Movie Review: Menace from Outer Space

Menace from Outer Space (a.k.a. Rocky Jones, Space Ranger: Menace from Outer Space) 

Starring: Richard Crane, Scotty Beckett, Sally Mansfield, Robert Lyden, Maurice Cass, Leonard Penn, Charles Meredith, Patsy Parsons, Guy Prescott, Cliff Ferre, Walter Coy, Nestor Paiva, Patsy Iannone, Joanne Jordan, Charles Horvath, Sol Gorss 

Director: Hollingsworth Morse 

Official Films, Roland Reed Productions, Space Ranger Enterprises, USA, 1956. 

This movie is published as a part of Nightmare Worlds 50 movie pack box published by Mill Creek Entertainment. 

Professor Newton (Maurice Cass) observes a meteor and calls Vena Ray (Sally Mansfield) and little Bobby (Robert Lyden). It is not a meteor but a rocket. The rocket almost hits a nearby airport. United Worlds of the Solar System are maintaining peace in the galaxy. Space Ranger Rocky Jones (Richard Crane) and his goofy sidekick Winky (Scotty Beckett) are  recalled from patrol mission. Scientific officer Vena says that the rocket came from Jupiter's moon Fornax. The rockets are built using powerful crystals. Rocky, Vena, Bobby, Winky and Professor must travel to Fornax and possibly get some crystals. 

Professor Newton

Vena Ray and Bobby

Rocky Jones and Winky

Apparently a former Ranger Griff (Leonard Penn) has turned into a traitor. He tries to get to Fornax before Rocky. Rocky's rocket Orbit Jet is attacked by Griff. Rocky hits the enemy ship with a missile. The encounter consumes their fuel reserves. They barely make it to Fornax.

Ranger Griff holding a ranger at gunpoint

Fornax expedition

Rocky's rocket Orbit Jet

The gravity is two times higher on Fornax, which gives Rocky the king of comedy an opportunity to comment on Vena's weight. Vena now weights 236 pounds! Time for a diet! LOL, Rocky you are killing me! 

Vena gained some weight!

Rocky is a funny guy

The Fornax people are happy that their rocket got the Earth people's attention. Rocky and Professor start negotiating the trade agreements. However Professor Cardos (Nestor Paiva) got there first. Apparently Cardos has in his past killed two of his assistants. He says he is a changed man now so that's cool. The representative of Fornax is Zoravac (Walter Coy), his wife is called The Vonsoom (Joanne Jordan) and daughter Volaca (Patsy Iannone). Rocky and Winky stay in the rocket while the others go enjoying the boundless luxuries. 

Fornax pyramid

Professor Cardos

The Vonsoom, Zoravac and Volaca

But Cardos is hatching a plan to turn Fornax against Earth. Rocky and Winky spy on him and decide to get answers. After a fistfight, Bobby acts as a diplomat and explains that Earth wants only peace. The rocket is refueled using crystals. Rocky takes the test flight alone. He blackouts and the ground team tries to wake him. He finally returns and explains that the crystals were so powerful that all the instruments popped out of the panels. Winky fixes them using high-tech tools such as glue, string and rubber bands. Rocky, Winky and Zoravac go back to Earth so that Zoravac can see if humans can be trusted.

Bobby and Volaca

Meanwhile Griff and some other guy (it must be Symitar performed by Charles Horvath) are calling to Darganto (Guy Prescott). They go to planet Ophiuchus and have audience with Queen Cleolanta (Patsy Parsons). Darganto, Griff and Symitar plan to conquest Fornax. On Earth Zoravac is impressed by rocket launch pad and power plant. So humans can be trusted after all. On Fornax Bobby teaches Volaca useful words like picnic and vacation. 

Darganto, Griff and Symitar

Zoravac is impressed with rocket launch pad

They hear Cardos planning to launch more rockets with warheads to Earth. The kids tell Vonsoom about the conspiracy and Vonsoom arrests Cardos. Three man army from Ophiuchus conquers Fornax. They make an alliance with Cardos. Darganto seems to have bad reputation as Professor makes funny faces. Cardos launches warheads towards Earth, so Rocky, Winky and Zoravac must destroy them. Meanwhile Darganto's gang robs crystals from Fornax. Bobby and Volaca use hidden astrophone to tell Rocky about the situation on Fornax. Rocky comes back, destroys Ophiuchus ship and the crystals. Fornax guards arrest Griff, Cardos and Darganto (but not Symitar so maybe he was blown up with the ship). 

Oh no! It's Darganto!

Rocky destroys the warhead

This movie is stitched together from three episodes of Rocky Jones, Space Ranger. Of course this looks terribly outdated and cheesy now, but it can be seen that later scifi series own a lot to these kind of serial shows. Also it is quite radical for a 50s movie to have women as scientific officers or rulers. Replace Rocky with Kirk, Vena with Uhura, United Worlds of the Solar System with the Federation, Ophiuchus with Klingons so you are getting a prototype of Star Trek.

The dialogue is full of mumbo jumbo techno-babble. The dialogue is hilariously campy with pseudo-futuristic sayings. The acting varies from underacting (most of the characters) to overacting (Professor, Winky, Bobby). As a movie it is more of a curiosity, an perfect example of 1950s low-budget TV-scifi aimed mostly at kids.

Rating: Average