The promise of Dr. Clayton Forrester (Trace Beaulieu) was simple: This Island Earth, made in 1955, is among “the worst movies ever.” And so, as the subject of ridicule in the movie version of the famous Mystery Science Theater 3000 in 1996, the “classic” This Island Earth gained a bizarre reputation: a kind of symbol of what was easy to mock about sci-fi films of old. Here, we have bug-eyed monsters, absurd characters, stiff performances, and corny special effects. Surely, Dr. Forrester was right, this movie has got to be a stinker, right?
Well, yes and no. For one thing, not all MST3K movies are actually bad. Instead, the ability to provide a jokey running commentary about any given old sci-fi movie doesn’t necessarily reveal that the movie sucks, but instead, is rich enough to provide multiple readings. You could, for example, easily do an MST3K take on Zardoz (and many fans have), but that doesn’t mean Zardoz is bad per se. Instead, many bonkers sci-fi movies live in a liminal space between good and bad, and ask a different question in terms of their legacy — is this movie important?
When it comes to This Island Earth, the answer is a very qualified yes. And the reason why it’s good art is partly because of the reasons it’s easy to mock. But also because, for its time, it presents an earnestness that deserves at least a little bit of respect.
Based on the novel of the same name by Raymond F. Jones, This Island Earth was, in a sense, the 3 Body Problem of its time. The primary plot is about different warring aliens trying to recruit humans on Earth to solve their natural resource problem. In essence, despite what images you’ve seen of the big-brained, bug-eyed aliens in this movie, the plot is more in line with The Day the Earth Stood Still, or a classic Star Trek episode, than Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
Yes, the aliens in This Island Earth are largely hostile, but it takes a while for us to fully realize that. Instead, in a plot that feels equal parts James Bond and Indiana Jones reveals humans with alien-powered technology are recruiting scientists for some specific purpose. Again, the bones of 3 Body Problem are here, the idea that top minds from around the world would be viewed by aliens as a kind of arms race; whoever can get the best scientists first, wins. This, of course, was a sort of sci-fi interpretation of what really had occurred in WWII just a few decades prior. But today, that postwar feeling isn’t really what makes This Island Earth notable. Instead, its almost laughably low-key pacing is refreshing in contrast to what we’re used to today. And, when you consider that adaptations of 3 Body Problem take several episodes to fully reveal the aliens of that world, This Island Earth feels positively breathless in comparison.
The special effects are also fairly good for the time, and historically, This Island Earth was significant since it was one of the first major sci-fi movies to be released in full color. In fact, if Forbidden Planet hadn’t come out the following year in 1956, you could sort of squint and imagine a world in which This Island Earth was better regarded. And that’s because while the basic writing of This Island Earth is somewhat compelling (when you give it a break), the movie suffers for its lack of a great, compelling lead actor or actress. In this category, Forbidden Planet succeeds — that film starred Leslie Nielsen and Anne Francis. Today, many people probably still remember those actors, particularly Nielsen. But, does anyone remember Faith Domergue as Ruth Rex Reason as Dr. Cal Meacham? Probably not.
This isn’t to say that Reason and Domergue are particularly bad in the film, it’s just that the dialogue, combined with the overly serious style of the film doesn’t give them a chance to latch onto any human element of the movie. Yes, the image of Ruth struggling with one of the aliens is iconic, but it doesn’t contain the same pathos as, say, a similar image from a film released just a year prior, The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Again, that film benefited from a character like Kay Lawrence (Julie Adams) being well-written and involved in some basic human drama. In This Island Earth, the idea that Ruth and Cal are former lovers should be enough to jolt us into caring about them outside of the sci-fi plot, but sadly, their connection and the believability of these characters are lacking.
Interestingly, this same criticism was made more recently of the scientist character of Wang Miao from the first 3 Body Problem novel. In fact, like Ruth and Cal in This Island Earth, Wang Miao seems to just sort of exist to be a scientist who is unraveling the plot. This is a feature of science fiction that often turns into a bug, one that can drag down great concepts by forgetting to draw people in a realistic or relatable way.
But, to be fair, this kind of problem was common in science fiction of the 1950s, and, as we know, is still a challenge today. For this reason, This Island Earth shouldn’t be condemned as one of the worst sci-fi movies ever. Instead, it's the precursor to other, better science fiction which we enjoy today. Looking back on the film, a generous viewer will find an ambitious, thoughtful, and interesting film that tried hard to be serious, even in the face of bug-eyed monsters and green alien rays.
