As other reviewers have noted, what we have here is a great basic concept (and to think that the film predates "Solaris" by more than ten years!),trapped in a grade-Z production (appalling color-processing, cheap special effects, overuse of stock footage, etc.). The film would still make a pretty good "Twilight Zone" episode, but a well-made remake would be most welcome. (**)

The immature teenage hiding inside of me can't resist--this is a movie about astronauts traveling to Uranus (snicker, snicker)! In the film, they pronounce it "Ur-an-us"....yeah, sure! As for the film, I was expecting it to be a lot worse than it was. My reason--it starred John Agar. While he was not a terrible actor, his career was spent appearing in any film provided the check cleared! The movie itself is a very mixed bag. I'll be giving it two separate scores--one for technical merit and one for artistry and originality--sort of like figure skating.

Technically speaking, this movie was a pile of doo-doo. The special effects were among the worst I've ever seen for a 50s-60s sci-fi film. In particular, the rocket special effects were simply awful--consisting of a fuzzy rocket ship that appears to be cardboard flying across a terrible painting of space and later when it lands it is a child's plastic toy! It really is worse than the UFO special effects from PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE (these were pie plates suspended from wires). Also, many of the monsters were cheap and crappy--and about as bad as you'll find in the genre. I'd give this aspect of the film a 1 and not a smidgen more!

It's really sad, then, that the story itself is so good--as it's burdened with such ineptness. The story gets interesting just before the rocket lands on Uranus. A strong mental force takes over the ship and probes the astronauts' minds. Then, when they actually land, the planet looks much like Earth--as this force can make the planet appear just like home--including providing people who are from home as well. Interestingly, the only people these men seemed to think of were hot babes in lingerie--proving these guys were pretty smart! The problem is that what exactly the force intends is uncertain. And, as the film progresses, the force seems malevolent--or at least having fun toying with them. The men are faced with a dilemma--how do you fight something this powerful and that can control what you see?! Apart from a rather flat and anticlimactic ending, I'd give this an 8--it was very original and very exciting.

Overall, I think a 4 is a reasonable compromise. This film was intelligent and worth seeing--even if the special effects were abominable. This is one movie that could really, really stand a remake!!

For some reason by 2001 humankind has skipped over the 7th planet for whatever and a UN expedition is now exploring Uranus. You can see immediately why Journey To The Seventh Planet was not entitled Journey To Uranus. Now that I've gotten that out my system.

The most distinguishing characteristic of Uranus is that instead of spinning on its axis in orbit around the it rolls instead. The five visible moons of Uranus look like a giant pinwheel in space.

Well better films than this have failed to predict the correct future, 2001 - A Space Odyssey immediately comes to mind. When the expedition gets to Uranus instead of the methane atmosphere, subzero freeze that are on Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune the other gas giants, they find an Elysian field like existence with some of the most curvaceous women you'll ever see on screen.

Of course this is all an illusion and what's driving it is a giant brain which can convert just about anything to anything and it reads the minds of the expedition. What a sex obsessed bunch this was, especially John Agar.

The giant brain is looking for transportation to earth with a population it can enslave. Will the men of the expedition figure it all out and stop the brain? That's what you watch the film for.

Journey To The Seventh Planet is one of those films you put your brain on hold and just enjoy. But if it were made today and you hope humankind would have a more diverse future expedition say for 2080, if you had gay people on the trip as astronauts what interesting fantasies the brain might pick up.