 819 - INVASION OF THE NEPTUNE MEN
Genre: Japanese Sci-Fi (1961, B&W)
Don’s Synopsis: Aliens with torpedo-shaped head from the planet Neptune are trying to invade Earth and the only person who can stop them is: Space Chief. Given the fact that he never flies his goofy-looking fin-mobile in space or
doesn’t seem to be the chief of anything, the name doesn’t fit
– but it was made up by a bunch of annoying kids, so what could you expect? Besides Space Chief, the main Earth defense is the electro-barrier, an energy shield which causes the Neptune spaceships to bounce off and which seems to only cover Tokyo
– to hell with the rest of the world! – but, somehow, the Neptune ships get inside the shield and now the electro-barrier is just trapping them in with everyone else in the movie. So at this point of the story, the audience is cheering for the Neptune guys to take out all of the annoying people inside the shield. But the movie has a disappointing ending as Space Chief shows up again, and he, unfortunately, messes everything up by helping end the destruction caused by the Neptune Men via a tedious rocket attack before the Neptune
Men’s final attack can take out all of the annoying people in this film (although it does take out a few Nazi German buildings that are inexplicably in Japan).
Don’s Review:
This movie is basically like Prince of Space
without the goofy charm and is one of the worst films from Japan ever
– including the Fugitive Alien flicks – so it is a very tough sit, even with some decent riffing here and there.
There are scenes of characters running around that seem to last forever and the end aerial battle between Space Chief and the Neptune Spaceship also lasts forever.
The aerial battle is then followed by the rocket attack against the Neptune ship which
also – of course – seems to last forever. So even with some good riffs by M&tBs, this is still a very disappointing episode overall, although there are some great host segments,
such as the Nanite War in Mike’s eyebrows, Crow’s suggestion box filled with suggestions such as “Japan, Stop Making Movies!” and a hilarious visit by Krankor,
all of which are definite highlights of this episode.
(In fact, this is one of the few Sci-Fi Era episodes in which I think the host segments are better than the riffing!)
But, despite the good host segments, it’s not enough for me to really recommend this episode very highly.
Don’s Rating: 
Forrest’s Synopsis: Among the
worst movies of Season 8 (the others being Overdrawn at the
Memory Bank and The Incredibly Strange Creatures...),
if not the entire show, Invasion of the Neptune Men manages
to be even goofier, cheaper, irritating and Japanese than Prince
of Space. The story starts with some annoying,
short-shorts wearing school children that find a spaceship in a
field. The spaceship belongs to the "Neptune Men"
who proceed to strangle the little kids shortly after the kids'
discovery. The kids are then (unfortunately) saved by
"Space Chief", who is a sort of off-brand version of
Prince of Space. The Neptune Men are beaten (easily) by
Space Chief and go away. Later on, an explosion at a power
plant frightens Japan, as they believe it is the work of the
Neptune Men. After that, there is a whole bunch of sub-plots
including clocks stopping, an "electrobarrier" created
by Space Chief's alter-ego (whom I affectionately call "Koosh
Ball Man"), the bizarre condition "Roji-Panty-Complex",
the world going into another ice age and the Neptune Men trying to
break into super top secret places by transforming into Japanese
women (?). Yes folks, it's as odd as it sounds - but wait
there's more! - the films ends with a "climactic"
(notice the quotation marks) battle between Space Chief and the
Neptune Men. If you have made it to this point before
ripping out your eyeballs, despite all of Japan (and the Hitler
building) being totally demolished, the movie closes on an
optimistic note as the psychotic kids argue about who is going to
grow up to be the best scientist once they get out of cram school.
Forrest’s Review: This episode of MST3K may very well be in my top five favorite episodes.
The riffs are hysterical. I have never seen Mike, Crow or Tom so frustrated by a film before - which made for some great riffs.
Add in a Hitler building that inexplicably was inserted (and then blown up) in the film, another visit from Krankor, Roji-Panty-Complex and kids who sound like Rocky & Bullwinkle and you got yerself an MST classic, I tell you what, cousin’.
Although Don disagrees with me last time I talked to him about it, I couldn't help but notice the rather harsh jabs at the Japanese.
Sushi, Kabuki and Noh theater, "cram school", origami, Japanese dancing, anti-feminism, ultra-violent comic
books / animation, electronics, short-shorts, Japanese capitalism, World War
II, Kurosawa, Godzilla (and Mothra), digital pets and more are all brought up and condemned by Mike and the Bots (sometimes light-hearted in nature, sometimes border-line mean spirited!).
This is truly a hilarious episode of the show and one of my personal favorites.
Forrest’s Rating: 
|
