Message from Space – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1978
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Writers: Kinji Fukasaku, Shotaro Ishinomori, Hirô Matsuda, Masahiro Noda
Cast: Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba, Vic Morrow, Philip Casnoff, Peggy Lee Brennan, Etsuko Shihomi, Tetsurô Tanba, Mikio Narita, Makoto Satô, Seizô Fukumoto, Hiroyuki Sanada, Jerry Itô, Isamu Shimizu, Masazumi Okabe, Noboru Mitani, Hideyo Amamoto, Junkichi Orimoto, Harumi Sone

Release Date: July 22nd, 2024
Approximate running time: 105 Minutes 26 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: PG (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese, LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £17.99 (UK)

"Somewhere in a far flung galaxy lies the planet of Jillucia. Once a peaceful utopia, it has now fallen under the control of the Gavanas Empire, a warlike race ruled by the ruthless Emperor Rockseia (Mikio Narita). Desperate for help, the leader of the Jillucian people (Junkichi Orimoto) launches eight Liabe seeds into space – glowing orbs that, according to legend, will each summon a powerful warrior to the planet’s aid. The seeds are followed into the void by Princess Emeralida (Shihomi) and loyal Jillucian soldier Urocco (Makoto Satō), who attempt to find the prophesied protectors of their home world: ex-military commander General Garuda (Morrow) and his robot companion Beba-2 (Isamu Shimizu), thrill-seekers Shiro (Hiroyuki Sanada) and Aaron (Philip Casnoff), gambler Jack (Masazumi Okabe), aristocrat Meia (Peggy Lee Brennan) and swordsman Hans (Chiba), who has a deeply personal score to settle with the Gavanas Empire." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information given about the transfers, "a restoration of the original film elements supplied by Toei".

Message from Space comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.6 GB

Feature: 31.8 GB

The source looks excellent, flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction. That said, this new transfer is a substantial improvement over the Shout! Factory 2016 Blu-ray release.

Audio: 4.5/5 (LPCM Mono Japanese), 3.75/5 (LPCM Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese and a LPCM mono mix in English. Though both audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced, the Japanese language track sounds noticeably more robust than the English language track. Included are removable English subtitles for the Japanese language track and removable English subtitles for Japanese text when watching with the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include stills gallery #1 (26 images - promotional images), stills gallery #2 (74 images - behind-the-scenes), U.S. theatrical trailer 2 minutes 50 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), Japanese theatrical trailer #1 - Filming Begins (2 minutes, LPCM mono English with Japanese text and non-removable English subtitles), Japanese theatrical trailer #2 - News Flash (2 minutes 7 seconds, LPCM mono English and Japanese with Japanese text and non-removable English subtitles), Japanese theatrical trailer #3 - Wide Release (4 minutes 8 seconds, LPCM mono English and Japanese with Japanese text and non-removable English subtitles), an archival featurette titled Message from Earth, featuring interviews with Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba and Kenta Fukasaku (30 minutes 15 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an appreciation by film writer Patrick Macias titled Ah! Message from Space (14 minutes 26 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Tom Mes, reversible cover art, a reversible poster (limited to 2,000 copies), an O-card slipcase (limited to 2,000 copies), and a 20-page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled Fukasaku’s Fantasy The Joy of Message from Space written by Christopher Stewardson, and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

A planet’s only hope for survival from a hostile invader is in the hands of eight individuals.

When discussing Message from Space, one must first address the elephant in the room. After the monumental success of Star Wars, Toei decided to make their own version. Message from Space was a film that was quickly put together so it could be released in Japan before Star Wars. Despite its similarities to Star Wars, Message from Space is actually an adaptation of the epic serial novel Nansō Satomi Hakkenden. Kinji Fukasaku would revisit Nansō Satomi Hakkenden for his film Legend of the Eight Samurai. Message from Space also spawned off the television series Uchu Kara no Messeji: Ginga Taisen (Message from Space: Galactic Battle), which also starred Hiroyuki Sanada.

Known for his revolutionary take on the yakuza genre, Kinji Fukasaku was not a stranger to the sci-fi genre; his other forays include The Green Slime and Virus. When it comes to the visuals, he would employ the handheld technique that was a staple of his yakuza films. This allows the viewer to get closer to the action, which really enhances the scenes where characters are flying recklessly. That said, when it comes to the special effects, especially the miniatures, they have not aged well. Fortunately, Kinji Fukasaku does a superb job making an engaging and always entertaining film despite its shortcomings.

Performance-wise, the Japanese side of the cast shines the brightest. The performance that stands out the most is Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba (The Street Fighter) in the role of Prince Hans, a character whose attire resembles a knight. He takes full advantage of his limited screen time; the film is half over by the time his character first appears. Two Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba portegees’s Etsuko Shihomi (Sister Street Fighter) and Hiroyuki Sanada (Roaring Fire) have substantial roles. Other notable cast members are Tetsuro Tanba (Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs) and Vic Morrow (Humanoids from the Deep). That said, one can’t really fault any of the performances, which are best described as enthusiastic.

For a sci-fi film, there are many elements in Message from Space from the past, like an actual ship that flies and a character who fights with swords instead of laser guns. And when it comes to the action sequences, they are all well-executed thrilling moments. In one scene, sword-wielding Prince Hans single handedly disposes of dozens of evil henchmen. Content wise, Message from Space is a film that's all over the place; it's filled to the brim with bizarreness. Ultimately, Message from Space is a time capsule film that has not aged well, and yet its infectious story is always entertaining.

Message from Space is an exceptional release that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer