As Mike and the 'bots watch the opening credits of the Universal-International production This Island Earth, someone has the foresight to ask, "Doesn't the fact that it's universal make it international?" The pleasure of watching Mystery Science Theater 3000 on television was much the same as watching Dennis Miller -- the attitude was hip, the references were obscure, and the jokes were intelligent. The film succeeds in duplicating the charm of the series. The humor flies fast and furious from the three heroes throughout the film's 73 minutes. Crow's rendition of "It's a Long Way to Tipperary," a sly reference to the walking around the spaceship in a circle scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey, and the appearance of Dr. Clayton Forrester explaining the "experiment" are just a couple of highlights. The fact that they both appear within the first five minutes is not a case of a movie using up its best material right in the beginning; there is a consistently high level of comedy maintained throughout. "Misties" will enjoy the references to the classic episodes, and people new to this world will get a generous helping of what made Mystery Science Theater 3000 a television cult classic. The only thing missing is the theme song.
~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
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