An Earth exploratory ship, the U.S.S. Palomino, discovers a black hole with a lost ship, the U.S.S. Cygnus, just outside its event horizon, which has been missing for the past twenty years. Once aboard, they find the ship manned by robots. Its only human inhabitant is Dr. Hans Reinhardt, an eminent scientist. He plans to enter the Black Hole. Whether Dr. Reinhardt is a genius or a madman, one thing is for sure he will not be denied his life's dream. What lies beyond the Black Hole? Immortality or, Oblivion? I love this forgotten classic. Being a huge sci-fi enthusiast certainly made this ideal viewing, especially since films like Star Wars (1977) and Alien (1979) were favourites of mine and obvious inspirations. Whilst I adore the science fiction genre, I also find older ones to be even more enjoyable, and this Disney film was no exception. One of my favourite scenarios in any space-age product involves a mysterious spaceship being discovered adrift or abandoned that's boarded by a crew who tries to ascertain what has occurred. Although it doesn't follow this exact style of premise, it certainly takes a similar direction. We follow Captain Dan Holland, his First Officer Lieutenant Charlie Pizer, journalist Harry Booth, scientist and ESP-sensitive Dr. Kate McCrae (whose father was the Cygnus's First Officer), Dr. Alex Durant, the expedition's civilian leader and the robot known as V.I.N.CENT., who board the mystery vessel. Each member is unique, with the highlights being Captain Hollan, Lieutenant Pizer and V.I.N.CENT., who shone from their action-based sequences, to their interesting dialogue. V.I.N.CENT. is really cool with many gadgets and gizmos that come in handy in the many perilous situations of the mission. He is also equipped with weapons, which he uses expertly to battle against the attacking robots of the Cygnus saving his friends. Speaking of friends, he meets a fellow robot of the same make but an older model known as B.O.B., who unfortunately has been seriously battered and mistreated. B.O.B. still holds his own in a fight despite his physical state and without his help, the Palomino crew wouldn't know of the horrifying goings on of the Cygnus. During their stop on the craft, they find many questionable happenings that put some members of the group on edge. Discovering a lone man in this massive ship was certainly unusual but as we see more of the robots operating the mechanics, signs become extremely noticeable that there is more to them. From conducting a human-style funeral even though there are no 'living' people left and another one limping in a later scene. The reveal of their true nature was surprisingly creepy and included some frightening imagery. Dr. Hans Reinhardt is equally chilling as the villainous captain of the phenomenon vessel. However, he is overshadowed by the frighteningly ominous Maximilian, whose design is seriously awesome and sinister. Not only does he look the part, but has one of the most iconic scenes when he kills one of the crew in what was the most graphic and gruesome deaths in a Disney production. On my initial viewing, that scene made my jaw drop as it was the last thing I expected, from a production of this kind. The music by John Barry amplified all these suspenseful and eerie moments with his phenomenal score. My favourite was the main title, which set the tone perfectly and was excitingly foreboding. He added a whole manner of emotions through his exquisite pieces that I like to revisit. Visual effects were a bit hit-and-miss throughout but mainly looked outstanding from the interior and exterior of the grandiose ship to the laser firing and the distant black hole. The story is very engaging. I can easily overlook all the issues and lack of reality in particular elements for the immense fun I had. That said, the ending is beyond trippy and bizarre, which left me puzzled mainly due to how unbelievable it is with no explanation given. Overall, I adore this extremely underrated cult classic. It ticks all my sci-fi criteria and delivers a thrilling adventure full of explosive action and dangers. While not without its flaws, this is still a brilliant piece of entertainment worth examining for any and all sci-fi lovers.
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