This film did not successfully capture the early years of aviation exploration, dealing more with the battle of the sexes, and not presenting its female characters in a positive light outside the mention of one of the astronauts' dead wives, a marriage he claimed was very happy. Like other science fiction movies of the time, it indicated that if a man chooses a career as a researcher, it's best to remain single because it will dominate your time and your wife will feel very neglected and complain endlessly about it. That's the case for one of the astronauts, and all of a sudden when she's with another man, she learns that the spaceship he's on is in danger of exploding and all of a sudden changes her tune. However, she's a supporting character in a minor way, only in a few scenes and not giving enough material to establish her character. That can't be said for the role that Lois Maxwell plays, an aggressive reporter who ends up stowing away on the ship and should have been put in solitary confinement for the way she interferes.
When the character Maxwell plays first appears, she's very pushy, demanding to see the space ship that Kieron Moore has helped develop rocket into space. Of course, there's a reason behind that which is supposed to make you like her a bit more, but it takes a while for that to come out and after being discovered hiding, doesn't endear herself at all to the crew until she offers to make coffee and sandwiches. Putting all of this human relationship nonsense behind, the film then focuses on the fact that the bomb that is attached to the spaceship, not ready to detonate, all of a sudden is in danger of exploding. The astronauts face the fact that they may end up being blown into bits and floating around in the universe forever. By this time, Maxwell has lightened up a bit, but it's out of character for her, and when a romance begins to bloom between her and Moore, my eyes were rolling so much that I could have watched the rest of the film from out of my ears. Still, it's handsomely filmed in color and flows a lot better than some of the other space science fiction related films of the time. Definitely flawed though, and certainly not a progressive answer to gender issues of the day.
When the character Maxwell plays first appears, she's very pushy, demanding to see the space ship that Kieron Moore has helped develop rocket into space. Of course, there's a reason behind that which is supposed to make you like her a bit more, but it takes a while for that to come out and after being discovered hiding, doesn't endear herself at all to the crew until she offers to make coffee and sandwiches. Putting all of this human relationship nonsense behind, the film then focuses on the fact that the bomb that is attached to the spaceship, not ready to detonate, all of a sudden is in danger of exploding. The astronauts face the fact that they may end up being blown into bits and floating around in the universe forever. By this time, Maxwell has lightened up a bit, but it's out of character for her, and when a romance begins to bloom between her and Moore, my eyes were rolling so much that I could have watched the rest of the film from out of my ears. Still, it's handsomely filmed in color and flows a lot better than some of the other space science fiction related films of the time. Definitely flawed though, and certainly not a progressive answer to gender issues of the day.