Star Pilot 4K 1966

In the 1960s, many interesting films were made in the subgenre of ‘space science fiction’. ‘2+5: Mission Hydra’ is just such a film - dynamic, brutal, and even harsh in places. Pietro Franchi's debut in the fantasy genre was a complete success, not least thanks to the director's wealth of experience in creating pseudo-historical adventure films. The plot of Hydra turned out to be unusual, exciting, and a little confusing, because Pietro Franchi turned it into a real explosive mixture of scientists, aliens, Chinese spies, and nuclear holocaust. At first glance, it's a rather strange combination. But, surprisingly, the director managed to add something new and unexpected to the story again and again, right up to the very end.
The premise itself, that an alien spaceship crashed during landing and ended up buried under a layer of earth, is not particularly new. But Franchi doesn't lure the viewer in with this, but with the backstory that leads the characters (seven in total!) to an encounter with the inhabitants of the walled-up ship. Everything here takes place in the spirit of Hercules' wanderings, which the director knows a thing or two about. It is not worth asking the reasonable question of what Chinese spies are doing here, because each character has their own role to play. In a normal film, all of the above would be enough to slowly move towards the finale, but not here. For the director has saved the most unexpected twist for the first unexpected plot twist.

The Hydra race evolves according to laws that are difficult for Earthlings to understand. On Hydra, a team of geneticists selects a suitable pair for procreation and mates them by order. Those who do not find a suitable mate are disintegrated. So-called “surrogates” for low-skilled work are produced in the required quantities on “test tube farms.” Information important for understanding the plot is presented as if in passing, although by the middle of the film, the sympathy between the Earth girl Louise and the Hydran Artie, as well as between the Hydran Kaena (Leonora Ruffo) and the Earthling Paolo (Mario Novelli) becomes noticeable. This is quite unexpected for a 1966 film, because the legendary Barbarella is still two years away, and the plots of space films do not particularly seek to lift the veil on ‘intergalactic intimacy’.

In his film, whose motifs were undoubtedly reflected in the plot of Barbarella, Pietro Franchi paid special attention to details that are important for science fiction. These are costumes and entourage. The costumes and fantastic entourage are just fine. Earthlings are dressed ‘like Earthlings’, but several sets of costumes were sewn for the ‘Gydrians’, the most striking and memorable of which are Kaena's outfits. It didn't go as far as armored bras, but the mesh bodysuit and feather bikini look great.

I would call the leather spacesuit and a kind of mouthpiece that allows you to breathe in a vacuum even without a helmet particularly chic! Surprisingly, the film only benefits from such a pronounced disregard for science.
It remains to add that the film has a rich distribution history. Audiences went to see Pietro Franchi's film because they had seen his previous excellent epics. Creating a certain buzz, the film ‘2+5: Mission Hydra’ was shown in different countries under different titles: ‘Monsters of Planet Hydra’ (Brazil), ‘Target: Planet Hydra’ (France), ‘Star Bird’ (France), ‘Star Pilot. Journey of No Return’ (Germany), ‘Star Pilot’ (Norway, USA), ‘Encounters in the Galaxy’ (Spain), ‘Alien 4’ (Spain), ‘Spaceship Terra on the Planet of the Apes’ (Germany). However, none of these titles reflect the main point—the emotional confrontation between the characters, which the director has encoded in such a strange title. So who is who: 2+5?..