32_Footsteps's Full Review: Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie
There is something in me that really enjoys movies that are just beyond terrible. I think it's properly called "sadomasochism." There are bad movies that just bore you, like "Batman and Robin," and then there are the movies that are so beyond insipid that they entertain you through their sheer mind-numbing stupidity, like such cinematic "masterpieces" like "The Brain That Wouldn't Die" and "They Live."
For people like me who, in their own way, appreciate the latter category, we have the classic television show, "Mystery Science Theater 3000." As you may know, the whole point of the show is to watch truly bad movies and make such outrageous comments about them that you doubt that there ever was a serious moment to be had. They even released this movie, which sadly didn't get the attention it deserved.
The show does have a plot, albeit a weak one. The idea is that the sinister Dr. Forrester has sent a mild-mannered guy named Mike into space, to break his will by forcing him to watch bad movies. To help with keep his sanity, Mike maintains three robot pals, Gypsy, Tom Servo, and Crow T. Robot. Between watching parts of bad movies, Mike and the robots get into all sorts of random hijinks, from trying to imitate parts of the movies they watch or concocting another escape plan.
The whole point of the overriding plot is not to make anyone gasp with amazement at the clever ideas - it's only to give a backdrop for the comedy. Since the writers know that the plot isn't important, they can just say lines that are magnificent in their nonsensicality. I still giggle after hearing Crow, who fails to escape at the beginning of the movie, say, "Well, after I carefully calculated the odds of this succeeding, I went ahead anyway." Or when Servo stops explosive decompression with his bottom half, he quips, "I'm feeling a sensation altogether new to me, and frankly, I love it!" I know, out of context, it seems odd, but it fits beautifully in the movie.
Of course, with this, the main attraction is the movie within a movie, which is "This Island Earth," considered by some to be a science fiction masterpiece. Kind of shows you really how bad most science fiction movies are. The plot of that movie centers around aliens trying to develop new power sources to protect their planet, and secretly supporting Earth scientists trying to develop those power sources. If this sounds pretty flimsy and boring, you'd be right. While it does have some interesting obscure pop culture references (this movie isn't the last usage of an Interoceter), it mostly isn't worth watching.
That is, until Mike and the 'bots get their hands on it. Shown in silhouette at the bottom of the screen, they react to the movie with commentary that I couldn't come up with if I had a month to do so. For example, when they show the main character of "Island" flying his plane over many different types of terrain, they say, "I am so lost..." That's not even the best joke in the movie. They even make references to television episodes during the movie. The most obvious comes when Mike needs to operate manipulator arms and presses a button labeled "Manos." Other, more subtle references, pepper the movie.
Not only are the jokes hilarious, they are well timed. They are precise with their delivery, and as always, the humor isn't aimed at the lowest common denominator. They manage to make their humor funny, even with subjects I wouldn't dare try to make light of. At one point, a German character comes on screen, and raises his hat in greeting. The trio responds with a sing-song "Heil Hitler!" I couldn't believe that they pulled it off. Even my Jewish girlfriend laughs at that scene.
Could this movie even possibly be better? Actually, yes. Due to various restraints, this movie is even shorter than your average television episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. "This Island Earth" is about twice as long as they present, and the plot of that movie is slightly more cohesive in its full form. It also would have had ample opportunity for gags.
Not only that, but the movie never leaves behind the incredibly low budget restraints of its origins. If you look carefully, you can see the word "Tupperware" on Crow's torso near the beginning. Similarly, you can tell how everything on the set was constructed. Someone with an adequately equipped garage, or who just found a whole bunch of loot from a yard sale, could recreate this movie's effects. You can even see the wires that control the puppets used in this movie. If overwhelming fakery would detract from your viewing enjoyment, then you aren't going to like this.
However, the true genius of this movie is that it worms its way into your subconscious. As you may have guessed, I've actually seen the original "This Island Earth," on cable. Initially, though, I didn't realize I was watching the original. I had turned onto a scene that was in MST3K's farce and I didn't even realize that all of the classic quotes I knew were coming from my mouth, not from the television. It wasn't until a scene that I hadn't seen come up did I even realize what I was doing. Any movie that can infiltrate your thought processes so well with its humor has to be a classic.
There is even a special treat for people willing to not press the "Stop" button when the end of the movie has passed. As the credits scroll down, Mike and the 'bots sit down again and start mocking the credits. Stay seated, the classic "Rando" gags are only found in the credits. It adds another couple of minutes of jokes onto this tragically short movie, and they aren't to be missed.
Sadly, this kind of humor isn't for everyone. Of course, some people can't quite get the jokes, and go for the similarly built, but much less funny, "Beavis and Butthead." But this movie is for anyone who enjoys yelling at the movie screen and mocking the trash that is put up there. And nearly everyone I know has had that urge at least once in their life. Thanks to this movie, there are two types of people in life: the sadly ignorant, and the people who understand what I mean when I say, "And then I ram my ovum depositor down your throat and lay my egg in you chest. But I'm not an alien."
Hapless Mike Nelson is kidnapped by an evil scientist and forced to watch the classic "B" sci-fi movie This Island Earth, but Mike and his robot frien...More at HotMovieSale.com
From the makers of the highly successful cult classic TV series comes Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie - one of the most outrageous most irrev...More at NBC Universal
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