Forgettable early 1960s Italian-made space opera -- except for one thing. That one thing is 70-year-old Claude Rains playing a mad scientist. An asteroid that looks remarkably like a real planet and not all like a hunk of rock begins orbiting the Earth and sends out flying saucers that attack our space fleet. Before the military destroys it, a team of astronauts, including Rains, is sent to the asteroid to have a look at what's inside. Mostly, they find miles of suspended plastic tubing. Very talky, but anytime Rains is on-screen, the movie comes to life. His character is as daffy as the mad scientist he played in "The Invisible Man." Special effects are pathetic and the dubbing is typical for an Italian cheapie of the period.
Review of Battle of the Worlds
