It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

I saw this film at the movies. Yes, a Japanese film that had a wide release back in 1978. How times have changed. It's something which doesn't happen anymore.Is this an all 'round successful film? Not really. I'd say 40% is really pure schlock. While the remaining 60% is non-stop explosions and goofiness which I enjoyed back in the day and still today.Pros :the idea of magical walnuts was coolThe main villain looks really greatsome of the space fights / dog chases, in the asteroid belt and inside the villain's inner sanctum were amazingly edited and were later seen in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RETURN OF THE JEDI. Oh the irony.the sail-ship in space is fine by megreat sword fight at the endThe fantasy / sci-fi elements actually work herethe tight pants on the two male heroes. Aha the 1970s!It was shot in VistaVision!Cons :the mother in the wheelchairthe retro 1960s dance and pop music ; outdated even in 1978the script is all over the placeat times, the film's overall grubby look the overactingToday's audiences wouldn't understand this style of filmmaking but I get it and I enjoy it for what it was / is.

Vic morrow appearing with Japanese professional wrestler Thunder Sugiyama should give you an idea about the craziness of this movie.Residents of planet Jirusia who are losing a war against the invading forces of Gavanas sends a princess, and 8 glowing balls to earth, to seek for help.If you've seen "The Legend of the eight samurai", you'll notice that eight glowing balls idea is strait out of that movie.Kinji Fukasaku always brings cheap, and crazy atmosphere to his movies. This one is no exception. I have no idea why he's considered a great director in his country. He's one of the worst director I know who's movie is guaranteed to look cheezy, and schizophrenic. His son is even worse director.The movie is like amalgamation of Star Wars and the Legend of Eight Samurai, done in worst possible way. Actors are pretty good, but their talents are wasted on this movie.I guess the international casts were put in place so the movie has appeal for audiences in both Japan and USA, but instead they succeeded in making a movie that has appeal maybe only to little children.

This was the first time I realized I was seeing a bad film as a teen. This from someone who enjoyed Saturday afternoon TV movies such as all those Hercules films. My jaw dropped when they pretty much ignored such silly science concepts such as the vacuum of space. Not to mention the prejudice about how a black guy would act when confronted by a evil villain. Not to mention that the villain used the same tailor as Ming the Merciless from the Flash Gordong film. Then there was the space fight sequence threading thru a canyon that looked exactly like Luke and the Death STar. I never thought of it before but it would be fun to see it spoofed by the gang at MST3k. So, now I've reached the next level of moviegoer. The one which enjoys films that are so bad that they are good.

This movie was ready for release in Japan when Star Wars was released.If this film "rips off" anything, it's "The Seven Samurai".And, since Star Wars is a blatant "rip off" of two or three Japanese films - mostly Kurosawa's "Hidden Fortress", but also somewhat his "Yojimbo" - and took other major action bits - the attack on the Death Star, for instance - from English World War 2 films, accusing *anything* of being "a STAR WARS ripoff" simply shows how little the accuser knows of film history.Extra line.Extra line.