Red-Barracuda Every so often a film comes along and this is a film. Earth Minus Zero is, without question, one of the towering cinematic achievements of the late 20th century. Back in the mid 90's there was a time when it seemed like everyone was saying 'when will Pat Morita make a film about an alien building an intergalactic zoo'. So it was with some excitement when director Joey Travolta - one of the true cinematic visionaries who is only equalled by Kubrick, Scorsese and Lynch – agreed to make such a movie. With the colossal talents of Pat Morita and Joey Travolta it really can be no surprise that Earth Minus Zero turned into the complex, multi-layered masterpiece it was. Its failure to even be nominated for any Oscars whatsoever is a disgrace that the Academy has only recently recovered from. Laughably the big awards that year went to films such as The English Patient, Fargo, Jerry Maguire, Secrets and Lies and Shine – all films that have been more-or-less forgotten, while Earth Minus Zero continues to top critical film lists and influence film-making. Without Earth Minus Zero would we have had The Lord of the Rings trilogy? Yes in fairness we probably would have but that's not really the point.Most people remember the movie for primarily two things. One, Pat Morita's multi-nuanced performance as the midget doctor. And secondly for its ground-breaking special effects. When you watch this film you really are taken into another world. You see little people next to giant clothes pegs and books and you immediately think 'there's some little people next to giant clothes pegs and books'; it really is that brilliant in its authentic rendering of it's fantasy world. The effects are often used metaphorically, such as the memorable sequence when one of the characters enters the television set and battles with a dinosaur - that was probably a metaphor for something. Special mention must also be made in regard to the performance of Monty the Dog – he really captured the essence of what it is to be a dog in a world full of shrunken people and in many respects puts Lassie, Benji, Hooch and K9 in the shade.In the final analysis, Earth Minus Zero remains an incredible monument to what can be achieved when image and sound travel together in unison. Joey Travolta never did top this film of course, even if he did go on to direct the outstanding Enemies of Laughter. And even though Pat Morita continued to give quite brilliant performances in films such as Bloodsport 3 and The Karate Dog, this is the movie that everyone will remember him for.

Andrew Towne I liked this movie a lot. It's not meant to be slick science fiction with awesome special effects, but rather a fun and even thought-provoking story about families, people's values, and the impact of Nintendo, virtual reality and nanotechnology on our lives.I found the acting to be excellent. The wimpy alien who just wanted to go back to his own planet was well played. The children were delightful. The little girl with the squeaky voice was cute, and the older boy was brave and smart but unpretentious at the same time.The mother had a lot of spunk, while the father was mild mannered but capable of rising to the occasion to defend his family when it was necessary for him to do so. The science teacher was a stereotypical genius with a good heart.I found the very fake looking special effects to be entertaining. Many of them reminded me of the TV show "Lost in Space." I am going to try to find out if any of these actors went on to bigger things. I wouldn't be surprised if they did.

John Harrower Let me say this from the start. This is not a good movie. But it is an entertaining one. Just the sheer shoddiness of some of the effects, acting and directing make this film worth watching, if only so you can make fun of it with a bunch of friends. It has some genuinely funny (if unintentionally so) moments and as long as you don't spend any large amount of money to watch it (I got my copy for 97p) then it is a delightful romp of crappyness.Personal highlight: when the shrunken father (played by Sam Jones of Flash Gordon fame) is inhaled up his pet dogs nose. Also, the inconsistency of the size of shrunken characters provides an endless source of amusement.

parky-3 An alien lands on Earth, seeking to capture a few humans for its intergalactic zoo. One of those films which inspires phrases like "all manner of chaos", "hapless hero", "light-hearted family adventure" and "where's the remote"? And that's all it inspires. Some star names for you: Pat Morita, Brock Pierce, Marcia Strassman and Sam Jones. Get the picture?