Things I learned from Der Schweigende Stern/1st Spaceship on Venus...
(contains spoilers)
- Even though there seems to be only one colony on the moon, it's called Luna three anyway.
- Stop all research on quantum computers right now! Information is best stored in small jumping spider-like robots, not stationary computer hard drives.
- You know that planet where Tasha Yar dies in Star Trek TNG? That was Venus.
- Let's just forget about the more common causes such as lightning and ordinary solar radiation; Ionization in the atmosphere can only mean one thing: An atomic explosion!
- Converting matter into energy apparently creates increased gravity. Converting energy into matter creates anti-gravity! Yes, this doomsday device has a reverse button that will hurl everything and everyone off the planet. That's like making a gun that can shoot forwards and backwards. Just in case you want to shoot yourself in the head...on a global scale. Despite this device, the entire civilization killed itself the old fashioned way, with atomic bombs.
- Earth has discovered it's first and only alien artifact, but has not yet translated it. Don't keep this artifact on Earth though; send it along with your astronauts on a dangerous mission to Venus ASAP!
- Special drink bottles with zero-g astronaut food still require you to swing your head back to drink. In zero-g.
- Scientists can figure out the function of an alien computer panel by merely glancing at it.
- When the dog-sized chess-bot inevitably malfunctions and bumps into you, you will suffer internal injuries which require an operation! Bender would be proud.
- Shooting a raygun at a puddle of black goo will activate the nearby doomsday device for some reason.
- Why attempt a rescue mission if you can simply abandon your colleagues? It's not as if they were wearing space suits when gravity reversed and things got pushed off the planet. Oh wait, two of the three were still wearing functional space suits...
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Don't get me wrong though, I thought this was an entertaining film with some original ideas and great sets (for that time), but not without its problems. What I disliked the most was the way the scientists would constantly explain mysterious events in a very matter-of-fact way:
"There's ionization in the atmosphere." "Well, that can only mean one thing..."
"There are robot insects jumping around." "Well, I've found data on them, so I conclude they are jumping data storage devices."
"The doomsday device is activated." "I saw a computer panel earlier. That must be what will stop the doomsday device."
"Hmmm...Strange trees." "That must be what will focus the energy beam."
"Hmm...A dome." "That must be the command center."
No one ever tries to explain WHY they think something will work or WHY something is what they think it is. As long as they state it with confidence, no one will doubt their far fetched conclusions about jumping library bugs and death beam trees. 'Science' seems to be the ability to make a correct guess based on a fragment of information.