This Island Earth

(1955) *** 

It all began when I was scouting action figures to purchase/invite to my Creature Cantina playset. 

In the past couple of years, my vintage Star Wars playset has become one of the most high profile and exclusive action figure night clubs in the galaxy. Thanks to retro-style action figure companies like Super 7 and Biff Bang Pow, classic Star Wars figures such as Greedo and Hammerhead can now share space cocktails with the likes of Robocop, Bob from Twin Peaks, Pee Wee Herman and Andre the Giant. I came across this magnificent specimen and realized that I had never seen This Island Earth. Please take a moment to admire this beautiful, badass 1950's alien: 

So here we are. 

The Metaluna Mutant doesn't appear until 1 hour and 12 minutes in, but getting there is half the fun. MST3K lampooned this film and I look forward to checking out their take. 

Handsome Dr. Cal Meachum returns to his laboratory to find mysterious instructions on how to build an "interociter", which is similar to what today we refer to as a "computer". He and his assistant Joe build the device without questioning anything. Suddenly a strange man known as Exeter appears on screen and informs him that he has proven his capabilities and is therefore invited to be part of a special research project. Cal says why not and hops a computer controlled plane to a secret laboratory in Georgia.  I should mention that Exeter has an abnormally large forehead. It's not freakishly large but it is quite noticeable. 

Cal is is greeted by a Dr. Ruth Adams whom he recognized as someone he had a relationship with 3 years ago. However, Ruth does not recognize - or is pretending not to recognize - Cal. I couldn't help but speculate as to how sexual their relationship was, and I paid close attention to every meager clue in the dialog. Cal reminds Ruth that two of them lectured in Vermont and that after class they used to go swimming together in a little river by the school. What else they did at the little river is up to interpretation, but it is later revealed that they at the very least held hands. Cal soons meets Exeter, Exeter's assistant Brack (who also possesses a large forehead), a bunch of other scientists, and the guy who played the Professor on Gilligan's Island. 

Dr. Ruth Adams admits to the professor that she and Dr. Meachum did indeed engage in some sort of a relationship and they both chuckle about her reaction to the "cold water" in the river. I'm not sure what conclusion I was supposed to draw about this but I wasn't any closer to understanding the exact nature of the intimacy of their relationship. The professor and Ruth divulge that they were both also enlisted to assist Exeter with his research project, which turns out to be synthesizing uranium. They mention that the other scientists on site have been essentially lobotomized and now blindly follow Exeter's orders. The three attempt to escape but are captured by a flying saucer and taken to the planet Metaluna, where the large-foreheaded species are at war with another species known as "Zagons". Exeter's leader reveals that his people are planning on relocating to Earth where all humans will be lobotomized. He orders Exeter to take Ruth and Cal to get their own lobotomy. When Cal and Ruth attempt to escape, they (finally) find themselves face to face with the aforementioned Metaluna Mutant. This cool looking, iconic mutant is nothing more than slave labor used as a security guard to make sure that people get their lobotomies. Exeter refuses to carry out his boss's orders and he helps Cal and Ruth escape from the treacherous claws of the Metaluna Mutant. 

I loved that the mutant is not some unstoppable killing machine. It turns out that giant brains unprotected by a cranium are actually quite vulnerable. During their first encounter, the ceiling collapses and the mutant is significantly injured. He spends the rest of his short life hobbling around until he's handily dispatched of for good and our protagonists. In conclusion, I can't wait to obtain that action figure so that I may introduce him to his future family.