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          For those of you that aren't familiar with "Mystery Science Theater 3000", you are in for a treat. For those that are, you very well know how hilarious and unique this great concept was. The original television series ran from 1988 until 1999. It become most popular in the U.S. throughout the 1990's airing on both the Sci-Fi Channel and Comedy Central. One of the coolest things about the show was its original plot and "format". This involved a man being shot up into space in a space station. The original show starred Joel Hodgson as the regular Joe who was part of an elaborate experiment. It turns out that a mad scientist has been the one behind sending Joel to space. The mad scientist, Dr. Clayton Forrester, has made Joel unwillingly his test subject for an experiment. Basically, Dr. Forrester wants to observe how long it will take to drive Joel crazy by subjecting him to watching the absolute worst films ever made. His robot companions at his side, Joel and the gang get through each of the movies by lambasting them with wisecracks and jokes throughout.

        

    This all brings us to 1996 and the release of the first and only feature film based off of this cult classic series. The film stars a replacement test subject, Mike (Joel from the long running TV show had been able to escape). Mike is joined by the same cast of robot friends. These include Crow T. Robot, Gypsy and Tom Servo. The robots are made up of a gumball machine, a salad bowl, interlocking Tupperware and even parts of adjustable desk lamps! The film begins with a brief introduction to the format of the show. Doctor Clayton opens things up by explaining his dastardly plans with his test subject and what's behind his experiment.

      

   Before long, we see Mike and the robots enter the theater. This brings in the classic shot that made the show recognizable. The silhouette of the test subject and the robots heads at the bottom of the movie screen. The film that the crew are forced to sit through is none other than the 1950's "classic", "This Island Earth." Then what made "MST3K" such a cult hit begins as the gang starts to "tear apart" this sorry excuse of a film that their forced to watch.

         

    "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie" is great because it captures so many different factors of what made the show so good and puts them together in one package. Although, "The Movie" isn't too much different from anything fans of the show have seen from this series before, it still displays the comedy and fluidity that makes this such an entertaining watch. Like any TV show, "MST3K" had a fair amount of sub-par episodes. "The Movie" is like viewing one of the series better episodes. The comments the crew make and the way the jokes are delivered as they watch the screen are downright classic. They still get me every time. On numerous occasions I was watching this film by myself just cracking up.

        

    In conclusion, "MST3K: The Movie" is both a great way for fans of the series to go back to this classic comedy and a way for newcomers to get a solid "overall" taste of what this series is about. For those that fall into the latter and have yet to see any "MST3K" this film is a great place to start. If you ever watched a movie so bad it was funny or watched a film and started filling in the dialogue and made fun of all its obvious flaws, you'll love what the crew of "MST3K" is able to come up with.

 

 **1/2

 

Jared Bajoras