Product Review

"Cosmic Journey" debuted in Russia in 1936. This Soviet fantasy imagined a realistic journey to the moon in the early days of cinema technology. Based on a novel by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, father of Soviet rocketry, the film's special effects are totally revolutionary for it's time. More advanced in it's technical depictions than Fritz Lang's "Woman In The Moon" (1929) , "Cosmic Journey" is better compared to the groundbreaking "Destination Moon" (1950). Everything from the style of the ships to the weightlessness of space are usually found in films of the '50s than the '30s.

Effects are done on a colossal scale with wide views of the space center and long trucking shots of the giant rockets. The colossal two-stage ships are prepared for launch on an fantastic inclined ramp, an enormous miniature set reminiscent of the British "Things to Come" (1936). The full-sized sets are also vast. By any standard, the effects of weightlessness in space, the incorporation of stop-motion animation and several unbelievable tracking shots were all incredibly advanced for their time.

The plot centers around a bureaucrat's attempt to keep the scientific genius Pavel Sedikh from taking the first moon flight. Pavel ends up making the trip along with his secretary Marina and Andryushka, a young stowaway. When they land on the moon, exploration is the order of the day. But Pavel finds himself trapped under a boulder and his only hope is the inexperienced pair that he brought with him. With their oxygen supply rapidly fading, the outcome looks grim indeed.

DVD EXTRAS:

A Trip To the Moon (1902) - The first sci-fi film as envisioned by French pioneer Georges Melies.

Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe Ch. 8 (1940) - A sci-fi icon and an inspiration for the Star Wars' series.

Cosmic Monsters (1954)  - British interpretation of an alien visitation.