The Stooges were Blessed with "New Life" after Their Catalog of Columbia Shorts (20 min) were Shown on TV in the 1950's and Baby Boomer Kids became Three Stooges Fanatics, to the Dismay of Worried Mothers and Nannies across the Nation, Fearing the "Monkey See - Monkey Do" Nature of Children.

There was No Shortage of Outcries and Protests from Parents and Other "Censorship" Types. Eye Poking and other Outrageously Violent Slapstick, like a Saw Across the Skull, was Typical and Routine for a Stooges Short and the Grown-Ups were Appalled.

But that's exactly why Moe, Larry, Curly, and later Shemp, were so Loved by the Youngins. They were like a Real-Life Version of the also Immensely Popular Cartoons, also finding "New Life" on TV. This brings Us to the Late Life Feature Films of "The Three Stooges".

Well Past Their Prime, and with Curly and Shemp Gone, the Stooges were asked to Cash In on Their Popularity and the Boys Needed the Money. So this Enterprising Series of Entertaining, but far from Their Best Work, Feature Films Resulted.

Financially Successful, the Films were Mild, Toned-Down Fluff and Fans went more to Pay Homage to Their TV Friends, and didn't Expect Greatness. It was a Mutual Admiration Event by both "The Three Stooges" and Their Adoring Public.

Overall, this was the First in the Movie Series and has its Moments. Ironically, but maybe not, the Best Stuff in the Film seem to be the Recycled Gags from the Two-Reelers. The other Stuff here is Forced, sometimes Amusing, but it's the Classic Routines that Highlight. Every once and while there is a New Surprisingly Funny Thing, like when Moe says to Larry and Curly Joe..."You're knuckleheads...All three of ya.".

When most Three Stooges fans talk about their best work, in 99.9% of the cases they're talking about the Stooges with Curly Howard. His later replacements (Shemp, Joe Besser* and Joe DeRita) were a second or third-rate lot and the energy in their later films was lacking. However, by 1959, the Stooges had undergone a revival with the success of their shorts on TV, so it's not surprising they recruited the generally unfunny DeRita and began making feature-length pictures. As for DeRita, he was reasonably funny on his own before the Stooges...but despite renaming him 'Curly Joe' he just wasn't the Curly we all loved. DeRita, in contrast, was much more conventional, low energy and dull. Despite all this, I somehow watched "Have Rocket--Will Travel"...mostly because it came on TV when I was too busy to get up and change the channel.

As far as the DeRita films go, it's the first and, possibly, the best. This is because the Stooges hadn't completely given up their violent ways....like they would in subsequent films. Violence was what folks wanted...not a 'nice' Stooge...and DeRita was nice as were his films with the Stooges.

The story is much like the earlier Abbott & Costello film "Abbott & Costello Go to Mars". Just like this other film, the comedy team is working as janitors and gofers at a rocket base....and like the other film, eventually the Stooges accidentally blast off and go on adventures on another world...albeit lame ones. While the earlier film ain't great...it's significantly better than "Have Rocket". While the first half isn't bad, when they go to space and discover a talking unicorn and begin singing...well, it made me want to rip out my eyes and ears! Limp and cutesy...no two ways about it...and not what the Stooges should have been. And, it only gets worse from there!

Overall, a film for only the most devoted of Stooge fans, as the film lacks humor and the usual violence most fans want. Instead, it's a bit emasculated, of sorts and strictly for kids.

*Although I am NOT a fan of DeRita with the Stooges, his joining the team was a HUGE improvement over the previous third Stooge, Joe Besser. Besser simply didn't fit in at all and his brash and unapologetically annoying style made his shorts incredibly tough to enjoy.

Larry, Curly-Joe (Joe DeRita),and Moe are three lazy maintenance workers. They are waken when a rocket lands nearby. They fuel it up and launch into space. They land on Venus where they encounter various creatures and their evil clones.

There are some comedic bits from before. It has the space element. What it doesn't have is the classic Curly. DeRita has some of the looks but he is nowhere near the charisma. He doesn't have the same moves. The spring bit is possibly the closest. The guys are old now and replacement Curly can't carry them. I did not laugh but I do recognize the jokes.