JLRVancouver Giant monocular starfish from the planet Paira send emissaries to Earth to warn us of impending doom. Rather than simply going to the 'World Congress' and presenting their case, the enigmatic echinoderms keep appearing in lakes and shadows, frightening random humans, and failing to establish communication. They return to the Pairan space station with a photograph of a Japanese lounge singer, which is used as a template to metamorphosise one of their leaders into human form. She returns to Earth, makes contact and enlists our aid in dealing with a rogue planet that is going to crash into the Earth. Dithering by the 'World Congress' and efforts by foreign agents to steal a new super-explosive add to the tension as Planet R approaches and things begin to heat up. Similar to Toho's much superior Gorath (1962), the importance of unity in the face of an existential threat is emphasised, as Earth's fate may depend on the World Congress' willingness to mobilise the world's nuclear arsenals to destroy Planet R. Although amusingly surreal at times, "Warning from Space" doesn't have much to offer even the most dedicated tokusatsu fan. The slow-moving story is incoherent at times, the script/acting* is weak even for a low-budget genre film, and the special effects are limited to a cheap looking 'space-station' model, ineffectual 'transformation' scenes, and the ludicrous starfish costumes. Plot holes abound: the picture that the Pairans use as a template for their human copy does not include the singers' legs, yet the doppelgänger has lower limbs (but lacks fingerprints) and, for no apparent reason, has enhanced physical prowess and the ability to de/rematerialise at will; and the espionage sub-plot, which is dependent on the spies not believing in the approaching threat, carries on after Planet R is clearly visible and Earth starts to heat up. Of note are the deceptive promotional posters and images depicting the Pairans (who are human sized) as gigantic creatures wading through the wreckage of flooded cities, presumably an attempt to cash in on the popular 'giant monster' films coming from Toho. For hard-core aficionados of low-end science fiction films only. *I watched a watched a poorly English-dubbed version, the Japanese original could well be better.

topeka Warning from Space could be a prequel to Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, but it's too seriously stupid to be taken as seriously as Killer Tomatoes. I'm not quite sure who would watch a film like this - and give it a poor review? If you want a technically perfect film full of overpaid dimwits engaged in totally unbelievable plots based on fantasy science who fight evil businesspersons or "rogue" military people trying to kill their customers for profit or being digested by Evil Alien Nasties ... go to the movies. If you want to watch actors trying to entertain you with dialogue cut out of a crackerjack box for characters cut out of a refrigerator box in a plot cut out of the ads in a comic book - watch a goofy sci-fi flick like Warning from Space. The pace is so slow you can cook your pizza and eat it too without missing a single plot device - How can you go wrong with that?This is the sort of flick you watch in the afternoon while babysitting your four year old - or at midnight while babysitting a beer. If the plot confuses you - I suggest buying a ton of old sci-fi pulp magazines from 1930-1960 and reading them. (And by ton - I mean only about 500-600 pounds of magazines ... By the time you're through, you'll understand the plot like the back of your hand.)Warning does include the obligatory 'warning' against wanton creation of ever more powerful weapons - right before using the weapon to save the Earth. Warning does not come up to the high quality of The Mysterians or Rodan, but so what. If you like this sort of flick, you will enjoy Warning from Space.

synthwiz Well, I just viewed this Japanese film for the first time on the ALPHA VIDEO DVD release and was able to sit through it without being completely bored.So, all is good with this film. But keep in mind: It's nowhere near as good as "THE MYSTERIONS" (Toho's alien film from the late fifties). There are NO GIANT MONSTERS IN THIS FILM.I understand it's Japan's FIRST COLOR SCI-FI MOVIE; so that's something to keep in mind. The budget was quite high for this movie.And here's an open letter to ALPHA VIDEO: What's with the video transfer that looks like it was copied from a VHS tape? It's not as bad as numerous generation dubs of some schlock I've seen because the audio and video are a bit noisy yet passable, but could your company not find a better master copy?? Just curious...Anyways, the star creatures from some UFOs try to warn Earth that a planet is going to collide with the Earth (or something like that), and they try to help the Earthlings with this by sharing the news. The problem is that most people find human-sized Starfish to be quite shocking and won't be inviting any over for sushi anytime soon. So, the Star creatures realize that "sex sells" and decide to transform one of their own as Japan's version of Celine Dion (or Charro, depending on your preference) and this "woman" tries to warn Earth of what's happening.If you're into this sort of thing, by all means check it out for its historical film merit.

MartinHafer This review is for the Americanized version of this movie. I cannot really evaluate it in its original Japanese form.This film really surprised me. In the first ten or fifteen minutes, I really thought it was your standard aliens coming to invade the Earth type of movie and it sure looked that way. However, through some creative writing, it turns out that the aliens are coming to help us by warning of impending doom for the planet, as a rogue planet is streaking through the galaxy on a collision course with the Earth.There are two problems, though, with this plot. First, it was actually done five years before in the great George Pal classic WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE. This Japanese variation in no way improves on the near-perfect original. Second, the aliens look like giant starfish with a single huge eye in the center!! It's obvious that they sewed giant star outfits and had people inside them and it makes for one of the silliest and cheesiest aliens in movie history. Making them nice aliens was good, as you just couldn't feel afraid of walking starfish! Also fortunate was that the aliens were able to copy human form so the people didn't laugh themselves silly when the aliens arrived! Unfortunately, like WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE, this movie also proves that basically people are stupid, as the world's governing body "the international congress"(?) refuses to take action to try to destroy the rogue planet AND some criminals kidnap a scientist who is the only person who knows how to create a bomb stronger than an H-bomb!! Will we survive or face total oblivion? Well, if you ignore the silliness of the alien costumes and don't mind that they ripped the story off from WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE, then you can find out for yourself!