Inclubabu
Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.
GurlyIamBeach
Instant Favorite.
Izzy Adkins
The movie is surprisingly subdued in its pacing, its characterizations, and its go-for-broke sensibilities.
Kimball
Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.
d-millhoff
A clever, if implausible, premise with some trite dialog and an abundance of plot holes and goofs - not to mention numerous bad guesses on future technologies. You definitely have to suspend disbelief here, but the storytelling is good enough this isn't a huge issue.Some impressive production design and miniature effects foreshadows Gerry Anderson's later cult classic series 'Space: 1999'.Special effects hold up quite well - this movie looks better than many CGI-riddled features made decades later.And the climactic destruction of the launch complex is spectacular - miniature effects involving smoke, liquids and fire tend to suffer, it's even distractingly noticeable in Titanic, and troublesome enough that Terry Gilliam doesn't even attempt realism in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. But the explosions in this movie definitely don't look like miniatures, they're utterly convincing, comparable to footage I've seen of propane facilities and oil fields blowing up. The miniatures must have been quite large, and I can't imagine how they could have kept this under control in a closed indoor set. A jaw-dropping technical achievement.
StuOz
Research is made into a new planet on the other side of the sun.Rare, hard to get science fiction film from British producer, Gerry Anderson (of Thunderbirds fame). But this is a live action movie with no puppets.The science in the plot is a bit average, but this is an all-round good film with male actors from other vintage sci-fi shows (QM's The Invaders and Anderson's UFO) and the musical score from Barry Gray is highly memorable.As others have stated, the ending is a bit different to what we normally get in Anderson productions, but I am just fine with how it ends.
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.
bkoganbing
How well I remember seeing this made for TV movie when it finally got over to this side of the pond on American television. This British made for TV film has a most intriguing idea, but it could have been better conceptualized.Journey To The Far Side Of The Sun begins with the discovery some time in the future of a planet never seen before which is 180 degrees on the same plane diameter on the opposite side of the sun. Naturally the European Space Agency and its head Patrick Wymark want to make a voyage, certainly not in a straight line I hope or things could get hot for the astronauts.Picked to go are American Roy Thinnes and British Ian Hendry. What they find there is something pretty frightening.A lot's at fault here. I would think that an opposite Mercury and Venus would have been discovered as well, but no mention of that let alone the planets farther than earth from the sun. And while this body moves with'the same speed exactly across the diameter of the orbit the others certainly would have been noticed before even our time.I also don't think the marital issues between real life husband and wife Roy Thinnes and Lynn Loring have anything to do with the main plot and add nothing. An interesting idea not well thought out.