Nukie

Nukie
Canadian VHS poster for Nukie
Directed by	Sias Odendaal Michael Pakleppa
Screenplay by	Sias Odendaal Ben Taylor
Story by	Sias Odendaal
Produced by	Gregory Cascante Joe Dreier Rolf Frederick Roy Sargeant Albie Venter Ian Walters Frederik Botha
Starring	Anthony Morrison Steve Railsback Glynis Johns Ronald France
Cinematography	Anthony Busbridge Horst Schier
Edited by	Avril Beukes Illo Endrulat Gaby Grausam Gisela Haugg Verena Neumann Roelf van Jaarsveld Scott Vickerby
Music by	Nic Pickard
Production company	Lars International Pictures
Distributed by	Trimark Pictures
Release date	1 July 1987 (South Africa)
Running time	95 minutes
Country	South Africa
Language	English

Nukie is a 1987 South African science-fiction film directed by Sias Odendaal and Michael Pakleppa. The film stars Anthony Morrison, Steve Railsback, Ronald France, and Glynis Johns. The plot concerns an alien, Nukie, who crash lands on Earth and seeks help from two children to reunite with his brother, Miko, who has been captured by the US government. The film was considered a knock-off of Steven Spielberg's 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and is also considered one of the worst movies ever made.

Plot

Two aliens, Nukie and Miko, spend their time flying through space in the form of stars and looking for fun. The two come across the planet Earth and, while trying to survey it, get caught in its gravitational pull and end up crash landing. During the crash, the two are separated, with Nukie ending up in the African savanna and Miko falling into the hands of a Space Federation in the United States. Upon discovering Miko's crash site, the agency takes the alien in to perform tests on him, while Miko cries out for Nukie. Miko reaches out to Nukie telepathically and informs him that he is being held captive in America. The head of the operation, Dr. Glynn (Lester C. Muller) sends Dr. Eric Harvey (Steve Railsback) to Nairobi to investigate the other crash site. During their experiments, the scientists discover that Miko is a being made of pure energy.

Nukie, meanwhile, begins to explore his surroundings, attempting to communicate telepathically with the animals he encounters to ascertain the location of America. The animals don't understand and – much to Nukie's frustration – run away. He then comes across two children, Tiko (Siphiwe Mlangeni) and Toki (Sipho Mlangeni), who seem to be able to understand Nukie. He asks them for their help with finding America, but they run off vowing not to tell anybody about what has happened.

In America, Miko is subjected to more painful testing to explore his physical makeup. Miko's brain patterns show images of the animals that Nukie sees, indicating that Nukie is transmitting his brainwaves to Miko. Nukie decides to rest in the shade of a tree, turning invisible as he does so. Tiko and Toki pass by and Nukie is awoken by a flock of birds, becoming visible once more. He surmises that his light beam transformer must be working once more, and he succeeds in flying. Landing near a stream, he tastes the water and notices his reflection, which he claims is different from usual.

As the Space Federation continues to experiment on Miko, Sister Anne (Glynis Johns) is contacted via radio to inform her that Dr. Harvey is on his way to her mission. She reports nothing unusual happening and says that Dr. Harvey will not be expected. The next day, an earthquake strikes the tribal village, and subsequently, the tribe breaks into the mission seeking shelter, but Sister Anne tells them to stay outside for their own safety. Nukie, meanwhile, comes across a talking ape who finally responds to Nukie, but he claims he does not know America. Two hunters arrive and take aim at Nukie, but he freezes one of them and the other carries him back to the village where Dr. Harvey is arriving. The Corporal (Ronald France) attempts to shoot Nukie, but he teleports out of harm's way in time to save Tiko and Toki from a mountain lion. The boys then agree to help Nukie find America. Nukie attempts to commandeer Dr. Harvey's helicopter but crashes it.

At the Space Federation, Miko has started to befriend the supercomputer, the Electronic Digital Data Intelligence computer (nicknamed E.D.D.I), and convinces him to scan for Nukie. When this fails, Miko presumes Nukie is asleep. In the meantime, Dr. Harvey repairs the helicopter and takes off, tracking Nukie. Tiko and Toki are brought before Sangoma (Sam Ntsinyi) and the tribe and banished for bringing Nukie into their midst. Sister Anne is mortified and tells the Corporal to go looking for them. Nukie finds the boys and asks why they were banished. When they explain, Nukie expresses disbelief and tells them to get some sleep. Back at the Space Federation, E.D.D.I berates the scientists' treatment of Miko.

