THE HUMANOID
Italy, 1979, 100 minutes, Colour.
Richard Kiel, Arthur Kennedy, Corinne Clery, Barbara Bach, Massimo Serrato.
Directed by Aldo Lado.
Yet another derivative from 'Star Wars' of the 'Star Crash', 'Shape of Things to Come' variety. With small budget and stealing of most of the ideas from 'Star Wars', it nevertheless succeeds as matinee material. The production is Italian although the stars are international. Richard Kiel made such an impact as Jaws in The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker, is called upon for a similar kind of role here. Some of the women from these Bond films appear as heroine and villainness. Arthur Kennedy is present as the mad genius. The special effects are important and they are done competently if not spectacularly. The themes of good and evil in empires in the galaxies is again to the fore. A technical credit of some importance is the contribution of the score by Ennio Morricone, the prolific and excellent Italian composer of such scores as 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' and 'The Exorcist, Heretic' and many other Italian and international films.
1. How enjoyable a matinee adventure? In the trend of 'Star Wars' and its derivatives in the seventies? Action adventure, science fiction?
2. The importance of the interest in technology ? Earth, Planets, cities of the future? The special effects of visualising space, space craft, the planets? The importance of Frankenstein themes with mad scientists, humanoids, serums? The 'Lost Horizons' derivative with beautiful woman kept young by the serums of younger women? Battles, explosions? An Italian production, an Italian view of the space and 'Star Wars' trend?
3. The qualities of the Italian production, the use of international stars? The contribution of Ennio Morricone's score?
4. How well did the film stand by itself, the expectations from the conventions and the derivations from the originals?
5. The comic book style, the presentation of the galaxies and space conflict? Villains in black, heroes in white? The hero and heroine and their ability with technology, managing spacecraft and guns, humanoids?
6. Their agility? The importance of the gentle giant transformed into a monster for destruction? The humour of his robot and the humour of the mechanical animal? The basic blending of these ingredients for entertainment?
7. The presentation of the empire of the good ? the brotherhood in white, their monastic and contemplative manner, their coping with villainy and treachery? The hero in the service of the brotherhood and his ability to save the emperor, the heroine, the galaxies? his agility, martial arts background, derring-do? Barbara Gibson as heroine? her technological background, her skills and agility? Her need to be rescued? The boy with his Asian background, mystical Buddhist vocabulary and style, his knowledge, ability to control and save?
8. The rebel forces and their anonymity in masks, dressed in black? Their prison planet? The mad scientist at their service? The creation of the humanoid and the display of destruction throughout the film? Lady Agatha and her ambitions for ruling the empire, her being kept beautiful by the serum? (The sadism of the way the blood was extracted from the victim women?), revenge themes?
9. The brutality background of the film, the opening massacre, the invasions and the final shoot-ups and escapes?
10. The boy and his saving of Barbara, the incarnation of good, the materialising of his assistants and their strange weapons? The sailing away in the fantasy ship at the end?
11. The portrayal of the gentle giant genial astronaut, his robot, their skill? The control by the bad scientist and his becoming a humanoid, the menace, the invulnerability? His being changed back to normal at the end after the heroic help?
12. The character of Barbara, the character of the hero? sufficient for their energetic exploits in the film?
13. The mad scientist, his experiments, at the service of the rebel, his control of the humanoid, his veering to personal vengeance, his death?
14. Lady Agatha and her ambitions, her needs for serum, her withering away?
15. The standards and devices of matinee material and their popularity, no matter what the guise?
