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Rating:  - A loony sci-fi caper for the Stooges
Poking fun at sci-fi movies and Martian invasions (both done sillier in their own right), the Stooges do a film-within-a-film as they play themselves as T.V. stars getting involved in some weird doings.
Winding up at the mansion of a kooky but well-intended professor (Stooge short veteran Emil Sitka), it's soon revealed that actual Martians are hiding away in the place as they await the completion of the professor's latest invention: an odd-looking helicopter-tank-submarine-rocket which the professor hopes to sell to the military. A demonstration goes predictably disastrous with the Stooges behind the wheel, as they demolish army facilities and then take a "joy ride" across the countryside---even managing to accidentally attach an atom bomb during repairs! Eventually, the boys clash with the Martians and thwart their plans to destroy Earth, while saving their jobs at the T.V. studio. The film closes with an outrageous gag: on a T.V. screen broadcasting from Mars, the Chief Martian declares in perfect English: "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!" Then the Martians do a wild 60's version of the Twist!
"Orbit" is utterly preposterous in idea & story construction---but who cares? After all, this is a Three Stooges movie we're talking about; it was never meant to be taken seriously, just enjoyed. Even the romantic subplot is tinged with subtle touches of humor as misunderstandings abound.
And satire abounds in this caper as the Martians are vulnerable to the Stooges' wild slapstick. It's a real hoot to hear the Martians call each other "idiots!" in their own tongue.
The film was obviously influenced by the Cold War/Cuban Missile Crisis (it was made in 1962) in its inclusion of enemy invasions, nuclear bombs and destruction.
"Orbit" may be a silly concoction, but like much of the Stooges' 60's films, is fun to watch!
Rating:  - Massively unimpressive
Even for a film from the DeRita era, I found this pretty awful and didn't laugh once, though there are a handful of mildly amusing moments. I felt really embarrassed for Moe, Larry, and Emil Sitka, even though they do put in good performances in spite of the bad material they were forced to work with. DeRita I could care less about, and I found him as annoying as I usually do, once again failing to demonstrate any sort of comedic personality or chemistry with the other two. The length is also a bit of a problem; the Stooges' antics just don't work well in something that's so slow-paced and with a complex plot. It's such a shame that they didn't get to make full-length starring features till they were well past their comedic prime, though I am happy that Moe and Larry lived long enough to see this surprise mass resurgence of popularity and serious money at last. They deserved that victory lap in their autumnal years after being cheated for so long by Columbia. It seems as though it was made primarily to market 'The Three Stooges Scrapbook,' actual footage from which makes up most of the first two reels. It does start out with some promise, a narration over drawings of what people have envisioned Martians as looking like over the years and then the first Stooges scene before they're kicked out of their apartment for cooking and then covering up the evidence, but it's mostly all downhill from there.
Overall, it just seems like such a devolution and come-down after all of the classic shorts they shot from the Thirties through the Fifties. It seems so lame, watered-down, childish, embarrassing, a waste of talent, and badly dated. Among the lamest parts are the Martians, who look like they're wearing rubber masks of Frankenstein's monster instead of being made up to look like halfway believable aliens. Even for the early Sixties they seem ridiculous and implausible as supposed threatening alien invaders. There's also a completely lame and pointless love story angle between the professor's daughter and an Air Force captain; at least the romantic subplots in some of their other features worked into the plot more naturally. This is bad kiddy fare, not timeless classic comedy. I can understand why a lot of people of a certain age might have nice childhood memories of seeing this in the theatre, but so what? Most people have sentimental attachments to stuff from their more innocent years, but that doesn't mean those things are of 5-star quality or even very good, nor do they always hold up upon critical re-examination in adulthood. One's happy memories aren't going to be ruined just because one revisits them without rose-colored glasses. Apart from kids under the age of ten and nostalgic aging Boomers (who were of that age when they first saw it), I honestly can't see how anyone could find this movie even remotely funny or good.
Rating:  - Another Stooge-pendous flick!
