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9 out of 10 people found the following review useful: Underrated science fiction gem from Eastern Europe, 19 March 2003 Author: mpopham from Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
This is an intriguing Czech science fiction film from the early 60's. It's pretty much unknown in the U.S (American - International Pictures dubbed it into English and released it as "Voyage to the End of the Universe" in 1964; it's been seen here only rarely since then).The movie depicts a group of space travelers on a seemingly endless journey to a new planet. They encounter many traps and dangers along the way (including a derelict spacecraft and a mysterious nebula) but the greatest conflict seems to be psychological: namely, the titanic ambition of a 15-year, trans-galactic voyage pitted against the fragility of the human mind and the relative insignificance of human lives.The interior sets are lavish -- certainly on a par with "Forbidden Planet" and perhaps even "2001". The level of detail in the spaceship interiors is admirable, and the same can be said for the smartly designed spacesuits."Ikarie XB 1" stumbles badly, though, when it comes to the exterior effects work. The spacecraft models are too small to provide much detail, and seem to be propelled through space by dark-colored string. As a result the transitions between interior and exterior shots are somewhat jarring.All the same, this movie is a very interesting example of mid-century science fiction. It deserves a much wider audience, and it is to be hoped that a restored, subtitled print will one day make the rounds in American art houses. Cross your fingers.
9 out of 11 people found the following review useful: One of the best Euro SF Films finally restored for U.S. Audiences, 22 August 2004 Author: Joe Stemme (gortx) from United States
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Most Americans know this film (if they know it at all) as VOYAGE TO THE END OF THE UNIVERSE. According to most sources, the film was chopped & re-dubbed from its original 81 minute length (the original Variety review pegs it at 90 minutes) to approximately 64 minutes for its limited theatrical run by American International Pictures. Curiously, I have an old VHS tape off of TV that runs about 78 minutes. The odd thing is that the cuts that were made (apparently there were both Theatrical and TV Versions prepared), are actually LESS important to the ADDITIONAL footage that was added. And, that Additional Footage runs about 5 seconds! How could 5 seconds be more important that the 5 to 20 minutes that were cut out?? More on that below (with SPOILER ALERT to come). IKARIE XB 1 (the Czech cut) is on display as part of a traveling series of Czech films and hopefully will show up on DVD soon in a definitive version. Unquestionably, IKARIE is one of the best SF films to come from outside the USA. Well mounted production values, solid acting and an intelligent storyline. The film has many parallels to such Productions as 2001, SOLARIS, the German TV series SPACE PATROL, PLANET OF THE APES and many others. What's particularly intriguing is that the film doesn't condescend to its audience. Some of the most fascinating aspects of the script are more implied than detailed (this may cause some to be confused or distracted - Why, for instance, does the crew not know of the previous mission they come up close to the target 'White Planet'(NOT the 'Green Planet' as it's US version calls it)?). A true find. Hopefully, a restoration would allow the film to take its rightful place in the SF Film canon. +++++++++++++SPOILERS BELOW++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Most of the cuts made in the TV version of IKARIE are fairly minor (most just made to speed things up). But, it's that 5 seconds of new footage that makes for an entirely different viewing experience. For, the US version changes THE ENTIRE MEANING OF THE MOVIE! When the Space Travelers finally reach the "Green Planet" it appears that they have either never left, gone thru a time warp (a la PLANET OF THE APES) or gone around in circles - NONE of these endings was inferred by the original film at all! Shockingly, when I've talked to people who've seen the US Version or read about it in Film Reference books, their view of the whole film is not only tainted by these 5 seconds, but actually results in their dismissal of the film's quality. Most huff that "it's got this lame and OBVIOUS ending" - And, sadly, they are referring to an ending that is neither lame nor was "obvious" -- for it was never meant to be by the filmmakers! Tragic, shocking and sad. People read the film from the ending backwards and dismiss all that came from before due to its "trick ending". Again, I hope the film, and its purposefully ambiguous ending will out.
