After a missile crashes into Earth, the crew of The Orbit Jet (Rocky Jones, Winky and Vena) along with Professor Newton and Bobby, head to the mysterious vessel's origin: Fornax, a moon of Jupiter, where they find a civilisation that is promptly threatened by the nasty colonialist forces of Ophecius. This short film is comprises the third three-episode story arc of the 'Rocky Jones Space Ranger' TV show ('Bobby's Comet') and is pretty typical of the series. There are some good special effects (often recycled from earlier episodes), the plot bobs along quickly, the characters (established in earlier episodes) serve their purposes, and the script is again full of pseudo-science (notably when Fornax's 2G gravity comes up) and catchy futuristic expressions. There is a bit too much Bobby for my tastes, but as one purpose of the show was to promote toys and trinkets to kids, so I suspect that young Bobby was an important marketing tool. Essential viewing for anyone interested in 1950s sci-fi TV programs but less interesting than the first three episodes/movie, in which the imaginative and effective (for their time) visuals were introduced.
Review of Menace from Outer Space
