One of Hammer's oddest films is this one, their sole foray into Science-Fiction, which has quite a maligned reputation but emerges to be reasonably tolerable under the circumstances. It obviously won't stand comparisons with the likes of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968), though still valuable for being one of the very first films to exploit the 1969 landing on the moon.

The famed British studio were noted for making expensive-looking Gothic Horrors with limited means; here, however, the low budget shows through as the futuristic sets they came up with are rather shoddy! For what it's worth, the film does contain at least one Hammer-type image involving a space suit found to be inhabited by a skeleton. Incidentally, MOON ZERO TWO has been referred to as a Space Western (in view of its mining, dynamiting, discovery of a priceless mineral, claim-jumping and shoot-outs): so far so good…however, having an outer space saloon (complete with dancing cowgirls) in 2021 is beyond ridiculous! Peter Hyams had the good sense to forego such puerile shenanigans when he made his own 'Space Western' with Sean Connery, OUTLAND (1981).

Having said that, It's undeniably superior to ZETA ONE (1969), which I watched recently, though still containing a definite camp factor – starting with the goofy animated credit sequence (accompanied by a decidedly infectious title tune) but extending to hilarious costumes and props…not to mention the presence of a dapper megalomaniac villain (by the way, as was the case with ZETA ONE itself, the cast features a member of the "Carry On" gang in Bernard Bresslaw, again, appearing as a baddie albeit a dimwitted brute!). Having mentioned the cast, Hammer stalwart Michael Ripper turns up here as well for one brief scene; as for the film's American lead, James Olson (with receding blond hair!) doesn't exactly set the screen on fire. It's interesting, though, that co-star Adrienne Corri would appear in Hammer's more traditional VAMPIRE CIRCUS (though still contriving a twist in its tail) and Kubrick's subsequent piece of sophisticated sci-fi, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, within the same year (1971).