Wednesday, May 25, 2022

The Mouse on the Moon (1963)

A hilarious satire on Superpower space race politics.

The tiny country of Grand Fenwick is in trouble, their wine - their only source of income - is exploding and PM Mountjoy (Ron Moody) needs money for some indoor plumbing. He attempts to trick the US into giving them some money for "space research", Russia goes one better and gives Grand Fenwick a rocket! The Grand Duchess (Margaret Rutherford) orders the dreadful tin thing got rid of. Its hidden in a castle tower where Professor Kokintz (David Kossoff) and Vincent Montjoy (Bernard Cribbins) secretly plan to go to the Moon for real!

The US and Soviets find themselves outflanked when Kokintz's rocket makes it's slow way into space using an anti-gravity substance discovered by the Professor. But making it to the Moon first isn't the most important thing, its making it back!

This film sends up the so-often overblown and ridiculous Superpower politics perfectly with some classic British comedy. Terry-Thomas does a great turn as a hapless British spy.