(3.5/5)

Many of the films in this series are post-apocalyptic, exploring the landscape of the world during or after a devastating nuclear attack or some other disaster that leaves the world as a wasteland. When Worlds Collide is largely pre-apocalyptic, concerning the preparations for a known upcoming disaster: a star hurtling on a collision course with Earth. In order to escape certain annihilation, a group of scientists gathers a team to build a spaceship which will hurtle a select few to the planet Zyra, orbiting the deadly star Bellus, a planet they hope can sustain life and give them a second chance.

In fact, the film is blatantly a retelling of the Biblical flood story, complete with doom-speakers foretelling the coming destruction and naysayers who scoff at the spaceship idea, and indeed disdain the very need for any escape plan whatever. It’s so blatant that the film opens on the Bible itself, a voiceover reading the words: “And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth…” Exactly what humanity has done this time that deserved God’s wrath is never stated, but since the film was made in 1951, it’s not too difficult to make some guesses. 1950s science fiction is nearly always a reflection of the contemporary geo-political climate, and by 1951 the world had survived a second World War, complete with racially-motivated genocide on top of the other horrors of war, as well as the release of the devastating power of nuclear bombs. The Cold War had already begun, instilling the fear of complete destruction of mankind by his own hands, even if God were not there to exact judgment for the global inhumanity exhibited in the 1940s.

But this is science fiction in the twentieth century, and after the initial evocation of the Bible, we jump immediately to a pan over the nighttime sky and a Rod Serling-esque voiceover marveling at how vast the universe is – the earth being only one small part among so many stars and planets. Ultimately there is no personal God here, acting either out of wrath to destroy the world or out of love to save some remnant of humanity from destruction. We’re left with an impersonal and unstoppable force on its way to destroy the earth versus a team of scientists working to identify the problem and work out the best possible escape plan. There’s no revelation, no divine salvation, just scientific data and projections. Still, they follow the same basic trajectory as Noah did, trying to convince a complacent Congress of the imminent danger and the necessity of building a costly and untested spaceship.

As much as the film is about the scientific revelation of the danger posed by Zyra and Bellus, and the preparations undertaken to survive it, the film doesn’t really get very exciting until Zyra arrives. Before that, we have a bit of a mystery plot as the main character, pilot-courier Randall, is tasked with taking a briefcase to Dr. Hendron without asking too many questions, a bit of political intrigue as the scientists try to convince Congress of their findings, a bit of humanitarian struggle as the spaceship funding eventually comes through via a selfish magnate who only wants to save himself, and a bit of romance as Joyce Hendron, slated to marry Dr. Tony Drake, ends up falling for the dashing Randall instead.

A lot of plot points seem to be set up but aren’t followed through – the mystery is quickly resolved when Joyce starts musing to Randall about the end of the world. The political objections are quickly dissipated as private funding comes through. A little more care with these plotlines would’ve benefited the film as a whole, but I suppose all that really matters is getting to the point where Zyra nears Earth. At that point, Zyra’s proximity causes tidal waves and other natural disasters, allowing a good bit of lovely destructo-porn footage. Then a few days later, Bellus will come and collide directly with Earth. I must admit, I didn’t really see the point of the rescue efforts put forth after Zyra’s near-miss. Everyone not on the spaceship would die when Bellus hit anyway. Seemed like kind of a waste of effort. Oh well.

George Pal produced the film, and you can see his influence in the last section, dealing more directly with the spaceship. And I will say, I’ve got to give props to any film that bases an escape plan on launching a spaceship off a roller coaster track. The effects are quite enjoyable to watch, and the art direction on the spaceship gives off a nice art-deco futuristic vibe. The film is competently done on all levels, but it never really feels immediate. For a film about the very end of the world, the stakes never seem to be that high – the characters we know don’t seem to be in much danger, and the rest of humanity doesn’t have a chance. When faced with Doomsday, there’s little hysteria – there’s either disbelief (in the beginning), or stoic planning and hard work to get ready for it. In a way, I appreciate that more than the overwrought emotionalism that apocalyptic films often have, but it did make the end a little less meaningful.