Kronos

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Mark B Irving Block and Jack Rabin were two science fiction film producers back in the 1950s who wanted to treat the genre with some seriousness. After Block wrote the screen treatment for "Forbidden Planet," he and Rabin did special effects, often turning in very good work on very limited budgets. Perhaps their greatest effort was a pilot called "Outpost In Space" which was set on a military base on a distant planet in another star system. But before then they came up with "Kronos." The premise is best explained by a dying scientist who is trying to rid himself of an alien presence: "Here on Earth... we have learned only one half of the nuclear secret... we transmute matter into energy. Up THERE, they have the other half... they transmute energy into matter!" With their world becoming depleted of energy, they send out accumulators to other planets, to strip them of "every last drop of power." This is a very different idea for a 1950s science fiction film, which usually have guys in rubber monster suits standing in for the Communist threat. The actors are competent and deliver such wonderfully purple dialogue as the above with sincerity and believability. The best parts of the film are the production values. They raided every prop house in Hollywood to fill the sets with gadgets and gizmos (Check out Klaatu's communicator from "The Day The Earth Stood Still.") But the true star is Kronos itself. This thing really looks like an alien energy accumulator. And despite its odd method of locomotion, the shots of it in action occasionally verge on terrifying. This is a Saturday matinee movie if there ever was one, albeit one with a little more brains behind it. It's definitely worth a watch from that perspective. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/31/25 Full Review John C Having been a regular cinema goer in the nineties, I was 'treated' to the delights of such cinema epics like 'Independence Day.' I guess that in 1957 'Kronos' must have been a showstopper and been the 'ultimate' alien invasion film of its day. It was directed by Kurt Neumann and follows a team of scientists as they try and thwart an alien energy machine which is intent on draining Earth’s resources. What sets 'Kronos' apart is its towering titular antagonist which is a giant, metallic, pulsating machine that's menacing without having to resort to the modern day trope of a 'sky-beam' attacking a city. Watching it now, it’s impossible not to admire the ambitious special effects which were totally 'CGI-free' which bring Kronos to life. Okay, so the acting is what you'd expect from the fifties and packed with mid-century science-speak, making the performances kind of kitch by today's standards. If you're thinking of watching it today then you need to appreciate the nostalgic sweet spot in cinema history that gave birth to it. It’s a reminder of a time when science fiction was a playground for big ideas, even if the budget couldn’t quite match the ambition. It’s not a flawless film, but its vintage charm and cultural significance make it worth revisiting for anyone who appreciates old-school sci-fi. I'm kind of used to films having 'environmental messages' woven into them today, but I was surprised to see that kind of theme all the way back in the fifties. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/15/24 Full Review Juan O I first saw Kronos as a kid of 12 or 13 in the 60s. While it didn't really scare me, it was a cool sci-fi movie with this towering robot sucking the Earth dry of energy. I'd seen Jeff Morrow before being a sci-fi nut at that age. Movies like This Island Earth, the Giant Claw, the Creature Walks among us and more I guess made me a fan of his. I have a copy of Kronos on 8 Track that I just couldn't throw away. Anyway it's not a dull movie at all, with the head scientist getting possessed right off the bat and the Robot emerging from the sea in Mexico and starting to ravage the Earth. And it has some impressive special effects for the early fifties. I guarantee you will like it if you give it a chance. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/06/24 Full Review Blobbo X Impressively scary to little kids on b&w tv in 1957. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/09/23 Full Review Audience Member A good, if thin, story, a bit ahead of it's time. The actors did a decent job with thinly sketched characters. You need to turn up your "suspension of disbelief" to deal with the special effects. If you can enjoy older films with poor ( by today's standards ) effects. You can enjoy this flick for what it is. Note George "George Jetson" O'Hanlon as Dr. Arnold Culver and Morris Ankrum as Dr. Albert Stern. Ankum a 1950s sci-fi staple. One wonders if it also inspired, to a certain extent Sky Captain & the World of Tomorrow? Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review Audience Member Better than average 50's sci-fi. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Kronos

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