It was 45 years ago when Stooge-mania was riding high with another in the series of feature length movies featuring Larry,Moe and Curly Joe. Our boys were trying to save the planet and in the end the typical hilarious hijinks prevailed. I remember growing up about the incredible flying submarine in this movie and still enjoy it to this day. Fun stuff for every Three Stooges fan!!
Rating: - The question remains of Ogg and Zogg
Gather 'round my friends. That's it make room for everyone. C'mon now kids up in front...everyone comfortable? Can you hear me in the back? Clem, how's your ma doing? Good good. Well folks I've gathered you all here tonight to tell you a tale of intrigue, hope, lost love, sentimental childhood, and the Cold War... That's right Gus, you hit the nail right on the head, The Three Stooges in Orbit.
First off there's the music, that sweet single violin playing those sad notes in a scale of D minor. It always reminded me of the girl I spent one magical summer with on the beach, I'll never forget her.
The plot is rich and has many side stories that the cretons of today's 20 minute SitCom and microwave burritos would fail to appreciate. That being said, let's look at the story and break it down as best we can.....
The Stooges are trying to break into TV amid various problems, sponsor buffoons ("Aw said aw want a whole new type of a cartoon show"), meddling executives ("They'll never make it J.B. They'll never make it") Obviously the Stooges are attacking Columbia Pictures. The Three Stooges are an American icon who's talant was wasted and taken for granted, while the second rate Abbot and Costello team made millions. I salute thee Mr. Howard, not only for your skill of acting the tragic Greek classics, but also for the violence of Shakespeare.
The Cold War was in full swing by 1962. (This was also the year that Marilyn Monroe died, so like all artists with sentimental hearts, the Stooges had to pay tribute to the fallen goddess.) Notice the general in this movie, see how fat he is, the overflowing girth of a belly. He represented all the fat profiteers who keep the war rumors blowing. The weapon contracts, the spy equipment, the NASA program (who would fake a moon landing just 7 years later using the same special effects from this movie!)The Stooges were pacifists who used this film as a cry out to the world to end it's jealous and violent way. After all, it was Shemp who pinted out in 1953 that 'The War to end all Wars' ended 35 years ago.
Now Ogg and Zogg are interesting characters and there is some argument over their meaning. Some took them as a religious symbol. Moe was Jewish as were his two brothers Shemp and Curly. Were Ogg and Zogg a tribute not only to his late brothers, but a warning that could have been influenced by the Torah? Ignore the subtitles and listen to the actual words of Ogg and Zogg. They are speaking an ancient Arabic tongue and are quoting Dead Sea Scrolls. The guy standing in line behind me at the Salvation Army soup kitchen told me this. He was there when the movie was made, he worked as a grip. He said Ogg and Zogg WERE NOT costumes. He claims to have had relations with the woman who has in the shower scene being frightened by the 'aerosubmatank'. Her real name was Shelly and she died shortly after her second Hollywood appearance as a dancing extra in 'Martian Beach Party'. Apparantly she went into a coma after sampling a super diet version of Dr. Pepper that was never put out on the market.
The Stooges were obviously more than the funniest comedy team that ever existed, they were prophets, scholars and finally martyrs. Ya'll come back soon and I'll tell you of the REAL story behind 'The Three Stooges meet Hercules'.
Rating: - Moe, Larry & Curly Joe in Orbit
The Three Stooges play themselves as TV stars. After getting kick out of their apartment and a long day of looking for a place to live, the boys meet up with Professor Danfort (Emil Sitka, a regular after the Curly days). The professor has invented a tank/helicopter/submarine vehicle for the military. The Army doesn't want it since it flies, the Air force doesn't want it since it goes under water, etc. The professor has suspected that the Martins want his device for their world and to destroy the earth. Moe, Larry and Curly Joe wind up baby-sitting the contraption, giving it nuclear capability and almost help the Martins in their quest.
If you like the Three Stooges you will enjoy this movie.
The DVD contains no extras.
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