Rating: 
Summary: A real delight!
Review: I like this film a lot. The only annoying thing is that the lead actor looks too much like Danny Kaye, and I kept expecting a comedy routine or song or something. Look to the matte paining at the end of this picture and you'll see lots of strange details (like pyramids). The actors don't seem to notice, but what the heck! This is a class act, and Barbara Rush is wonderful.
Rating:
Summary: Perhaps the definitive science fiction movie of all time.
Review: The acting is occasionally wooden, the special effects are unquestionably dated and the premise of impending doom is nothing original. But what makes this film stand out is its spirit. The spirit of adventure, of mankind's struggle against the forces of the universe. Everything here is clean and clear cut. No dark, ambiguous settings, no mood pieces, no forced spirituality - just a straightforward story capturing everything that science fiction represents. If you dreamt science fiction, then this is what you would see.
Rating: 
Summary: Worlds Collided Way Before Deep Impact and Armageddon
Review: Deep Impact and Armageddon wowwed the masses with eye-popping special effects...In fact, they both make When Worlds Collide look cheap...But this movie, based on the famous novel, has to be the grandfather of the cosmic-impact genre... The danger, every bit as real as more modern movies, is unfortunately an impossibility. Planets just don't smash into each other...But the premise is fun, and the storyline, though hokie, makes for classic Hollywood entertainment...Look for appearances by some actors who would later become famous, including Hayden Roarke (Dr. Bellows from I Dream of Jeannie) and Frank Cady (Sam Drucker from Petticoat Junction)...
Rating: 
Summary: Originally a scf-fi epic, now a comedy
Review: There are a handful of 1950's sci-fi movies that have a big reputation - When Worlds Collide, The Thing From Another World, Forbidden Planet, and The Day the Earth Stood Still. Unfortunately, the first two are really lame in todays world, and only the last has any real message. In the case of When Worlds Collide, there is just too much bad science to make it remotely believable today. Here are just the highlights: After the approaching planet is discovered, scientists give an exact time for the impending doom - right down to the hour, as in "one o'clock on Saturday, six months from now". In the huge spaceship, much area is wasted and it appears metal gym lockers are used for storage, and the control dials are about 6 inches in diameter. Under the mounting G-force, everyone appears to just go to sleep while wearing their space outfits consisting of a military looking parka and a knit cap. The landing sequence on the new planet is quaint including just about running out of fuel, and includes landing on a snow-covered area, right next to a green meadow, lake, and bright cactus-like flowers. At one time viewed as a somewhat sophisticated realistic disaster epic, today it is only an expensive dated movie. Definitely worth renting, though, for a laugh.
Rating:
Summary: When Worlds Collide
Review: I haven't purchased this, but DVDs usually (not always) are better quality than what you copy onto VHS from TV, so I look forward to eventually buying. The movie is an adaptation of the original novel from 1933, and retains some of the best dramatic elements of the book: the marauding objects are first visible only in the southern hemisphere, putting them out of view of the civilization that has the ability to address the need for escape; those who won't get to escape attack, threatening the survival of anyone (in the movie, those who won't get to go attack to try and go; in the book, those who just want to survive attack the camp for its obvious supplies of food) I saw the movie long before I read the book, and there are some inferior elements in the movie, some of which stretch credulity. The book posits a Jupiter-like object and its Earth-like companion, ripped away from their own star, marauding through, the larger object devastating the Earth and returning eight months later to destroy Earth. At that point, the arks leave Earth to make the quick jump to the smaller object which breaks free and orbits our Sun. The larger object heads out into interstellar space, bearing the remnants of Earth. In the movie, it would have made more sense to leave Earth right before or right after Zyra devastates Earth (and one wonders why Earth didn't rip up Zyra's surface at the same time), rather than wait until Bellus is almost upon Earth. If Zyra remains orbiting Bellus, then Earth would get fried as Bellus approaches, and the Ark would have to fight Bellus' gravity as it flies out to Zyra. Even the movie could have told us (but didn't even hint one way or another) that Zyra goes into orbit around our sun while Bellus takes out Earth. Ignoring all this faulty astronomical set-up, the movie is a suspenseful story about the attempt to overcome technology and make a space flight when even a manned orbital flight has never been done. At first, people like Stanton have to be goaded into financing something they don't believe in, while people close to and who trust Hendron give willingly. For a better feel of the story, I recommend reading the novel. The grammar and syntax are dated, but understandable, and you get to know the characters' origins. There is a sequel, After Worlds Collide, with more modern syntax and grammar. Until about the 1990s, When Worlds Collide would have been grand as a movie remake, positing even a one-way shuttle flight to the new planet to scout it out. Even today, a creative adaptation would be welcome if it sticks to the original story's astronomical setup.
Rating:
Summary: Just Good Fun... for a disaster movie.
