When most Three Stooges fans talk about their best work, in 99.9% of the cases they're talking about the Stooges with Curly Howard. His later replacements (Shemp, Joe Besser* and Joe DeRita) were a second or third-rate lot and the energy in their later films was lacking. However, by 1959, the Stooges had undergone a revival with the success of their shorts on TV, so it's not surprising they recruited the generally unfunny DeRita and began making feature-length pictures. As for DeRita, he was reasonably funny on his own before the Stooges...but despite renaming him 'Curly Joe' he just wasn't the Curly we all loved. DeRita, in contrast, was much more conventional, low energy and dull. Despite all this, I somehow watched "Have Rocket--Will Travel"...mostly because it came on TV when I was too busy to get up and change the channel.
As far as the DeRita films go, it's the first and, possibly, the best. This is because the Stooges hadn't completely given up their violent ways....like they would in subsequent films. Violence was what folks wanted...not a 'nice' Stooge...and DeRita was nice as were his films with the Stooges.
The story is much like the earlier Abbott & Costello film "Abbott & Costello Go to Mars". Just like this other film, the comedy team is working as janitors and gofers at a rocket base....and like the other film, eventually the Stooges accidentally blast off and go on adventures on another world...albeit lame ones. While the earlier film ain't great...it's significantly better than "Have Rocket". While the first half isn't bad, when they go to space and discover a talking unicorn and begin singing...well, it made me want to rip out my eyes and ears! Limp and cutesy...no two ways about it...and not what the Stooges should have been. And, it only gets worse from there!
Overall, a film for only the most devoted of Stooge fans, as the film lacks humor and the usual violence most fans want. Instead, it's a bit emasculated, of sorts and strictly for kids.
*Although I am NOT a fan of DeRita with the Stooges, his joining the team was a HUGE improvement over the previous third Stooge, Joe Besser. Besser simply didn't fit in at all and his brash and unapologetically annoying style made his shorts incredibly tough to enjoy.
As far as the DeRita films go, it's the first and, possibly, the best. This is because the Stooges hadn't completely given up their violent ways....like they would in subsequent films. Violence was what folks wanted...not a 'nice' Stooge...and DeRita was nice as were his films with the Stooges.
The story is much like the earlier Abbott & Costello film "Abbott & Costello Go to Mars". Just like this other film, the comedy team is working as janitors and gofers at a rocket base....and like the other film, eventually the Stooges accidentally blast off and go on adventures on another world...albeit lame ones. While the earlier film ain't great...it's significantly better than "Have Rocket". While the first half isn't bad, when they go to space and discover a talking unicorn and begin singing...well, it made me want to rip out my eyes and ears! Limp and cutesy...no two ways about it...and not what the Stooges should have been. And, it only gets worse from there!
Overall, a film for only the most devoted of Stooge fans, as the film lacks humor and the usual violence most fans want. Instead, it's a bit emasculated, of sorts and strictly for kids.
*Although I am NOT a fan of DeRita with the Stooges, his joining the team was a HUGE improvement over the previous third Stooge, Joe Besser. Besser simply didn't fit in at all and his brash and unapologetically annoying style made his shorts incredibly tough to enjoy.