Mad scientist Dr. Clayton Forrester figures he can rule the world if he deadens his subjects' brains by making them endure terrible movies. Exploiting his access to nearby satellite-dwellers Mike Nelson and his robot pals, Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo, Forrester makes them watch a cheesy 1950s spaceship film. But when Mike and friends make funny comments throughout the movie and others that follow it, Forrester's plan looks increasingly flimsy.