Console
best movie i've ever seen.
Derrick Gibbons
An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.
Kaelan Mccaffrey
Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.
zumo-16908
Contrary to other reviews here, I would say that this film is vastly over rated given its current IMDb score.When I read the IMDb description, I could imagine so many interesting ways such a plot concept could unfold, and I was excited to watch this film. But the plot adoption is very, very thin and just straight out disappointing. A good amount of time is spend on the characters, but it never gets to any kind of depth or reveals any kind of relation to the plot at all. There seems to be little point in showing us most things they do actually. I am not even sure if there is a point anywhere in this film at all.It is very obvious that the film tries to mimic the tranquil space/tech scenes of 2001 that came out just months before it, but it completely misses the point of how and why those scenes are used. In Journey to the Far Side of the Sun, mundane and completely irrelevant scenes are dragged out to the point where concentration and interest vanishes completely. Half way through the film, I was very close to switching it off or go watch something else due to boredom. Even a lot of the effects are quite obviously copied from 2001, but also very poorly so. Even if you skip the obvious 2001 comparison, the effects are still rather unimpressive even for their time. There are films from the 50s with more convincing miniature model scenes for instance. The soundtrack is nothing worth writing about either.If I had watched it as a child, I could probably have ignored its many short comings and liked it due to the sci-fi setting of the film. As an adult I find it hard to recommend it though. There are some interesting props and beautiful 60s fashion, but that is about the only good thing I have to say besides the awesome plot idea (that is very poorly executed).
adriangr
"Journey to the Far Side of the Sun" has such a great premise that it's a real disappointment that they makers didn't do more with it. The film actually comes to a close just when it should get going. Handled correctly it could have led to a spin off TV series!If you are unfamiliar with the plot, let me fill you in on the good stuff. A planet is discovered on the far side of the sun, in exactly the same orbital rotation as the earth but on the opposite side, which explains why it has never been seen from earth before. A spacecraft is sent out to investigate it, with two astronauts on board. The long journey ends with them crash landing on the new planet, and what they find there is beyond their wildest expectations.What you will see straight away when you watch this film is the trademark style of a Gerry Anderson production. Filled with miniatures models of groovy buildings and spacecraft, it brings to mind a TV episode of Thunderbirds or Joe 90 on the big screen. This is a mixed blessing as Gerry Andersons miniatures always looked a bit like toys - very detailed and beautifully crafted toys, but when mixed with live actors appearing on full sized sets, the differences start to become noticeable. However this is science fiction from 1969 so be grateful that they are of a quality as high as this. The rest of the film looks great too, space fashion in all it's 1960's glory litters the screen, beautiful women, snappy gadgets and gaudy décor are present in abundance. The camera work in the film is great, everything looks crisp and colourful, again in the same way the the TV puppet shows always appeared. The acting is pretty good too, from the two male leads Ian Hendry and Roy Thinnes (for the US audiences) and the supporting cast too.I had great fun watching this but my main gripe is the huge disappointment that I experienced after the film revealed it's "twist". The twist itself is great but from that point onwards the film has nowhere to go, and nothing to do with it's trump card. The ending seemed ridiculous to me, because it basically puts a stop to so many intriguing "what if's" that could have been dreamed up, but instead they chose a really bad pay- off for all the build-up that had been so wonderfully laid down.You should have a great time watching the first 80 minutes of this film, but the last 20 might well leave you unsatisfied. It looks so good and the pacing of the first hour is fantastic. I just wish things had been taken somewhere more exciting instead of thrown in the trash, which seem to me how the scriptwriters decided to end the story.
gavin6942
The European Space Exploration Council sends two astronauts to explore a planet similar to the Earth but located on the opposite side of the sun.Gary Gerani, co-writer of "Pumpkinhead" (1988), ranks the film 81st in his book "Top 100 Sci-Fi Movies", praising Doppelgänger as a "fine example of speculative fantasy in the late '60s". He expresses satisfaction with Thinnes' and Wymark's performances, the characterization (and the themes entailed, including adultery, infertility and corruption) and the "Fourth of July-style" special effects, calling the film "enigmatic".I thought the concept of this film was brilliant, because it would actually be possible. At least some of it. And then the "twist"... while not possible, still a pretty great idea. The film could have veered into horror at that point, but remained firmly in science fiction, in some ways even working as a companion piece to "2001"...
Scott LeBrun
Intriguing sci-fi entry has enough going for it, that it deserves to be better known. It stars Roy Thinnes as Colonel Glenn Ross, an astronaut selected to travel to a newly discovered planet that is on the opposite side of the sun. Accompanied by scientist Dr. John Kane (Ian Hendry), he crash lands on the new planet. Some time later, he's grilled by his associates, who believe that he didn't accomplish his mission (having arrived home too soon).However, this is only the beginning of a few twists that this nifty and entertaining movie throws at the viewer. Conceived and produced by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson of 'Thunderbirds' fame, it has a pace so slow that it's not going to be to all tastes. But patient audience members should appreciate the excellent, colourful visuals and the vibrant cinematography. The special effects are pretty good, for the most part. Barry Gray's music score is an enjoyable one.Once you realize the implications of the scenario, devised by the Andersons and Donald James, "Journey to the Far Side of the Sun" may look even better to you. It really does know how to hook you in.It benefits from excellent acting from all concerned: Thinnes as our hero, Mr. Hendry, Patrick Wymark, lovely ladies Lynn Loring and Loni von Friedl, George Sewell, Ed Bishop, and the too briefly seen Herbert Lom as a spy with cool gadgets at his disposal.Viewers are likely to remember the unexpected ending, which is violent and devastating. Certainly it's one of the darkest of endings to be found in this genre.Seven out of 10.