6 out of 7 people found the following review useful: It Was Never in Color, 10 May 2004 Author: robert_deveau from Boston, MA
I just saw a gorgeous, widescreen, subtitled print of "Ikarie XB 1", also known as "Voyage To The End of the Universe", at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. The print, restored by the Czech studio that originally released it, is in black and white, and was obviously shot that way. Its complete running time is listed in the program notes as 84 minutes, though it may have been a few minutes longer. (I should have checked my watch). Like several others who've commented on this, I first saw this movie as a kid when AIP released a dubbed version in the 60s. Its definitely not a kiddie movie, and is still quite impressive for its effects and production design, as well as its intelligent story.
5 out of 6 people found the following review useful: The Undiscovered Country...., 2 April 2007 Author: Celluloid_Rehab (lelnu@yahoo.com) from Hell's Kitchen, NYC
Somewhere between the Outer Limits and Star Trek lies this little science fiction gem from the former Czechoslovakia. This isn't I. Robot or that type of science fiction, which is Asimov wrapped up in a shiny steel and glass box. This is the actual story and not just the wrapping paper. It proudly carries on the tradition started by Forbidden Planet and This Island Earth, even though its not as exciting. It is actually more like the Magnetic Monster and the Outer Limits. This is science fiction done in crisp black and white. The screen may not be vivid, yet the special effects have an ethereally surreal quality. Mix that in with the futuristic Shostakovitch-like score and we have a compelling and eerie trip into the unknown.The excitement and glory that comes from living and exploring space (Star Trek, Star Wars, etc.) is minimized in the movie. We get the basic day to day activities of the crew of the Ikarie, on its 28 month (15 years pass back on Earth) mission to our closest solar system, Alpha Centauri. We also get the dangers and rewards of hurling ourselves into the vast darkness.It is the 22nd Century and we are out in the galaxy searching for life. The crew is comprised from a co-ed international pool. We never get to see Earth, yet we get a glimpse of what humans are like from the interactions of the crew (work, entertainment, nutritional intervals, exercise, reproduction and crisis). This is a future full of video screens, blasters, personal transmitters, turbo lifts, artificial gravity, Beatnik-like futuristic dancing and even Nike light up magnetic boots. This is the perfect/classical example of the sci-fi antithesis to Idiocracy. Humanity will improve with time. The future is bright, shiny and worth waiting for. Man fixes the malaise of his species. We are never shown anything more lethal than a hand blaster, when it comes to weapons. On their mission, they encounter a perfectly preserved space relic from an Earth expedition of the 20th century. Let's just say our predecessors had very little nice things to say about us. Let's not forget that the 20th century contained two world wars, numerous genocides, the birth and use of the the atomic bomb. One would also assume that a movie made in a Soviet influenced country would contain a certain amount of Communist and Pro-Soviet propaganda (for example, Planeta Bura). Thankfully this is all missing. About the biggest commentary comes from the critique of our 20th century counterparts. I found the only anti-capitalist message in the writing on the Earth relic. Everything inside is written in English, the ship was fully loaded with nuclear warheads and the the crew turned on each other. And even this critique is more of a jab at our collective selves then at full fledged opposition to capitalism. If you are looking for epic space battles for the fate of the universe, look elsewhere because the crew kills absolutely no living thing. If you want 90 minutes of Georges Méliès mixed with Jules Verne, then you have found the perfect movie. I can easily see this movie as an influence on Kubrick's 2001, Rodenberry's Star Trek, Lucas' Star Wars and even Irwin Allen's Lost in Space. We even have a robot. He's definitely not as cool nor as good as Robby the Robot nor the robot that constantly saves the Robinsons. We named him Patrick. Patrick the Robot. RIP. (Pour out some alcohol for the robots that aren't with us anymore).-Celluloid Rehab
7 out of 10 people found the following review useful: Cult movie from Lem's Magellan Cloud novel, 12 December 2005 Author: (tfo222) from Hungary
In my opinion this movie is a basic sci-fi cult. The history of IKARIA is based on the novel "Magellan Cloud" of Stanislav Lem. The distance between the novel and the movie is similar to H.G. Wells "War of the Worlds" and Cruise-Spielberg movie or Lem's and Tarkovskij's "Solaris". According to reminiscence of Lem, this novel was not from his favorites. But at that time (1962) and I think nowadays also it is a remarkable novel and movie also. In interpretation of Soderbergh's and Clooney's Solaris they was finding the heaven or paradise to live there (and at the end Rheya and Kelvin have found it). Interpretation of Ikaria was full of agreements with "new" socialist ideas against capitalist ideas (dead casino in space, criticism of red nail polish, etc.) but in one time "between lines" there is the criticism of socialist reality during fifties and sixties (predestined madness and "no future" impasse: deadly illness from radioactive accident at the end of the Magellan Cloud novel). Mainly I agree with other comments. I hope sometime they will make and we will get the color DVD!
