Star Pilot (1966)

Star Pilot (1966). 1h 31m | PG

“The plot itself involves the usual alien abduction, and is not very original. When compared to Francisciu0026#39;s other films, this one lags remarkably. However, it has a definite B-movie appeal, and is, when viewed as an interstellar espionage film, quite up to par with the later entries of Alfonso Brescia (although Brescia did more of a slap-dash space opera with little of the espionage element). Maybe, then, this film is a big brother of Primo Zegliou0026#39;s u0026quot;Mission Stardust.u0026quot; Iu0026#39;ll tell you what it isnu0026#39;t, though. It certainly isnu0026#39;t up to par with Antonio Margheritiu0026#39;s sci-fi films, many of which were directed during the same period. Francisci never made such judicious use of miniature models as did Margheriti, and, on a special effects level, this one must be ranked along with Alfonso Bresciau0026#39;s flicks.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOne of the highlights of the film, is the return of actress Leonora Ruffo after a three year hiatus. Never a prolific actress, she was at her peak in films such as Francisciu0026#39;s u0026quot;Queen of Shebau0026quot; and Sergio Griecou0026#39;s u0026quot;The Black Devil.u0026quot; Being a consummate movie buff, I also admired her performance in Francisciu0026#39;s 1951 film u0026quot;Le Meravigliose Avventure di Guerrin Meschino,u0026quot; in which Gino Leurini fights stone giants, colossal dragons, and evil witches, in an attempt to free the then 16-year-old actress Ruffo. She looked so beautiful at that time, but in this film she appears… well… matronly. Nevertheless, Pietro Francisci dresses her up in a mini skirt, with a décolleté top-piece, and lets her play the commander of the alien spaceship.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eGordon Mitchell shows up briefly as a dispatcher from the home planet, who gives his orders to Ruffo. As usual, his murderous glare and menacing attitude squeeze him into the plot as a superfluous bad guy, who has very little to do with the film. Some Asian criminals show up, speak bad English, and attempt to take over the ship, but are subdued by the professor and the others after a fist-fight inside the space-ship. Later, Ruffo falls for Nando Angeliniu0026#39;s character, while Leontine May gets cozy with Kirk Morris. The film ends rather mysteriously, with some sort of weak message on the horrors of radioactive waste being dumped into the atmosphere, and the ensuing end of mankind.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eNow, the ultimate question. Was this just a paycheck for Pietro Francisci, or did he really have serious pretenses when making this film? After viewing u0026quot;2+5 Mission Hydrau0026quot;, the answer is fairly obvious. Francisci had already made whatever artistic statements he once had in such earlier films as u0026quot;Hercules,u0026quot; u0026quot;The Siege of Syracuse,u0026quot; u0026quot;Attila,u0026quot; u0026quot;Queen of Sheba,u0026quot; and u0026quot;Guerrin Meschino.u0026quot; This was a downslide for him, and he didnu0026#39;t shoot another movie until 1973, when he directed the low-budget and somewhat asinine u0026quot;Sinbad and the Caliph of Bagdad.u0026quot; Francisci was mainly a director of epic films. And I kept that in mind while watching this one. On the whole, this is a film that one should watch if he or she enjoys cheap thrills, or is a die-hard completist. If youu0026#39;re looking for lots of big-budget effects, a well-written script, and superior acting, stick to Margheritiu0026#39;s sci-fi films.”