Warning from Space

 

(1956) Directed by Kôji Shima; Written by Hideo Oguni; Story by Gentaro Nakajima; Starring: Keizô Kawasaki, Toyomi Karita, Bin Yagisawa, Shôzô Nanbu, Bontarô Miake, Mieko Nagai and Isao Yamagata; Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Rating: **½

“It’s a distant planet, lying way beyond the scope of your observatories. From our planet, we saw many atomic clouds on Earth, so we destroyed our research into Urium. Our physicists developed a much safer form of energy, and Paira’s culture has greatly benefited from the resulting peace. But the misuse of nuclear weapons now threatens the very existence of Earth. Centuries ago, the Pairans came close to nuclear catastrophe themselves, but we were wise. And with unlimited safe power, our culture progressed rapidly. Only one country on Earth has experienced the terror and destruction of atomic war, and that country is Japan.” – Ginko (Toyomi Karita) 

Japanese film has become such an integral part of the American pop culture landscape, it’s difficult to imagine there was a time, not so long ago, when this wasn’t the case. Godzilla (aka: Gojira) (1954) opened the floodgates for Japanese genre movies in the U.S., albeit dubbed and re-edited a couple of years later as Godzilla: King of the Monsters. While the rest is history, some movies got lost in the shuffle. Warning from Space (aka: Uchûjin Tôkyô ni arawaru, or Spacemen Appear in Tokyo) (1956), the first full-color science fiction film from Japan,*/**enjoyed a successful run in its native country, but only saw a limited theatrical release elsewhere in the world. By the time it eventually debuted in the United States in the early ‘60s, it was unceremoniously dumped on television. 

* Fun Fact #1: Daiei Studios’ Warning from Space preceded rival studio Toho’s Rodan by nearly a year (which premiered in December 1956). 

** Fun Fact #2: Nijiotoko (aka: Rainbow Man) (1949), considered one of the first Japanese sci-fi films, included a color sequence, which is now thought to be lost.

Japanese scientists are baffled by reports of flying saucers and their crew – a race of beings known as the Pairans.* While they continue to debate their existence with overeager reporters, Planet R hurtles through the cosmos, on a collision course with Earth. Japanese authorities eventually convince multiple nations to combine their nuclear might to destroy the threat. When that fails, humanity’s last hope lies with one researcher, Dr. Matsuda (Isao Yamagata) possesses the formula for “Urium,” a substance with the potential to be a virtually limitless power source or a devastating weapon. As the threat looms closer, causing catastrophic changes to the environment, can humanity get its act together in time? Perhaps with a little help from its new friends, the Pairans… 

* Fun Fact #3: The unworldly sound effect heralding the appearance of the Pairans was later recycled by Daiei for Gamera’s flying scenes.

Considering writer Hideo Oguni’s impressive filmography,* the story is surprisingly messy, filled with paper-thin characters and plot threads that don’t go anywhere. Instead of one protagonist, we have three elderly scientists. There’s a weird subplot about Dr. Matsuda being kidnapped by thugs for his secret formula (never mind that the world is about to end), until the Pairans arbitrarily reveal that they have the ability to track his whereabouts. Another weird thread, introduced early on, then dropped, is whether Dr. Kamura’s daughter Taeko (Mieko Nagai) will settle down and marry her boyfriend (Spoiler Alert: Nope, but it never becomes a significant plot point). Even the all-powerful substance, Urium, seems to be a lackluster plot device. Pairans have traveled vast distances to arrive on Earth, suggesting a civilization far in advance of their human counterparts. They supposedly abandoned research in Urium so they could carry on more peaceful pursuits, but it only makes me wonder why they weren’t capable of developing some other means of deflecting an errant celestial body (On a side note, did James Cameron get the idea for his own MacGuffin, “Unobtanium” from this film? The world may never know…). 

* Fun Fact #4: Oguni is probably best known today for his many collaborations with Akira Kurosawa, including the scripts for Ikiru (1952), Seven Samurai (1954) and Ran (1985).

If nothing else, Warning from Space’s claim to fame is a distinctive one: the starfish-shaped beings, the Pairans.* Whether you think they’re unique or profoundly silly (judging by the awkward look of the costumes, mobility isn’t a priority), they leave an indelible impression. After making a big splash (literally) in Tokyo Bay and a nearby lake,** freaking out half the population of Japan in the process, the Pairans wise up and assume the appearance of two humans: an attractive singer, Hikari Aozora (Toyomi Karita) and a man (Bin Yagisawa). Concluding that perhaps their visage is a little too unsettling for humans and their feeble brains to comprehend, two of the extraterrestrials have the following exchange: 

Pairan #1: As soon as they see us, they scatter in fear, as if they had seen something monstrous. 

Pairan #2: What? Are we considered hideous? Are they more beautiful than us? 

Pairan #1: No. Examine this. This is what they consider a beautiful woman (Pairans view image of Hikari Aozora). 

Pairan #2: This is their concept of beauty? It has a very large lump in the center of its face. 

* Fun Fact #5: The funky, fanciful design of the Pairans can be attributed to Japanese surrealist Taro Okamoto. 

** Fun Fact #6: Look for future director Noriaki Yuasa (who helmed many of Daiei’s Gamera films) in a bit part as an onlooker by a lake.

Warning from Space provides ample evidence that “first” doesn’t necessarily mean best, but if nothing else, it’s a painfully earnest sci-fi disaster film. As the Rodney Dangerfield of Japanese science fiction movies, it doesn’t get much respect these days, although that doesn’t mean it doesn’t merit at least a watch. The film’s “Earth in crisis” theme, likely influenced by When Worlds Collide (1951), became a popular motif for subsequent Japanese science fiction movies, including Gorath (1962) and The Green Slime (1968). If you’re a disaster freak like me, it’s a trope that never gets old.

 

Sources for this article: Blu-ray commentary by Stuart Galbraith IV