The big-screen version of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" is a leaner, meaner version of the cult television sci-fi/comedy program — stress the meaner part.
Usually, the show's heroes — space-bound janitor Mike Nelson and his wisecracking robot companions Crow and Tom Servo (the voices of Kevin Murphy and Trace Beaulieu, respectively) — jaw their way through simply awful films, constantly making snide comments about what's going on.
In the MST3K program, which was canceled by Comedy Central but recently renewed by the Sci-Fi Channel, mad scientist Clayton Forrester (Trace Beaulieu) has shot Nelson up into the "Satellite of Love" so he can participate in his latest scheme, finding the appropriately dreadful movie that will force the human race to its knees. He makes Mike and the 'bots watch different films, but they keep their sanity by ridiculing them instead.
For this 74-minute feature, which is greatly pared down from the show's usual two hours, they've dared to take on what many science-fiction fans deem one of the genre's greatest moments, 1954's "This Island Earth." How audiences react to the MST3K movie may depend on how they view "This Island Earth" — either as a classic or as a pretender to sci-fi greatness.
To be honest, the Best Brains people, who write and produce the show, have stacked the odds against it. They've managed to excise many of the film's better parts (and admittedly, some of the slower ones), leaving a ridiculously convoluted mess, which Mike and the robots proceed to dissect.
"This Island Earth" tops MST3K's intentionally silly premise by telling the story of nuclear scientist Cal Meacham, who after proving he can build an "interocitor," is abducted by white-haired aliens who hope he can save their dying planet.
Such ripe material, especially some unintentionally hilarious dialogue, provides ample targets. For example, when a deliveryman brings Meacham an unknown package, Tom Servo chimes in with "Oh, the script has finally arrived."
Better yet, as the cloudless model of Earth twirls in the opening credits to "This Island Earth," Crow notes, "It's the nicest weather Earth has ever experienced."
Other jokes refer to the Jetsons, rock group R.E.M. and even "Gil-ligan's Island" (Russell Johnson, who played "the professor," is in "This Island Earth," which leads to a particularly humorous five-minute stretch).
When MST3K is on the mark, it's a howl. Only a couple of jokes (like a dated John Sununu reference and one or two flatulence bits) really fall flat.
And it does falter in one or two bits outside of the movie, which break up the slight monotony of the film-outside-of-a-film. The scene with Tom Servo claiming he has an "interocitor of his own" is good, but others (especially in the mad scientist's laboratory) just aren't very funny.
There are more than enough genuine belly laughs to make "Mystery Science Theater" worthwhile — unless you're annoyed by wiseacres. Let's just hope it won't spawn a trend where audiences talk back to the screen.
Also, "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie" may be the mildest PG-13 film in quite some time. Though the robots utter a couple of profanities and there are some vulgar cracks, it easily could have received a PG rating.