Beyond the Moon – Movie Review #1 in 100 Movies of Sci-Fi
Beyond the Moon was originally shown in 1956, Richard Crane playing Rocky Jones and Scotty Beckett playing Winky are superstar pilots in this futuristic film about some aliens brainwashing humans to keep them on their side working for them and willing captives of their planet. After returning from a long mission, Rocky Jones and Winky learn that Prof. Newton has decided to stay on an alien planet. Rocky Jones, knowing that this professor had never seem to show an interest in this before, felt that it was important that he go and check this out for himself.
Sally Mansfield, who plays Vina Ray, tags along to provide navigation and translation of the native language on the alien planet. Interestingly enough it’s a decent story, but as expected in 1956, the special effects are quite laughable. There are also some aspects of the movie that you have to question, or simply take at face value and laugh about. For example, Vina, being the only female on the ship, wears a cape, with crisscrossed straps that go across her chest. I have no idea why she wears a cape; perhaps he gave her some superpowers that we were unaware of, but it was kind of entertaining and funny to laugh about.
At the very beginning of the movie, Rocky Jones and Winky are returning to land their rocketship with a simple reversal of take off. I thought to myself as I saw this that we have a hard enough time getting these rocket ships to go up that way reliably, let alone being able to get them to land that way without damaging anything.
Overall it’s a mildly entertaining 1956 sci-fi movie. Obviously this classic movie can not be rated on the same scale as a modern-day movie with all the modern day special effects. I felt this movie could’ve been a tremendous amount worse, and although I don’t think of this “movie†as a movie. Let me explain, it reminded me more of an episode of something from Star Trek or some basic sci-fi show that is on every week. All that said, I enjoyed it and look forward to the next part of the hundred movies of sci-fi.
