K11 - Humanoid Woman

Observation: Even this early, Crow's "kitty" was an inside joke.

Movie Description: Sandy Frank presents: A bald, but still hot clone girl named Niya is found drifting in space and brought down to a scientist's family to learn how to be human. Semi-wacky things involving her telepathic powers and naivete occur and at this point I was expecting some sort of "Bicentennial Man" robot learns to live again kind of movie.

But no, it quickly, very quickly actually, goes into space where conveniently, half the cast already introduced and the girl, stowing away are on another all-too convenient trip to Niya's home planet. Once there, its not too dissimilar from the previous episode's "Space 1999" adventures as they land on a planet full of mask wearing mutants forced underground by polution. Once there, the good guys prove a little too good at cleaning up the pollution, so a midget with no real motives that I can see, uses mind control and litteral back-stabbing to try and destroy the Earthlings.

Movie Review: I can see why, when coming back to the Sandy Frank library in season three that the Best Brains skipped over this one: Its far too good. Really, even the dubbing is pretty adequate, not a single terrible screeching voice to be heard. All that being said, there were still some particularly goofy elements to this movie, the dumb robots, cheesy telekensis effects and the odd soap bubble monster at the end. But still, pretty good sci-fi.
6/10

Riffing: For the second episode in a row it's Crow, Crow, Crow as far as hit to miss ratio goes. Although to be fair, Joel had some decent barbs as well, mostly targeting the movies Kraftwerk like sound track. Its also funny to note when both Servo and Joel go for a joke at the same time, at least thus far, Servo usually bullies his way into saying it first, so Joel's jokes are a few seconds late by the time he gets them out. As much praise as I might pile on this, its still not up to the later standards of the show, if just for volume alone, thus the reluctant low rating.
Best riff: Was that Superman's dad?
5/10

Sketches: Very short for the most part, although pretty good. Good enough that the middle sketch, where Servo romances a blender, is later re-used almost verbatim and I swear the third sketch about surrealism is later salvaged as well. Not a lot to say really about the rest, the movie must have been long.
4/10

Overall: Watchable movie, enjoyable theater segements = good. Short sketches = Meh. Good, but not outstanding, even graded on a curve like I seem to be grading these early episodes. They do seem to be hitting their rhythem, at least in the theater.
5/10

What I learned: Go to the Astra. Go to the Astra. Go to the Astra.