Perry Rhodan - SOS aus dem Weltall

The only film adaptation of the still popular (West) German dime-store sci-fi adventure series was a European co-production made in Italian studios and Spanish exteriors. The production was conceived in the spirit of contemporary Euro-trends apparent in, among other movies, Reinl’s Karl May adaptations, including the casting of a second-rate Hollywood actor in the lead role, who is surrounded by a plethora of distinctive faces gathered together from across Europe. Whereas it was enough to find photogenic exteriors for the May films, however, Rhodan’s literary source material demanded spectacular alien worlds for which the production didn’t have the necessary resources. Therefore, most of the narrative takes place on Earth instead of in outer space and includes elements that are more appropriate for trash crime flicks and spy movies. For viewers unfamiliar with the source material, Operation Stardust is endearingly naïve, old-world sci-fi trash with treacherous villains, stout-hearted heroes, beautiful women and appropriately eye-catching special effects. There is no shortage of mechanically undramatic shootouts, silly peripeteias, undramatic twists and a heap of chauvinistic dominance. However, these elements are not negatives, as they add as much to the campy fun as the enthusiastic fighting, the cardboard sets and the impractically designed “futuristic” costumes. Nevertheless, fans of the book series saw all of this as sacrilege, which led to outright hatred for the film. Despite the massive popularity of the books, the movie therefore ended up being a flop and no further Perry Rhodan film escapades followed. (08.01.2023)