Starman is kind of like Doctor Who, only Japanese, I'd say. He's like him because he's an extra-terrestrial being whose job is to protect the human race from alien invaders, only Starman's a little more hands on than the Doctor. Which is to say, he's not averse to giving the invaders a good kicking for their trouble. In fact, in this film, he actually kicks an alien spaceship's head in not once, not twice, but three times! From the inside! These aliens are the Salamander men and they've started their invasion the usual way, by spreading a deadly disease to anyone who attends their surreal dance routine they perform on stage. They also go out their way to track down various scientists who are working on cures for the disease, or know where all the Earth's secret weapons are stashed. As with Starman's Evil Brain from Outer Space, almost everyone encountered on Earth is a scientist, doctor, or a small child.
These salamander dudes are pretty creepy when in disguise as humans (and appear like ghosts when they feel like it). They also breathe radioactive mist that can control humans. While trying to steal some scientists, Starman thinks he'll take in a show and gets drawn into a teleporting fight with the Salamanders, which results in an even bigger fight in a swamp. This is only the first half of the film! The latter half goes all Ju-On on us as an especially creepy Salamander turns up to take care of kids who have stumbled upon the alien's plan to follow a scientist to the secret Earth weapon stash (and when I say stumbled, I mean the aliens just told the kids about it). This leads to a half salamander lady chasing kids about for ages and the kids stumbling on the alien's weakness.
All this of course leads to a big showdown, where the aliens have a weapons that disrupts Earth's orbit (causing random objects to float in the air), a battle where Starman takes on loads of Salamanders and even stops mid air for a punch up with a guy (closely followed by an underwater punch up)
aw man.
Starting with the surreal good alien committee meeting at the start, and fill with crazy imagery from start to finish, Invaders From Space is yet another utterly bonkers entry into the Starman series. Crazy rubber suits for the Salamanders, Joker-like grins on the half-aliens, dance routines, people melting, aliens causing water to explode, time running backwards, alien spaceships where the controls seem to be shadows on the wall. This film has it all. Fast paced and mental. I love these films.
And RIP Starman. I'm just discovering your films now. Your vibrations will live on.
