 and was directed by Koji Shima. The movie has the silliest aliens you’ve ever seen. The aliens are star shaped felt covered costumes with a giant eyeball in the middle. They don’t have hands so they move stuff mentally. They are the best part of the whole movie. Actually the transmuting was interesting too. They make the aliens in “It Came from Another World” look high tech.
The movie’s claim to fame is that it was the first Japanese Science Fiction movie in color. I’m not sure how it influenced Stanley Kubrick, but I heard it did. It also influenced other movies in the realm of science fiction. If you’ve heard of any rogue planet or asteroid movies threatening Earth, this was the first one. Some people accused it of using science fiction clichés. Well the movie was made in 1956. Where do you think the clichés came from? There is more to this movie than most people realize.
I have mixed feelings about this movie. Some parts I liked and some parts not so much. I would have loved to see more of the starfish creatures. They were campy cool. All told it was OK although a little dull. If you are a fan of Japanese Science Fiction it will be on your must have list.