'Holiday' Flix: Aldo Lado's Star Wars (aka The Humanoid) {1979}

 A long time ago, in a Country far, far away, a Movie was ripped off.

That Film was Star Wars.
That Country was Italy.
This Film- The Humanoid!

Directed by Aldo Lado (who I've covered a couple of times), this one is a bonkers sci-fi tale with some pretty blatant cribbing from Lucas' hit.

This seems to be a case of said ideas, visuals and designs being put into a completely different Story altogether.  So, it is less of a rip-off than other Films, but still clearly a rip-off all the same.

We've got a Dark Lord, an Empire and a big brute.
To see how similar and different this can be at once, read on...

The Dark Lord Graal- whose look is slightly similar to Darth Vader's- is trying to take over the peaceful Empire of Metropolis (which was once Earth).

He's joined by...I wanna say Crimson Fox, but 8 out of 10 people wouldn't get it.
No, it is Barbara Bach, who was married to an Italian man in the 70s and did this kind of stuff until she met Ringo and soon retired from Acting.

Our Heroine- right- is Barbara Gibson, which is just the most sci-fi name you could have!

She got a Scientist- Kraspin- working for Graal in trouble, so he wants her dead.
Not Luke here is this Tibetan boy with mysterious powers connected to Not The Force.

I won't SPOIL the actual reveal for him- it's nuts!

The original meeting of Luke and Rey?

Richard Kiel- another Bond Actor- plays a friendly Spaceman with a robot dog that rolls around like R2-D2.

He's chosen by Kraspin to be transformed into the titular Humanoid, which is done by way of sci-if bollocks.

Now he's invulnerable, super strong (or more, at least) and sent to take out the Leader of Metropolis.

However, this backfires when Kraspin spots Gibson and makes her the target instead.

The Tibetan Not Luke saves the day, freeing Kiel from the control.

Thankfully, he's still a nigh invulnerable Humanoid, because they'll need his help to take out this Not Stormtroopers and save the day.

They have to stop him from dropping a bomb full of his sci-fi bollocks and making an Army of Humanoids.
Wait- is this really The Creation of the Humanoids?!?

Not Han Solo- who dresses more like how Starbuck- is also here to help save the day.

Are they up to the task?
Can they somehow stop Kraal and his inexplicable laser hands?

Why does Kiel lose his fake beard when he's a Humanoid?

To find out, check out this Film now (on Rifftrax or slightly longer on Tubi)!

An enjoyable, if not all that original Film.

The Plot is all sorts of insane.

A wannabe Vader is going to conquer Metropolis with his Mad Scientist and Barbara Bach dressed as Sybil Danning.
He turns a giant into a giant monster.
A Tibetan Monk, randomly appearing aliens, Not Han Solo and Barbara Gibson save the day.

This one is both easy to mock- with its strange Plot and stolen Star Wars elements- but also enjoy to enjoy- with its strange Plot and stolen Star Wars elements.
Hell, Aldo Lado leaned into this with his pseudonym here- George Lewis!

This one is similar to other crazy Films like The Visitor (which is somehow about aliens and the Anti-Christ) for mixing ideas and Genres in a bonkers way.  It's not great, but it is fun- riffed or un-riffed.

I'm glad that I finally found this thing.
Now talk to the hands!

Italy is a Country with so many hidden gems yet to be discovered.  When a Film hit big, they did it about 60 times and always crazier!