The film was originally announced as BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE 2, but instead, because of the huge box office success of the animated film SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO (comprised of episodes of the original 1974 television series), they decided to go in that direction. The planning staff decided that Toho had a super vessel of its own in ATRAGON, and the film is essentially ATRAGON IN SPACE, right down to the name of the ship (it is "Goten/Gohten" in both films). They also liberally borrowed elements from SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO, including the farewell to Earth and the heroes who drop like flies as the film progresses.

Interestingly, the finished film plays a lot more like an Italian Space Opera than STAR WARS (which wasn't released in Japan until July of 1978, seven months after THE WAR IN SPACE bowed in Japanese cinemas) or previous Toho science fiction films. On that level alone, it's an enjoyable diversion, and is considered quite a cult movie in Japan -- I used to compare this film with GODZILLA FINAL WARS, but now that I have had a chance to revisit THE WAR IN SPACE again, I have to say that it is a better picture than GODZILLA FINAL WARS, because it is a far more coherent narrative.

Anyhow, if you like Italian Space Operas you probably will get a kick out of THE WAR IN SPACE.
August Ragone
kaijupro@yahoo.com