When a planet from a galaxy far far away kidnaps five people (Gene Barry and Valerie French among them), and Makes a plea for them to destroy society with 5 mysterious capsules. The ethical question becomes will they do it so the other planet can survive or will they refuse so the other planet resorting to other tactics? Arnold Moss, the alien, uses that old fashioned human emotion (guilt) to persuade them to achieve this goal, maintaining that the cold war would destroy them in the future anyway.
This comes during a time when anti-communist propaganda was rampant, although far from threatening like the Cuban missile crisis would be a few years down the road. Stefan Schnabel as a Russian general manages to come off as human rather than one dimensionally cartoonish.
There had been better films about aliens visiting earth to warn humans about their violent behaviors and how it impacts the entire universe, and this one seems rather forced and tawdry. Definitely a lecture, although a few good points are made. As science fiction, though, it's pretty weak even though it is professionally made and seriously directed, containing no real unintentional laughs.
This comes during a time when anti-communist propaganda was rampant, although far from threatening like the Cuban missile crisis would be a few years down the road. Stefan Schnabel as a Russian general manages to come off as human rather than one dimensionally cartoonish.
There had been better films about aliens visiting earth to warn humans about their violent behaviors and how it impacts the entire universe, and this one seems rather forced and tawdry. Definitely a lecture, although a few good points are made. As science fiction, though, it's pretty weak even though it is professionally made and seriously directed, containing no real unintentional laughs.