Most reviews quickly dismiss The Humanoid as an inferior rip-off of Star Wars. And whilst there's no denying that's the case, I don't think it's as bad a film as many would have one believe.
In fact, the first I ever heard of it was when I was 9 years old and a couple of friends were telling me about this film they'd just seen which was "as good as Star Wars," a bold claim as for most boys at the end of the 1970s, Star Wars was THE film. And I went to the cinema to see it and thoroughly enjoyed it. But unlike Star Wars which was everywhere with its array of spin-off merchandise and media coverage, The Humanoid closed in the cinema and, other than in one book I had covering sci-fi heroes, I didn't hear of it again for a decade when it came onto British television in a night-time slot. Seeing it again with my now adult eyes I could see that it was vastly inferior compared to the state-of-the-art production standards of Star Wars, and was astonished at just how blatantly it copied that other film in so many respects.
But I've watched The Humanoid a number of times now over the years still find it rather enjoyable, on its own level. I'll leave the many similarities to Star Wars aside, as most other reviewers will checklist those, although most of them are rooted in the actual design, some set pieces and the choice of character-types. The overarching plot, however, is quite different, and it's actually in its more original elements that The Humanoid's greatest strengths lie, whether it be Barbara Bach's hairstyle, the spaceship with claws, or the rather shocking execution of a female prisoner early on in the proceedings (a sequence not surprisingly excised in part in some prints of this film). Everything basically hinges around a great triumverate of villains. There is Lord Graal, brother of Earth's peaceful ruler who is bent on taking his place after escaping prison and capturing a warship. But his resources are not great, so he has to enlist the aid of Lady Agatha, ruler of the planet Noxon. Agatha sees Graal's ambition and strategic prowess as a means to further her own ambitions of conquest of other worlds, so there's a hint of romance between the pair that looks to be on the shakiest of grounds. Then there is the third player, the brilliant scientist Kraspin, disgraced and expelled from Earth after one of his colleagues, Barbara Gibson, got wind of his unethical experiments into using an element called Kapitron to transform normal people into mutants with immense physical strength - humanoids, as he terms them. Graal wants Kraspin to create him an army of humanoids, whilst Agatha depends upon Kraspin for a serum which keeps her young and beautiful - and alive, for she has actually become some kind of vampire, using the lifeblood of others to extend her own existence beyond its normal limits. Of course, Kraspin is only too willing to help Graal as in so doing he will get his own back on those who spurned him, but he particularly wants to get back at Barbara Gibson. And so, the scene is set. Golob is the unfortunate lone space pilot who is transformed into the trio's first humanoid, and Richard Kiel in the eponymous role spends much of the time behaving much like Lou Ferrigno's TV incarnation of the Incredible Hulk rather than anything which owes itself to Star Wars. The heroes which stand in the way of Graal's attempt at conquest are the aforementioned Barbara Gibson, her strange mystic pupil Tom-Tom, dashing Earth security officer Nick and Golob's robodog Kip. The dialogue may be perfunctory, the characters may lack depth and the special effects may only be adequate, but those ready to stick the knife into this film may also want to consider a storyline that actually hangs together remarkably well and which actually delivers a perfectly-paced action saga. Even the oft-derided line of Graal's when he tells one of his captains that he will be deprived of his privileges for a hundred days as punishment for failing to assassinate Barbara Gibson actually makes sense within the context of things - unlike Darth Vader, Graal does not have unlimited numbers of men at his disposal, and indeed he subsequently laments having lost valuable men when a subsequent attempt to eliminate Barbara fails. I've seen plenty of sci-fi films that are dull and tedious, and quite a few recent ones which are just effects-driven and rather soulless. Whatever its faults, and it does have plenty, The Humanoid at least offers good solid entertainment without trying to preach to its audience.
But I've watched The Humanoid a number of times now over the years still find it rather enjoyable, on its own level. I'll leave the many similarities to Star Wars aside, as most other reviewers will checklist those, although most of them are rooted in the actual design, some set pieces and the choice of character-types. The overarching plot, however, is quite different, and it's actually in its more original elements that The Humanoid's greatest strengths lie, whether it be Barbara Bach's hairstyle, the spaceship with claws, or the rather shocking execution of a female prisoner early on in the proceedings (a sequence not surprisingly excised in part in some prints of this film). Everything basically hinges around a great triumverate of villains. There is Lord Graal, brother of Earth's peaceful ruler who is bent on taking his place after escaping prison and capturing a warship. But his resources are not great, so he has to enlist the aid of Lady Agatha, ruler of the planet Noxon. Agatha sees Graal's ambition and strategic prowess as a means to further her own ambitions of conquest of other worlds, so there's a hint of romance between the pair that looks to be on the shakiest of grounds. Then there is the third player, the brilliant scientist Kraspin, disgraced and expelled from Earth after one of his colleagues, Barbara Gibson, got wind of his unethical experiments into using an element called Kapitron to transform normal people into mutants with immense physical strength - humanoids, as he terms them. Graal wants Kraspin to create him an army of humanoids, whilst Agatha depends upon Kraspin for a serum which keeps her young and beautiful - and alive, for she has actually become some kind of vampire, using the lifeblood of others to extend her own existence beyond its normal limits. Of course, Kraspin is only too willing to help Graal as in so doing he will get his own back on those who spurned him, but he particularly wants to get back at Barbara Gibson. And so, the scene is set. Golob is the unfortunate lone space pilot who is transformed into the trio's first humanoid, and Richard Kiel in the eponymous role spends much of the time behaving much like Lou Ferrigno's TV incarnation of the Incredible Hulk rather than anything which owes itself to Star Wars. The heroes which stand in the way of Graal's attempt at conquest are the aforementioned Barbara Gibson, her strange mystic pupil Tom-Tom, dashing Earth security officer Nick and Golob's robodog Kip. The dialogue may be perfunctory, the characters may lack depth and the special effects may only be adequate, but those ready to stick the knife into this film may also want to consider a storyline that actually hangs together remarkably well and which actually delivers a perfectly-paced action saga. Even the oft-derided line of Graal's when he tells one of his captains that he will be deprived of his privileges for a hundred days as punishment for failing to assassinate Barbara Gibson actually makes sense within the context of things - unlike Darth Vader, Graal does not have unlimited numbers of men at his disposal, and indeed he subsequently laments having lost valuable men when a subsequent attempt to eliminate Barbara fails. I've seen plenty of sci-fi films that are dull and tedious, and quite a few recent ones which are just effects-driven and rather soulless. Whatever its faults, and it does have plenty, The Humanoid at least offers good solid entertainment without trying to preach to its audience.