5 out of 7 people found the following review useful: First serious Czech SF movie. Futuristic attempt to simulate future., 3 February 2000 Author: dtomek from Prague, Czechia
Ikarie XB1 is the first Czech SF movie. It was released in black and white only. The story relies to some extent on one of Stanislav Lem's books. The movie is still appreciated not only among science fiction fans in Czechia, but mainly because of its high ambitions. The movie not only shows a trip to proxima centauri, but it also tried to predict future music and dance.Due to the time it was created (early 60ies) there are some ideological compromises to the communism and cold war.
3 out of 4 people found the following review useful: archetypical sci-fi flick that's still setting trends, 31 August 2003 Author: CatTales from United States
*some spoilers* One of those early sci-fi flicks full of nice touches and effects that still influence the genre today, from Star Trek to Minority Report. While the plot is about a lengthy trip to another solar system, a main complication is about a health problem that deranges one of the crew(later borrowed for classic Star Trek's "Naked Time" and more blatantly used in Trek's Next Gen "Naked Now" episode). Their view screen projects images larger-than-life (still used in movies today to look "cool"). While the ship models aren't too convincing, there's one scene when a mini-ship is docking and suddenly an astronaut waves hello from inside! It's a slightly off-kilter matte effect but a nice effort. The highlight of the film starts in the ballroom, with futuristic music and dancing, which is interrupted by an alarm (an encounter with a derelict ship). Then we watch as the astronauts investigate, their boots that light up with each slow-motion step, unknowingly performing a dance of death. It's a sequence worth watching a few times. No doubt the climax of the scene was a contemporary message about the dangers of nuclear weapons. The derelict ship also foreshadows what will happen to the crew of the ship. There's alot of good-natured humor in the film, similar to the other Russian classic "Planet of Storms." The final scene isn't too surprising, but it's better than no surprise at all (and was apparently borrowed 2 years later for the same final scene in the Italian "Planet of Vampires"). A nice little flick, which is in public domain so it's often sold by "independent distributors" on Ebay.
4 out of 6 people found the following review useful: Genre enthusiasts ought to see this one., 15 May 2003 Author: pro_crustes from Atlantic Coast, USA
This is for sf-film completists. It seems to fill a gap between the late-50's style of sf movie and the forever-after effects of Star Trek and Kubrick's "2001." The only version you're likely to see is the American International release. The Encyclopedia of SF says the original film is in color, but AI's print is B&W, probably to save costs on the number of prints they may have made from a film I suspect they got for little money in the first place.The story is about a big "community" sized spaceship making a long journey to "the green planet." Another reviewer said the ship was faster than light, but a couple of references to time-dilation effects in the dialog make it more likely that the ship was a near-lightspeed model. This has an influence on the spooky atmosphere that pervades the whole film, making the crew/community highly insular, as they realize they are cut off completely from the lives they have left behind.The sfx are slightly better than Dr. Who episodes of similar vintage, with a couple of really good spacesuits and an unusual design for the ship itself. There's also a very, very neat shot of the ship in orbit around its destination that is a dead ringer for a similar moment in "Alien," and quite effective (in both films), in a way that most movies about spaceships seem to forego.Still, the story rambles and seems kind of shallow. The sets and sfx aren't bad, but don't make up for the weak script. I recommend this for true lovers of the form (as I am), because you just wouldn't want to be left wondering what might have been going on in sf films, even east European ones, in the early '60s. Here's your answer.
