5/10
Worth only for the cast, forget everything else! **SPOILERS**
6 April 2015
Warning: Spoilers
This starts out as promising, with Paratroopers disappearing out of the sky, 'in comes Jim' (Patrick Allen) as the sort of armed forces special investigator to try to find out what's happening. If you didn't know Sean Connery's brother, Neil, was in it, just watch and you'll almost think it was Sean, as Allen's right-hand man/pal. Although his acting's pretty wooden, it's worth taking a look for this reason alone.

The plot as I have said, starts off interestingly enough, but Allen is given a pseudo Anthony Hopkins Naval Officer (When Eight Bells Toll) type of persona coupled with Bond in chasing every bit of skirt that happens to come his way. Liaising with the sceptical 'Ministers' and top brass that values him (a rather uninterested-looking George Sanders) this bumbles along.

The location scenery is fair and there are a rash of good supporting British actors that make it a little interesting from a British film history point of view. Patrick 'The JAW' Allen's role is much like he always can't get out of, the suave-cardigan lolloping type. He's a good enough actor, but the script here doesn't do anyone justice. The plot concerns of course, yes, you guessed it, aliens snatching our boys, an enigmatic female (Lorna) whom Allen can't wait to pounce on, which is central to the plot (not him pouncing, Lorna!).

This was very 60s from Tigon at the end of the horror/sci-fi genre in British film making and it didn't do it any favours.

The music score/incidental music is done to the death/lamped up almost at every moment, perhaps it helped you from dozing off in the cinema as the plot gets lost, slows and is a disappointment, as is using the 'flying saucer' from the Dr Who film 'Daleks Invasion Earth, 2150'. That part of it definitely let it down further. Again, worth watching for a good British cast a lot of us grew up with in British film making but that's about all, don't invite your friends around for pop and popcorn on this one.
3 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed