Wild, Wild Planet

In 2015, Commander Mike Halstead, commander of space station Gamma One of the United Democracies Space Command, is assigned to investigate the alarming number of missing person reports on Earth. Dr. Nurmi is engaged in secret bio-engineering experiments on the same base as Halstead, which causes an issue for Halstead, who disapproves of the experiments. While Nurmi's assignment is to study miniaturization of human organs, he starts kidnapping influential world leaders for use in his eugenics program. Nurmi is actually working for the planet Delphos, using four armed androids to assist in the kidnapping and is transporting the miniaturized world leader to Delphos. Halstead confronts Nurmi over his suspicions of illegal experiments but is confined to quarters by his superiors. Lieutenants Jake and Ken free him. Nurmi seduces Halstead's girlfriend, Lieutenant Connie Gomez. Nurmi wants to use Gomez in his experiments to build a genetically perfect, immortal race of humans. Halstead comes to the rescue in outer space. ==Cast==

Wild, Wild Planet is the first of four "Gamma One" science fiction films directed by Antonio Margheriti. They were originally contracted by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to be made-for-TV movies, but were released theatrically instead in some countries. The films were shot consecutively, often reusing the same sets and actors, on-location in Rome and at De Paolis Studios. ==Release==

Wild, Wild Planet was released in Italy in 1966, where it was distributed by Titanus. It was released on DVD in 2010. The English translation of the original title was The Galaxy Criminals, but it was changed for release in the United States in hopes of capitalizing on the then-popular TV show The Wild Wild West. ==Reception==

Moria found the movie to have a fun, schlocky plot and a colorful bizarreness, but found the direction lacking and the movie ultimately dull. Creature Feature gave the movie one star, finding it dull. Turner Classic Movies found the campy movie fun, with much of the dialogue and special effects unintentionally funny. It further found the space sequences good, but the Earth-bound portion of the story dull and the plans and motivations of Nurmi absurd. ==See also==