2 out of 3 people found the following review useful: Best Space Suit Designs This Side Of The Apollo Program, 19 August 2007 Author: Steve Nyland (Squonkamatic) from New York, USA
IKARIE XB-1 is one of the most compelling science fiction films ever made. Filmed in very Cold War era Czecheslovokia and rarely seen in North America in it's complete widescreen form, this is a movie that was so ahead of it's time that only 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY managed to raise the bar above what was set here with it's meticulous depiction of outer space vehicles in action.If there is any shortcoming to IKARIE it's simply that: The space ship model effects are somewhat awkward & unconvincing, a setback that the movie might not recover from in the mind's eye of viewers raised on 30+ years of George Lucas & Steven Spielberg special effects films. But viewers who are interested in a story will be more than rewarded with a complex drama about a group of humans off in search of a brave new world to populate, with an ending sequence that is perhaps the most provocative element of the entire film -- and would later find form again in Mario Bava's PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES, albeit in a different manner. There is no doubt that the Italian master was influenced by this film.For me the most striking sequence is a daring, risky, and potentially scandalous commentary by these Soviet Bloc filmmakers when they have their explorers encounter a derelict craft floating aimlessly & without power in the empty nothing between the stars. A boarding party is dispatched to discover that it was an early Earth craft which had been dispatched during a nuclear conflict who's crew was made up of decadent aristocrats who had been attempting to escape the carnage back on Earth. They are long dead, mummified to the point where their bodies disintegrate when brushed against, and had apparently been killed off by the military flight crew when it became clear the oxygen supply was about to run dry. The quiet, calm horror of the scene is unprecedented even by today's standards, with the accidental triggering of one of the ship's obsolete but still functional nuclear warheads providing a nerve-shattering moment as the two hapless crewmen attempt to escape the airless, gravity deprived hell in space.One of the aspects that makes the scene so convincing was the space suit designs created by the artistic visionaries behind the film. They look even more functional, practical and "real" than the Mercury era space flight technology of the day: Bulky, armored, pressurized tin cans with knee joints, claw-like cloves, and magnetized boot plates. The scene of the two astronauts trying to run across the derelict flight deck for the airlock to escape the explosion is a marvel of not only applied science but choreography. In my opinion the film is worth tracking down for this one sequence alone.And now you can: The film was issued in 2005 on a marvelous Czech made PAL format DVD that shows the film in the correct 2:35:1 Techniscope widescreen format with the original, unaltered & un-messed with ending sequence intact. Any serious fan of Cold War era science fiction simply must acquire one. I will admit that some of the more talky middle "soap opera in space" segments sort of lag the pacing a bit, but the 81 minutes is over quickly and the impression one is left with is that the thinking behind the movie was miles ahead of anything that came out of the West at the same time. Along with the Russian PLANETA BUR and the East German/Polish SILENT STAR aka FIRST SPACESHIP ON VENUS, this is one of the most important & overlooked masterpieces of science fiction from the time when manned space flight was becoming a reality.All three films are grounded in actual science with impressive visual power that still has potency. What makes IKARIE XB-1 even more impressive is that it lacks some of the glory-boy propagandizing of the Soviet Bloc's entertainment machine, which was designed to enthrall the masses with depictions of glorious Soviet cosmonauts conquering the cosmos -- something that never really quite happened. Those movies were meant to placate the Proletariat and give them a reason to make do cheer for the genuine oppression under which they lived. By contrast, IKARIE is almost a work of pure artistic expression, which is in itself remarkable considering the conditions under which it was made.8/10
3 out of 5 people found the following review useful: Unusually good for time period made., 23 January 2000 Author: treddie from Las Vegas, NV
Considering that this film was made in 1963, in Czechoslovakia, at a time when so much sci-fi schlok was produced in the spacefaring United States, this film is a rare, welcome sight to the eyes. Intelligently produced and designed, with good character development and good special effects, I miss seeing this film which seems to have been lost in the Great Transition To Video; I know of no distributors for it. It does have its corny moments, but this is excusable in light of the time in which it was made. The ending was unfortunately changed for U.S. viewers, which is a shame; It is the U.S. ending which gets criticized most...I imagine the European ending would have been more in keeping with its originality, and would hope that American International would re-release it in the U.S., with new dubbing (I'm one of those non-purists who can't stand sub-titles...they interfere with the enjoyment of the image. And yes, dubbing CAN be done well, when done RIGHT!). It's been nineteen years since I saw it over the airwaves. I hope it has not vanished; It would be a shame for others not to experience it.
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