**_Practically any episode of Buck Rogers is a superior choice_**
Shot in the fall of 1978, this is a cheesy Star Wars knockoff that merely uses the HG Wells name as a selling point since the story has nothing to do with his 1933 novel. Meanwhile the robots in the story are variations on the Robot from Lost in Space.
I mention Buck Rogers because the sets, costumes and FX are comparable to that contemporaneous TV series. Also, Jack Palance, who stars as the villain here, also played the antagonist in one of the better episodes of that series, the two-part “Planet of the Slave Girls.”
Meanwhile Anne-Marie Martin plays the female protagonist (oddly credited as Eddie Benton), and she also appeared in one of the better episodes of that show, “Twiki Is Missing.” Unfortunately, whereas the Costume Designer for Buck Rogers was a genius who knew how to dress women to emphasize them in all their glory (not tawkin’ about sleaziness), the costumer for this flick fumbled the ball with both Anne-Marie and the lovely Carol Lynley. Don’t get me wrong, their costumes are a’right, but that’s about it.
For a quality low-budget Star Wars ripoff, check out Roger Corman’s entertaining “Battle Beyond the Stars,” which came out the year after this one. That said, this flick can be enjoyed to some degree if you’re able to roll with its all-around cheesiness, similar to a lousy Star Trek episode.
It runs 1h 38m and was shot in the studio in the Toronto area with location sequences done in Montréal.
GRADE: C-
