Publicity
poster for Hyper Sapien: People From
Another Star (© Peter R. Hunt/TaliaFilm II Productions/TriStar Pictures - reproduced
here on a strictly non-commercial Fair Use basis for educational/review purposes
only)
During the 1980s there was a spate of
family-friendly sci-fi and fantasy movies released, especially sci-fi ones,
some of which proved extremely popular (E.T.,
Batteries Not Included, Cocoon, Back to the Future, My
Science Project, Electric Dreams (click
here to
read my review of it), Bigfoot and the
Hendersons, Inner Space, Honey I Shrunk the Kids) and have stood
the test of times. There were a fair few others, conversely, which imho were
equally good but simply faded into obscurity following their initial release,
yet for no good reason that I could see, and today are all but forgotten. On 30 June 2020, I watched one of those scarcely-remembered 1980s sci-fi
family movies – indeed, until a couple of weeks previously, I hadn't even heard of it,
let alone seen it – and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Set in rural Wyoming but filmed in Alberta,
Canada, directed by Peter R. Hunt, and originally released in 1986, the movie in
question was entitled Hyper Sapien:
People From Another Star. It tells the story of some humanoid aliens from Taros,
a planet far away, but who have been monitoring the Earth from a concealed site
on our moon for quite some time in order to determine whether our human race
has reached the stage where communication between our species and their more
advanced one would be mutually beneficial. Sadly, the aliens conclude that it
is still too soon, and are planning instead to begin the 15-year journey back
to their own world. However, during the final trip to Earth before departing
for good, the shuttle containing some of the aliens also contains three
stowaways – the two daughters (young Tavy and teenage Robyn – the latter played
by Sydney Penny) of one of them, plus a three-legged, three-eyed, furry orange
people-beater named Kirbi (he soon reveals that he can beat any human who cares
to take him on at cards, pool, shooting cans, or any other game). This is
because Robyn feels sure that she can prove to her parents that Earth folk are
indeed ready to accept their existence and assistance.
Tavy and Robyn soon meet up with a
likeable teenage ranger named Robert (played by Ricky Paull Goldin) but
nicknamed Dirt on account of his beloved off-road dirt motorbike that he rides
everywhere, especially when helping to attend to his parents' sizeable ranch.
Needless to say, Dirt and Robyn are soon attracted to one another, helped by Robyn's
useful if occasionally annoying ability to read Dirt's mind. The two girls and
(especially) Kirbi stay safely hidden from prying eyes at the log cabin of Dirt's
Grandpa, who is not even remotely fazed when told of their extraterrestrial
origin.
Various high jinks subsequently occur,
especially at the local barbecue, resulting in a standard high-speed car chase
in which Dirt, the girls, and Kirbi are hotly pursued by siren-blazing cop cars
– until Kirbi sends beams from his eyes that swiftly brings all of them to an
explosive if harmless halt. The alien spacecraft then conveniently appears
overhead and performs a classic "Beam me up, Scotty" exercise in
transporting Dirt, Robyn, Tavy, and Kirbi up into the ship beyond the reach of
the wholly perplexed police below, and then beaming Dirt back down to earth
near his Grandpa's cabin before setting off on the aliens' long journey back
home, leaving the literally star-crossed lovers distraught, Dirt on Earth and Robyn
in the spacecraft. But like I said, this is a family film, so it all turns out
happily in the end.
Hyper Sapien is a thoroughly charming
movie, with pleasant characters played by very personable young actors and
actresses, and a humorous, somewhat zany plot that is never less than
entertaining throughout the movie's 90 minutes running time. In short, it had
all of the vital elements to turn it into a classic film, and it utilized them
all very effectively – so why it sank without trace is a complete mystery to me.
(Its two teenage stars went on to star fairly successfully in various TV
soaps.)
Yet sink it did, to the extent that as
far as I'm aware Hyper Sapien has
never been released on DVD, and is scarce to find nowadays even in
videocassette format – I was lucky enough to purchase one shortly after viewing
some excerpts from the movie on YouTube (I later found the entire movie there,
but I much prefer to have my own physical copy of films that I like or expect
to like). If you enjoy an easy-going but entertaining movie that all of the
family can watch together, I can thoroughly recommend Hyper Sapien, especially while it is viewable for free on YouTube.
So, catch it while you can (click here to access
it), because if it is suddenly deleted as so often happens there, it won't be
easy to find in physical form.
And to view a complete listing of all of my
Shuker In MovieLand blog's other film reviews and articles (each one instantly
accessible via a direct clickable link), please click HERE!
Front
cover of my official U.K. VHS videocassette for Hyper Sapien: People From Another Star (© Peter R. Hunt/TaliaFilm II
Productions/TriStar Pictures/Warner Bros - reproduced here on a strictly non-commercial
Fair Use basis for educational/review purposes only)
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