This movie made a strong impression on me when I saw it on the Big Screen in 1960 (I was 10) and I jumped for joy when I found a videotape of it about 12 years ago. And my attitude towards it has been shaped by my reading articles about the creation of it in Filmfax. I recall reading in a book about science fiction movies in which the author quotes one Hollywood producer of sci fi movies as saying "When you don't have a big budget you have to use your imagination." By our modern "Star Wars-CGI" standards the special effects may seem a little cheesy thought I personally find CGI SFX still a little cartoonish while this at least looks "real", and after having read with what they had to work with, I think they did a pretty good job.
I haven't watched it 10 or so years, so a lot of the details escape me. It starts out with a clever twist, the only survivor who is in halfway decent shape is the "girl" (actually a well qualified scientist) who has brought the rocketship back to Earth. The story is then in flashback, much it reflecting what she remembers. The "Cinemagic" is a bit of a gimmick but it does create an otherworldly atmosphere that reminds us we are on a totally alien world. The scene where Warrant Officer Jacobs is killed by the amoeba absorbing him is pretty dramatic-and imaginative. The final denouement where the Martians angrily tell the Earthmen "Do not return here!"-I can still hear the Martian's basso tones.
Again, it's not George Lucas, Steven Spielberg or Ray Harryhausen, it was made in 1960 and shows it. Approach with an open mind instead of an MST3000 attitude, you just might be entertained.
I haven't watched it 10 or so years, so a lot of the details escape me. It starts out with a clever twist, the only survivor who is in halfway decent shape is the "girl" (actually a well qualified scientist) who has brought the rocketship back to Earth. The story is then in flashback, much it reflecting what she remembers. The "Cinemagic" is a bit of a gimmick but it does create an otherworldly atmosphere that reminds us we are on a totally alien world. The scene where Warrant Officer Jacobs is killed by the amoeba absorbing him is pretty dramatic-and imaginative. The final denouement where the Martians angrily tell the Earthmen "Do not return here!"-I can still hear the Martian's basso tones.
Again, it's not George Lucas, Steven Spielberg or Ray Harryhausen, it was made in 1960 and shows it. Approach with an open mind instead of an MST3000 attitude, you just might be entertained.