Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

20 Million Miles to Earth Blu-ray Movie Review

One of Ray Harryhausen's breakthrough effects films arrives on a very fine Blu-ray disc.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 6, 2008

Why is it always, always so costly for man to move from the present to the future ?

If the cost of moving from a then-present of moviemaking to what we have now is having to endure a viewing of 20 Million Miles to Earth, I'm not so sure it was worth it. This is cheese at its most scrumptious, a delectable smorgasbord of the finest colby, cheddar, swiss, muenster, pepperjack, provolone, and brie served up any way you want it. Perhaps no other science fiction film summarizes the state of the genre in the 1950s as well as this. We've got a completely unbelievable plot, stiff characters, screaming women, a battalion of worthless soldiers fighting a losing cause, and, of course, a monster. While this film doesn't delve into the "radioactive" angle that so many of its contemporary brethren relied on to push their stories along (see It Came From Beneath the Sea), this one nevertheless manages to bring in the outer space angle, an angle that hearkens back to the true "glory" days of science fiction when the likes of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers serials, shows that would be the precursors to the likes of Star Trek, Babylon Five, and Battlestar Galactica, enthralled America's youth.

Clash of the Titans.

The film stars William Hopper (Rebel Without a Cause) as Colonel Robert Calder, the lone survivor of a doomed mission to the planet Venus. Several of his shipmates perished on the planet's surface, and the remainder die when their rocket ship crash lands into the sea off of the coast of Sicily. He is rescued by local fisherman, including a boy named Pepe (Bart Bradley, From the Earth to the Moon) who eventually finds an odd container washed up ashore that came back on the ship from Venus. Young and curious, Pepe throws caution to the wind, opens the container to find a squishy green substance, and sells it to a local scientist named Dr. Leonardo (Frank Puglia, The First Texan) for 200 Lira, enough to buy an authentic Texas cowboy hat. Dr. Leonardo is taken aback when a creature emerges from the gelatinous goo and grows exponentially, beginning as the size of a pencil and becoming as large as a man in mere days. While Dr. Leonardo is taking the creature to Rome for further study, the creature escapes and it's up to Col. Calder to find and capture the creature before it destroys the countryside.

20 Million Miles to Earth proves to be a most odd choice for release on the young Blu-ray format. Regardless of the quality of the film itself, it's very nice to see Sony digging way back into the vault and testing the waters with a release such as this one. I for one love old science fiction, and just because this movie wasn't one I would consider one of the "better" ones, I certainly applaud its release. Obviously, having recently celebrated the film's 50th anniversary didn't hurt matters and, for me, the most intriguing aspect of the release is the inclusion of both the original black and white version as well as the newly created colorized version. I'm a purist and preferred the black and white version, but I certainly respect Ray Harryhausen's artistic decision to colorize this and several other films that he has worked on. Harryhausen is a legend in cinema lore, and perhaps an apt description would be to call him the Stan Winston of his time. Cheesy though they may now be, Harryhausen's effects in films like Clash of the Titans, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, and 20 Million Miles to Earth were groundbreaking and ushered in a new era and standard for the look, feel, and artistic license behind the use of such effects in cinema. This film is respected in many circles for the visual effects work, and as such, it's well worth your attention.

Please note: no creatures from Venus were harmed during the making of this motion picture.

20 Million Miles to Earth Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

20 Million Miles to Earth is presented on Blu-ray in 1080p high definition with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The film offers viewers the opportunity to view it in either the original black and white version or the colorized version. During the movie, viewers may choose to switch versions by pressing the "angle" button on their remote controls. After a slight pause, the movie immediately picks up again in the other format. The film is quite grainy throughout, but the print is remarkably clean for a film of this age. It's certainly not pristine, but given the age, it looks great. Detail is remarkably high as well. Although not as breathtaking as other classics seen on Blu-ray -- for example, The Searchers, -- the film looks very good. As for the color vs. black and white issue, I felt the film felt more natural in its original colorless version. Oftentimes colors looked slightly off. Many skin tones looked "peachy" and unnatural. Some color reproduction looked great, such as the green of the monster and the tans of the army uniforms, but on the whole I much preferred the black and white version. I'm glad both are on here, and Harryhausen's decision to colorize the film carries a lot of weight. The end product cannot be eschewed out of spite for the colorization process.

20 Million Miles to Earth Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

This release of Columbia Pictures' 20 Million Miles to Earth features a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack. Obviously not the original mix, this is nonetheless a fine sounding remix that comes across as neither forced nor phony. Surrounds are used to good effect, though at times the sound is often muffled and slightly undefined. Dialogue is clear and well defined, and there is no extraneous noise or otherwise unwelcome sound overlaying the track. It's very clean and pleasant. Some of the sound effects, of course, are out of date and come across as rather tacky by today's standards, but such effects only add to the charm of a movie such as this.

20 Million Miles to Earth Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Fans of 1950s science fiction should be happy with the supplements included on this disc. First up is a very informative commentary track featuring Ray Harryhausen and visual effects artists Dennis Muren and Phil Tippett, and Arnold Kunert. Quite a bit of the discussion revolves around shooting in both Italy and the United States, and there are some great anecdotes throughout. Harryhausen is very pleased with the colorization of the film and discusses the reasons why it was originally filmed in black and white. The commentary is brought to us via a satellite hook-up between California and London (where Harryhausen is) and there is no lag or discernible hic-ups. This is a solid track.

Each of the following features are presented with optional Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. Remembering '20 Million Miles to Earth' (480p, 27:01) is a basic piece that mostly discusses the technicalities of making the film, notably the special effects and makeup. The Colorization Process (480p, 11:02) is a discussion with Ray Harryhausen and Barry Sandrew of Legend Films about the most recent colorization of the film. Harryhausen always wanted many of his films produced in color, but certain restraints prevented it from the outset. He defends the colorization of certain films, including some of his own, and he also discusses his reaction to the final results. Tim Burton Sits Down With Ray Harryhausen (480p, 27:09) proves to be one of the best features on the disc. The pair enjoys the look back at Harryhausen's work on this and other films.

Moving on, there is also an Interview With Joan Taylor (480p, 17:29), a chat with the actress that played Marisa Leonardo in the movie. She reminisces about her role in the film and her childhood influences that led her into acting. David Schecter On Film Music's Unsung Hero (480p, 22:33) is a look at the way certain films were scored by Columbia in the 1950s. '20 Million Miles More' Comic Book is a preview of a comic book inspired by the film. Finally, still galleries, original ad artwork, and the trailer for Close Encounters of the Third Kind conclude this extensive group of supplements.

20 Million Miles to Earth Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

20 Million Miles to Earth is a prime example of 1950s science fiction filmmaking. It offers up a thin plot, thin characters, some laughable moments (even for a film of its era) and a somewhat lethargic pace. However, it's remarkable in that it offers a fine example of 1950s special effects by one of the masters of his or any other era. This is a mostly good looking disc, looking just about as good as one could expect. Sonically, it doesn't disappoint, but it doesn't distinguish itself, either. An inclusion of the original soundtrack rather than just the remixed TrueHD track would have been most welcome. Fans of both the film and of Ray Harryhausen will not be disappointed by the extensive special features found on this Blu-ray disc. Recommended.