Warning from Space

Director - Koji Shima (The Story of a Blind Woman, Asphalt Girl)

Starring - Keizo Kawasaki (Punishment Room, Afraid to Die), Toyomi Karita (Tokyo Crime Map, Haha), and Bin Yagisawa (The Wandering Princess, Gonin No Totsugeki Tai)

Release Date - 1956

Genre - Sci-Fi

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've spent a little bit of time the last few months checking out the Ultra - Q and Ultraman series.  I've really enjoyed the Ultra - Q series and wish I had been more open to the Japanese sci-fi films of yester-year.  They seem to have a style all their own while delivering that familiar quality of films and television shows here in American that I enjoy.  Sometime back I got a press release from MVD in regards to Arrow Videos blu release of Warning from Space.  This is 1956 release is the world's first sci-fi film in color and one that set the tone for future films in Japan.  I reached out ot MVD and they were kind enough to send a review copy my way.  Thanks guys!

     The film follows the people of Japan who are visited by beings from another world.  They visit Earth to warn them of a coming meteor that will wipe out the planet.  They are star shaped beings with one single eye but their appearence sends the public into a frenzy so one of them transforms themselves into a pop star in order to communicate with the people of Earth.

     Ultra-Q is a series that I can't stop fascinating over.  It's Twilight Zone spin mixed with giant monsters just really mesmerizes me.  Warning from Space doesn't really have that type of vibe but the atmosphere and tone is very similar.  It was a very well put together and entertaining sci-fi flick that did remind me of some of the 1950 Universal Monster Movies in a way.  The acting in this one is what you would expect from 1950's Japanese cinema.  The female characters over re-act to certain situations while the male characters put on false bravery.  It is very cliched but it is still fun and fits the film very well.  That over the top style of acting is what made these atom age sci-fi flicks so much fun.  The story for this one not what you would expect to come out of Japan post-Godzilla boom.  A lot of movies coming out of Japan around this time was riding the kaiju and sentei wave.  However, this one stuck to it's guns and delivered a solid space invaders type film.  Sure, they don't really invade Earth like a lot of the American films of the time were depicting but it is still in that same line of film.  I enjoyed the message it tries to deliver.  Along to how well the story is the film also has some great pacing and timing.  Finally, this sci-fi installment is not a bloody film.  It does rely on a few camera tricks of the time to show a transformation and some classic visual effects.  It doesn't show anything memorable but it does work for the film.  Overall, Warning from Space is a very pleasing sci-fi romp from 1956 that works very well.  The film is not perfect but it is entertaining.  The blu release looks absolutely stellar with great video transfer and decent enough audio.  I highly recommend picking this one up.