Back in Africa, Tiko is bitten by a cobra and is taken back to the camp by Dr. Harvey, who has tracked them from the village. The corporal also arrives and shoots Nukie with tranquilizers. The tribe then appears to carry Nukie's unconscious body back to the village despite Toki's protests. In America, E.D.D.I begins to rebel against the researchers, refusing to administer an injection, and the researchers threaten to report the problem to IBM. Toki (now referred to as Tiko due to a production error) tells Dr. Harvey and Sister Anne about Nukie's capture. Dr. Harvey makes to report the news, but Sister Anne refuses to allow this as it will invite outside interference. Meanwhile, E.D.D.I attempts once more to scan for Nukie, and manages to lock in on Toki. Miko asks Toki where Nukie is, and Toki replies that he may know where he has been taken.

Back in the village, the tribe has Nukie locked up in a cage, but the Corporal tells Sangoma that he is more valuable alive than dead. Toki sneaks up on the party and sneaks into the Corporal's truck as he makes off with Nukie. While at a nearby trading post, Charlie the Chimpanzee attempts to free Nukie, but it takes Toki to break him out. The Corporal finds Toki sneaking around and holds him at gunpoint as Nukie and Charlie escape. Shooting at Nukie's retreating figure, he alerts Sister Anne to his presence and she distracts him enough to allow Nukie to escape.

Nukie finds Tiko at the infirmary and heals him, then Toki and Charlie arrive. Toki and Nukie decide to leave Tiko to recover and set off to find America. Meanwhile, Sister Anne attempts to contact Dr. Harvey but finds out that Dr. Harvey has left for America and that the Corporal has been trying to sell Nukie. In America, Miko begs to be set free, claiming he will die if he does not go free. E.D.D.I attempts to free him, but cannot bypass the security system. Dr. Harvey arrives at the Space Federation but is told to return to Africa. Miko manages to escape with the help of Pamela Carter (Carin C. Tietze).

With Miko missing, the project is now canceled, and Dr. Glynn tenders his resignation. Back in Africa, Nukie and Toki manage to evade the Corporal, who drives off the edge of a cliff into a river while attempting to run them down. Nukie ends up in the river too and falls over a waterfall. Toki finds Nukie badly hurt at the bottom, and is told to try to contact Miko. When this fails, Nukie suggests that the two of them try flying with Miko's help. They manage to fly some of the way, but Nukie collapses from exhaustion and crashes. Toki calls to America for help as Nukie lies exhausted.

Later, Toki is sat by some water and wishes for his family as well as Miko and Nukie to be with him. Following his wish, Tiko, their mother, and Sister Anne arrive. Tiko explains that Nukie is not a bad omen as the tribe claim, but a friend who is in need. Nukie then appears in his light form, and Dr. Harvey lands in his helicopter bringing Miko with him. Miko and Nukie move to greet each other and then inform the humans that they have to leave. Charlie the Chimpanzee asks to join them, and the three turn into balls of light and fly away.

Cast

• Anthony Morrison – Nukie & Miko
• Siphiwe Mlangeni – Tiko
• Sipho Mlangeni – Toki
• Glynis Johns – Sister Anne
• Steve Railsback – Dr. Eric Harvey
• Ronald France – The Corporal
• David Fox – Nukie
• Sam Ntsinyi – Sangoma
• Jabulile Phakane – Dube
• Fats Dibeco (as Fats Dibeko) – Mpefu
• Reed Evans – Dr. Barbara Rhinestone
• Carin C. Tietze – Pamela Carter
• Lester C. Muller – Dr. Norman Glynn
• Marcel Schneider – Officer Connally
• Calvin Burke (as Calvin E. Burke) – Dr. Bradley
• Nghaupe Pheto – Hunter
• Meshak Dlamini – Hunter
• Siphiwe Nyaosi – Mpadi
• Charlie the Chimpanzee (uncredited) – Charlie the Chimpanzee

Reception

Critic Brad Jones, the creator and star of the web series The Cinema Snob, selected Nukie as the worst film he has ever seen. British film magazine Total Film described Nukie as an "atrocity heralded by some as the 'most painful movie ever made'". Total Film listed it in separate articles as the worst kids movie ever made and one of the worst science-fiction films ever made.

Simon Abrams of Politico compared Nukie to another E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial knock-off, Mac and Me. Abrams wrote that Nukie was worse than Mac and Me, adding that it was "probably the most incompetent E.T. ripoff of any time period ... While Mac and Me was just rotten and ill-conceived, Nukie is uniquely perplexing." Comic Book Resources described it as E.T.'s "most infamous imitator" and reported that it is "regarded as one of the worst movies ever made".

After collecting copies of Nukie for several years, the YouTube channel Red Letter Media released a video where they destroyed 104 VHS copies—every copy of the film in their collection—in a woodchipper except for a factory sealed and graded copy. The graded copy was put on eBay to be auctioned off for charity. Bids for the tape passed $80,000 within a few days.

External links

• Nukie at IMDb
• Nukie at AllMovie
• Trailer