This was one of my favorite movies as a kid growing up. The most memorable part for me is when the guy says his password out loud, "GIZMO". You touched on some themes we don't think about as kids such as why the superior soldiers want to stat eradicate the Gorgonites.
I always felt sad and sorry for the Gorgonites at the end of the film, believing that they were a bit naive and that they would never find their home.