Leofwine_draca WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE is a very early example of the science fiction/disaster movie which feels remarkably modern in terms of plotting to later fare such as DEEP IMPACT. It involves an astronomer who discovers that a planet is heading on a collision course with Earth leading to massive loss of life. Instead of trying to blow the rogue planet up a la Armageddon, those in the know decide to build a space ship and colonise another planet instead. Seen today, this feels low budget and dated at times, but I found it quite interesting. The film is heavy on the moralising and sermonising, but the idea of a life-or-death lottery is well-handled and the ending very suspenseful. Watch out for Roy Thinnes and Stuart Whitman in bit parts.

AaronCapenBanner Rudolph Mate directed this George Pal production about a rogue star named Bellus that is on an unalterable collision course with the Earth, dooming it to annihilation. In the meantime, some wealthy men, among them a wheelchair bound industrialist played by John Hoyt, finance a private expedition to build spaceships to carry a select group of people(who have various essential skills necessary in a new civilization) to a newly discovered planet called Zyra, where humanity can start over. Will this plan work in time, or is the human race doomed to extinction? Given it's highly dramatic premise, film is strangely bland and ineffectual, though does have some good model work on display. Pity the sequel "After Worlds Collide" wasn't filmed though.

Don Barrett How can you even accept this as science fiction when there is no science. A star entering the solar system would be noticeable long before it passed the orbit of Pluto. As it comes closer and closer to Earth the temperature rise would mean life would be impossible on our planet. The jump then to an unknown planet circling the star is insane, since according to the film, the planet is just an easy jaunt away. Thus it too has been reduced to molten lava,This is an early disaster movie. If you're looking for science fiction you won't find it. I can't understand so many positive reviews. They must have been desperate to see the movie. Next time I recommend "Radar Men from the Moon"

storyguide-axel Astronomers predict that a world (or rather a sun) will collide with Earth, destroying everything – effectively wiping out the human race. This world/sun is Bellus, but before that happens, another planet, Zyra, will pass close by earth. This near-collision will result in earthquakes and tsunamis.Dave Randall (Richard Derr), a rogue and pilot, is paid to take the secret information of earth's doom to London, to scientists that are going to verify the terrible information. The information turns out to be correct and the scientists start to plan their escape from earth. They hope that it is possible to fly into space and land on Zyra, which will (hopefully) be suitable for humans.Randall suddenly finds himself in the middle of this whole affair, in love with the daughter of one of the scientists. This may also be his ticket aboard the ship to Zyra. However, Randall may be a rogue, but he also has a conscience. When it is time to choose which 40 people will make the journey, Randall gives up his seat. He does not feel that he has earned the right, that there are other more worthy people to take the seat.This might be so, but when the time comes to leave earth, Randall finds an unlikely ally that may help him out in the hour of need…When Worlds Collide is an old movie. It certainly has a story that it wish to explore, but with today's knowledge, the thought of a planet (or maybe even two) crashing into earth seems… ludicrous. Sure, a comet, asteroid or even a meteor would have been fine, but two planets passing through earth's orbit within a month… I don't think so. Of course, I am not a scientist nor an astronomer.I know this movie was made in a different time, but I can't help but wonder about the reactions of the people when they hear that earth is doomed. I would have thought that people would panic, but they don't, only in the very last second when Bellus is within a stone's throw. Sure, they might not believe in the information, but they must when the big red thing gets closer. To destroy earth is a pretty reckless thing, I don't think a little emotion is too much to ask.Another thing that really annoyed me. The ending. I don't mind the people reaching Zyra, nor that the planet is suitable for humans. What really annoys me was the use of a painted landscape. This might not have looked fake back in 1951 (although I think it did, unless the movie was in black and white originally), but it does today and when the landscape looks distinctly like earth, I can't help but wonder if they couldn't have found a real location somewhere, like in Asia? I won't even comment on the strange climate zones on Zyra (heavy snow and then 50 ft. away… a beautiful green meadow).Was there nothing that I liked in this movie? There certainly was. The character of Dave Randall, for one. He feels real and seems disturbed by the thought of dying in so young age. He acts cool, but also human when disaster strikes. I also liked the pace of the movie. Strangely enough, the movie does keep you entertained, maybe for the wrong reasons (the movie is quite funny), but still.As far as references go, there is a scene where New York is flooded, which reminded me of The Day After Tomorrow (Roland Emmerich, 2004), but also of 2012 (Roland Emmerich, 2009), where the humans built an ark of their own, only this one isn't supposed to leave earth. Of course the last is a biblical reference.Lastly, I just saw that they are working on a new When Worlds Collide movie which is supposed to hit the cinemas in 2012. I can only hope that it is better than the original.