Review: Truth be told, if you listened to the negative reviews of this film, you would be cheating yourself out of a fun adventure. Yes, it's dated. Yes, the story is tawdry. But the point of this kind of film is about expressing the spirit of science fiction, the flat out incredible nature of the crisis and how people respond. No, it's not at all realistic, but who cares? It's a great little film even with all it's supposed flaws.
I've read the books and thoroughly enjoyed them. I still like the film even after reading them. The whole idea of science fiction in that day, just as with 1950's "Destination Moon", an equally ridiculous film if you listen to the detractors, was to entertain people with the "idea" of "what if" supposition.
Critics of these kinds tend to be exactly the opposite with more modern fare, thinking films like "Red Planet" and "The Astronaut's Wife" are great art because they have a more realistic depiction of space and space ships and alien terrains, but lack the essentials of good story telling.
I find the incredible lack of imagination that goes into modern science fiction films to be disturbing to say the least. Films like "When Worlds Collide" stimulate the imagination to think beyond the possible and to embrace the impossible.
Who didn't like "Armaggedon"? It was completely ridiculous. But I loved it because it didn't take itself too seriously and the pile of improbable events and "They would never do that" moments could make the film unwatchable to the critical eye.
So a film like this to be compared with "When Worlds Collide" is valid because both films not only dealt with impending doom of humankind, but also used, in practical terms, improbable solutions to save humanity. Hurrah for the imagination.
And hurrah for "When Worlds Collide". It's as much fun today as when I first saw it over thirty years ago. If you like good story telling, you will like this film.
Rating:
Summary: A Quintessential 1950's Sci-Fi Film
Review: Based upon the 1933 novel by Edwin Balmer (1883-1959) and Philip Wylie (1902-1971), "When Worlds Collide" was adapted to film in 1951 under the direction of Rudolph Maté (1898-1964) and with a budget of approximately $936,000. (By comparison in the same year, this was only slightly less than the budget used for "The Day the Earth Stood Still", but a small fraction of the $7,000,000 budget spent for "Quo Vadis"). The story begins at a remote observatory where the eminent astronomer, Dr. Emery Bronson (Hayden Rorke, 1910-1987) discovers that a rogue star with its orbiting planet (that he names Bellus and Zyra respectively) may be on a collision course with Earth. In absolute secrecy, Dr. Bronson sends his horrific data to his colleague Dr. Cole Hendron (Larry Keating, 1896-1963) in New York via the leather-jacketed, ace pilot & courier Dave Randall (Richard Derr, 1918-1992). With the assistance of his daughter Joyce Hendron (Barbara Rush), Dr. Hendron analyzes Dr. Bronson's data on the "Differential Analyzer" (an old-fashioned analog computer) and confirms the trajectories of Bellus and Zyra. Dr. Hendron confers with other scientists and world leaders to ask them to build rockets to ferry as many people, animals and plants as possible away from the doomed Earth and to a new home on Zyra. (The similarity to the Judeo-Christian myth of Noah's ark is obvious.) However, the findings fall on deaf ears, except for the aging, wheelchair-bound millionaire Sydney Stanton (John Hoyt, 1905-1991), who agrees to fund the building of a single rocket that can take just over 40 passengers as long as he has a seat. The film follows the construction of the rocket, the devastating effects that the gravity of Zyra and Bellus have upon Earth as they approach, and the impact that the impending doom has upon the social structure.
For a film that was made long before computer-generated special effects existed, the special effects used in "When Worlds Collide" are effective and entertaining. It's especially fun to see how people in the early 1950's envisioned the types of technology that could be used to travel into space years before any nation had created an actual space program or trained any astronauts. Though the science used in the film was flawed and film's meager budget prevented a more realistic vision of a Zyran landscape, neither seriously adversely affects the film-watching experience. Overall, I rate the 1951 "When Worlds Collide" with 4 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it to any sci-fi aficionado.
Rating:
Summary: Noah's Ark, 50s Style!
Review: WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE is basically the story of Noah and the ark updated. A scientist discovers that earth is doomed, right in the path of an approaching planet and it's star! Of course, no one will listen and the world's governments simply laugh it off. So, private investors come to the rescue, giving millions of their own dollars to construct a spaceship capable of holding 40 people, livestock, etc. The problem is in choosing (by lottery) just who the lucky / blessed 40 folks will be. They will be the only remnant of humanity, attempting to start over on the planet Zyra (the very planet that will cause the first wave of earth's destruction)! Who should go? Who should stay? WWC poses some fairly astute moral dilemmas. I mean, why is the rich, bitter, and misanthropic industrialist getting on board just because he wants to save his own skin? This problem is addressed in a rather biting way! Though dated, I found the FX enjoyable, remembering when this was made. George Pal had his high points (War Of The Worlds, The Time Machine) and I consider WWC to be one of them. Barbara Rush (It Came From Outer Space) is in it for goodness sake! That's enough for me right there! Highly recommended...
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