Ikarie XB 1

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Written by the same man who wrote Solaris, rather than a science fantasy, space opera, or race movie like many other scifi films of that era (many of which are just as excellent in their own way - see The Sky Calls, Planeta Bur, or Forbidden Planet, for example), Ikarie XB1 (aka Journey to the End of the Universe) is a serious-minded science fiction drama (though not humorless), with elements of mystery and suspense.My rating of 9 out of 10 Stars might be a little exuberant, but that was my reaction to the film. The sets are sumptuous, almost art deco, the black and white cinematography crisp and beautiful to look at. The acting is always competent or better, and the characters better developed then usual for this genre. The score is largely electronic, with some distorted electric guitar, and no orchestral elements. Ikarie XB1 is so different from a lot of the other science fiction cinema being produced at the time that I found it to be a captivating surprise.A note about the DVD: this review is based on the 2016 Video Dimensions DVD release. Despite the blue case you see in the images I've attached it is indeed a DVD, not Blu-ray. The back of the case says it's optimized for 16:9 televisions, however the image is letterboxed top and bottom, thus the aspect ratio appears to be the original 2.35:1. The case lists a running time of 86 minutes, and the description says it is "uncut." IMDb contends the original length was 88 minutes, and I'm not sure what to make of that discrepancy. IMDb says the American release was cut by 6 or 7 minutes, and while I have not timed the Video Dimensions version my guess is that this is indeed uncut. In addition, this release appears to be a restored version, as the picture is crisp and clear, as is the sound - just a beautiful edition of this wonderful movie.

Very early in the film, a crew member has an calm yet heartbreaking videoconference with his wife back on Earth. I thought to myself, "I'd never make make the same decision he did!" The next day, when reflecting on this movie, I realized that I had put myself in his position. That's never happened to me with a movie before! But this is evidence of the effective realism of this movie. This movie is dramatically and thoughtfully engaging, and it is fascinating and enjoyable, and its seriousness and commitment is refreshing. Yes, it is mature, but I think that even a kid would enjoy it. It never diverges from the rail of a storyline. The blu-ray quality is as good as I could have hoped, and the film's music track is completely supportive of the film's intent. (The composer also scored some of Karl Zeman's features.) The art and set design are unique and purposeful, as are the space suits, and the special effects are adequate. I am actually wondering whether this is the finest overall science fiction film I have ever seen. Whether it is or not, its influence downstream is obvious.

Found this film on YouTube, and spent most of one night watching it - thankfully, it had subtitles, and I was able to follow the plot. Quite different from other science fiction films, Ikarie XB1 is a character-driven film, which has a couple of fine set-pieces which push it more in the direction of something like  2001: A Space Odyssey [Blu-ray ] than more typical late 50s sci-fi like  Rocketship X-M . First, the actors are increasingly pressured by the long journey they are making - loneliness and paranoia alternately take their tolls on various crew members, leading to some very sweet moments in shy courtship early on, and later, nearly lead to the ship's destruction at the end. Along the way, one astronaut discovers that his wife voluntarily chose not to accompany him, knowing that due to time-dilation, she would age faster than him by staying behind; also, an old "ghost ship" is found with some very dangerous cargo, and this encounter, as well as it's unforeseen aftermath, are what drives the plot to it's fitting conclusion. Filmed in widescreen B/W, this DVD release is the best I've found, although yes, it's REGION 2 and won't play on anything except region-free players, and the menus are all in Czechoslovakian, although there is an English-language subtitle track for the movie. There's also a plethora of bonus features, although also, not in English. The film design is quite arresting, with a unique ship design, both inside and out, which I thought very intriguing. Although I know some people will find this film slow-moving, I was riveted by it, and thought it a much more rewarding, cerebral outing than typical American sci-fi of the era.

Some scenes in this film were re-arranged and, shall we say "Americanized", for the West's debut as "Voyage To The End Of The Universe." We were at a Cold War point during this films distribution and anything from the Warsaw Pact countries, like Czechoslovakia, had to be "westernized." That is to say, all the Communist hints of propaganda, removed. But now, here in its original form, it's a landmark in Sci-Fi celluloid. If you don't mind reading the subtitles, buy it with all speed.

Ikarie XB-1 is an interesting movie in its own right, but remarkable as a precursor to the SF movies / TV series that came in its wake. In its concept of a varied crew that goes on a mission of space exploration, one can't help but find the inspiration for Star Trek. Stanley Kubrick's 2001 and Ridley Scott's Alien could have well taken inspiration from the production design and atmosphere of this film. Well worth seeing especially if you're into SF movies.While it would have been ideal to see this in HD format, Second Run's DVD gives a very impressive presentation of the film in its original aspect ratio (2.35:1, anamorphically enhanced). The audio (Czech Dolby mono) is clear in terms of dialog, and gives a nice representation of the very interesting background score. Extras include a video piece with Kim Newman, and an excellent essay on the included booklet.The only complaint I have is with Second Run's so-called "eco-cases". They're quasi-flexible flimsy affairs that seem to withstand very little stress. Mine arrived pretty much caved in (a blu-ray case in the same parcel was pristine). Amazon UK has promised me a replacement which should hopefully be fine, but someone should tell Second Run to go back to more sturdy cases.

Superior space film with outstanding video and audio quality on Blu-ray. A must for science fiction fans. Even better as a no region Blu-ray release so that I can play this disc in the States on my region A player. All movies should be released onto disc with no regions.

I only found out about this film as a result of the publicity around this re-issue, and am very glad I did.This is a really great ecample of early sci-fi.It has that genuiine 'futuristic' (now 'retro-futuristic' of course) look to everything, when people just let their imaginations wonder as to what future technology would be like rather than assuming it would be like our own (ever noticed how the original Star Trek, made in the 60s, had a large wall-sized flat-screen but 'Alien', made in the '80s, has old-style CRT monitors aboard the Nostromo...?).The acting is fully committed and the film takes an expansive look a both the psychologicial and physical demands of being on a long space journey with an uncertain end, adn teh decision the crew have made about their own lives to be there.The perspective (from Soviet-era Czechoslovakia) also makes it unusual and whilst many (including me) would agree that the Soviet era was a failed experiment there is an interesting scene which seeks to make people think about the excesses of the West and where they might lead.Overall the look, feel and sound (there's an excellent experimental soundtrack) and artful direction by Jindřich Polák make this a must for any sci-fi movie fan.There's also a good accompanying booklet and a decent video essay of the film which does a good job of pointing out the main underlying films.All-in-all, well worth the price.

Much enjoyed

Five years before 2001 Space Odyssey came out, this little Czech movie grappled with similar themes. Stunning set design on a shoe string budget and serious food for thought.