Note--While this is a color film, the DVD is very scratched and the colors are pretty faded.
This is one of a bazillion films made during the 1950s about space flight to either the Moon or Mars. And, like so many of them, once they get there, they find people who look and talk much like us. And, like so many of these films there is a "hot babe" scientist among the crew (do they come any other way?!) and once there she is forced to wear REALLY hot babe-style clothes! And, like so many of these films, the natives turn out to be jerks who want to take over the Earth--just like in CAT-WOMEN OF THE MOON--though at least the aliens ACT nicely for a while. So already at the onset, this film isn't exactly new or different--there are a lot of similar films.
Despite all these similarities, I still enjoyed the movie. Seeing the Martians running about in their silly costumes as well as the humans landing on Mars dressed only in WWII-style bomber crew outfits both made me laugh and gave the film a kitschy-sort of style. You certainly don't watch films like this for their realism!! Believe it or not, while this movie is pretty high on the cheese-factor, considering it was made by a poverty-row studio (Monogram) it actually is amazingly good. Plus, the studio was able to scrape up the money for a couple minor stars who were good actors (Cameron Mitchell and Robert Barrat--a man who was a very prolific actor in the 1930s).
For lovers of this sort of film, this is a must-see. Others might just find it all too old fashioned and silly to watch.
This is one of a bazillion films made during the 1950s about space flight to either the Moon or Mars. And, like so many of them, once they get there, they find people who look and talk much like us. And, like so many of these films there is a "hot babe" scientist among the crew (do they come any other way?!) and once there she is forced to wear REALLY hot babe-style clothes! And, like so many of these films, the natives turn out to be jerks who want to take over the Earth--just like in CAT-WOMEN OF THE MOON--though at least the aliens ACT nicely for a while. So already at the onset, this film isn't exactly new or different--there are a lot of similar films.
Despite all these similarities, I still enjoyed the movie. Seeing the Martians running about in their silly costumes as well as the humans landing on Mars dressed only in WWII-style bomber crew outfits both made me laugh and gave the film a kitschy-sort of style. You certainly don't watch films like this for their realism!! Believe it or not, while this movie is pretty high on the cheese-factor, considering it was made by a poverty-row studio (Monogram) it actually is amazingly good. Plus, the studio was able to scrape up the money for a couple minor stars who were good actors (Cameron Mitchell and Robert Barrat--a man who was a very prolific actor in the 1930s).
For lovers of this sort of film, this is a must-see. Others might just find it all too old fashioned and silly to watch.