Stingray: Super Space Theater – Review

Share:
Stingray Super Space Theater – Review main

By Roger Crow

When you have an iconic show like Stingray, rejigging the episodes to form something allegedly more epic is understandable.

Of course a feature-length version of the show cut together from the original eps is like taking a bunch of chipolata sausages and mashing them together to form one big one. A sausage is a sausage, regardless of whether it’s in bite-size chunks or a more substantial banger. And while Stingray is very much a product of its time, the picture quality in the latest Blu-ray version is rather good.

Stingray Super Space Theater – Review cover (1)

“Great watch”

Okay, some of the extras are questionable, such as the truly hideous NTSC alternate opening which is perhaps best lost at the bottom of the sea.

And the 75-second home movie footage of behind-the-scenes work is great, despite the sound of the projector drowning things out. Not that there’s any dialogue, but we didn’t need a deafening projector sound either.

Purists of course will want to snap up the latest edition, and while it’s a great watch if you’ve not seen the show for a while, for those who are very familiar with the eps, I wonder if there will be enough fresh stuff to warrant the purchase.

Stingray Super Space Theater – Review cover (2)

“Strangely compelling”

There are three audio-only mini albums included, one of which is ‘Marina Speaks’, featuring the mute heroine. Naturally she’s about as vocal as Harpo Marx or Gromit.

Outside of a spoof like Team America or the sublime Star Fleet, non-Gerry Anderson puppet projects like this are few and far between, so it’s testament to the peerless craftspeople who worked on Stingray that it’s still so strangely compelling rather than sub-standard. And for that gag I should spend a night in “Aquatraz”.

Direction7
Script7
Soundtrack8
Rewatchability7
Extras7
Disc 1 Special Features:
● The Incredible Voyage of Stingray: 4:3 version with original stereo movie soundtrack
● The Incredible Voyage of Stingray: 4:3 version with mono episodic soundtrack
● The Incredible Voyage of Stingray: 16:9 version with mono episodic soundtrack and stereo titles
● On the Set of Set Sail for Adventure: From the estate of Stingray contributor Alan Fennell, we present some previously unseen home movie footage taken by Alan whilst filming Set Sail For Adventure
● Into Action With Troy Tempest/A Trip to Marineville/Marina Speaks: Three 21-minute Mini-Albums, released in 1965, and featuring the original voice artists
● Original Titles
● Image Gallery

Disc 2 Special Features:
● Invaders from the Deep: 4:3 version with original stereo movie soundtrack
● Invaders from the Deep: 4:3 version with mono episodic soundtrack
● Invaders from the Deep: 16:9 version with mono episodic soundtrack and stereo titles
● Aquacade Emergency/Marineville Must Go...!: Nicholas Briggs reads an audiobook adaptation of two stories originally featured in the 1966 Stingray Annual
● Lyons Maid Ice Lolly Advert
● Original Titles
● Image Gallery
'Stingray: Super Space Theater' is FREE for owners of both the Deluxe edition and the now sold out Super-Deluxe edition, with the former still available to order exclusively from networkonair.com
7.2
Share:

Leave a reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.