Looking Back at EARTH II

EARTH II (Blu-ray)

1971 / 97 min

From Warner Archive Collection

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Paws😺

In addition to bringing hundreds of old classics to Blu-ray, Warner Archive seems well aware of an entire generation who grew up on made-for-TV movies of the 1970s. Some of this writer’s first exposure to horror, science-fiction and thrillers came courtesy of the ABC Movie of the Week and CBS Tuesday Night Movies.

One of them I vaguely recall is Earth II. Like such similar TV movies from the era as Genesis II and The Questor Tapes, it was originally produced as the pilot episode for a potential series, but never found an audience. As a kid with a growing interest in science-fiction, I remember tuning in to watch it, but almost nothing about the actual plot

Revisiting Earth II on Blu-ray was an interesting experience. The special effects and space sequences that kept me glued to the set when I was eight years old are obviously antiquated, but an enjoyable trip down memory lane nevertheless. Conversely, having remembered nothing about the story beyond the basic premise, much of the film felt completely new to me.

Earth II is an orbiting space station (predating the ISS) that is declared a sovereign nation with its own democratic government, so committed to peace that even toy guns are forbidden. Though commanded by David Seville (Gary Lockwood), all decisions affecting its thousands of citizens are voted on by everyone. This idyllic existence is threatened when the Chinese park an orbiting nuclear weapon nearby, threatening war if anyone tinkers with it.

Gary suddenly realizes how much he misses Stanley Kubrick.

David wants to leave it alone, but goaded by hawkish new arrival Frank Karger (Anthony Franciosa), the citizens vote to capture the bomb and deactivate it. But Frank wants to go one step further and keep the bomb to make Earth II a nuclear superpower, to the chagrin of his distraught wife, Lisa (Mariette Hartley), who wants to keep the station a peaceful society to raise their son. So she launches the weapon, thinking it will fly into the sun (which was originally suggested by David). Instead, it heads toward Earth. So now David and his team must retrieve and disarm the bomb, which is growing increasingly unstable.

Conceptually, I can see how Earth II could’ve been a decent series (if somewhat short-lived, like most sci-fi shows of the era). Though not particularly thrilling, the movie’s teleplay is pretty well written and occasionally thought provoking. With a cast consisting primarily of television actors, the overall performances are decent. And despite obviously being created with future episodes in mind, the pilot works well enough as a standalone story.

Of course, the primary appeal of Earth II today is purely nostalgic. Its quaint ‘70s aesthetic and TV origins would probably be lost on anyone who didn’t grow up with this stuff. For those who did - like yours truly - watching this is an agreeable look back at a bygone era of TV science-fiction.