The story line is entertaining, and the acting is not bad. The aliens are pretty low budget, which to new viewers will be funny, though obviously this was not the intention at the time.

There are none of the stupid gung-ho type charecters we get in such films now (Will Smith, I'm looking at you!), and there is a little more depth in terms of exploring the reaction to finding the existance of aliens.

Good family fun.

Mars Attacks??
Review date: 2005-01-10 Rating: 8 out of 10

Tim Burton, see me after class for copying someone elses' work!
This has to be the inspiration for Mars Attacks, the spinning saucers, translating the alien language, the saucers flying over the cities and landmarks of the world, especially the Washington Monument scene, the Death-Ray the saucers use, even the way the saucer-men are beaten in the end. If you've seen Mars Attacks, you need to see this as well.
The big difference being though, that this film isn't a comedy. Well, not intentionally, the usual 50's Sci-Fi bad acting, laughable dialogue and ridiculous costumes are all there, but this film has an ace up it's sleeve, the hero of the film. Not the lead actor, oh no, the special effects guy.
Ray Harryhausen's effects make this film 10 years ahead of it's time. People are knocking out less convincing animation today, the guy is a genius in his field. Also the direction has quite a 'modern' feel to it, the story flows like something from the 90's rather than the 50's, perhaps helped along by the way Harryhausen shoots his scenes, his lighting and timing are spot on.
These two elements make this film stand head and shoulders above its contemporaries, it's 50's Sci-Fi, B-movie trash for the thinking man.

Awesome scifi
Review date: 2004-10-18 Rating: 8 out of 10

Whatever your prejudices against the genre, this is one 1950s scifi that you owe it to yourself to watch. I am only gradually becoming convinced that the genre is worthwhile, and this title is a jewel in its crown. So what if the director and even all its stars are complete unknowns, and that the special effects director Ray Harryhausen is the most household name here.

The film is so well-scripted that modern-day scifi epics ought to take notice and make a little more effort. Relationships are beautifully and organically interwoven, and the spectacular scenes of destruction are sublimely imaginative and astonishingly well-crafted, not likely to be forgotten any day soon.

Ed Wood would be proud
Review date: 2003-09-10 Rating: 10 out of 10

A really ripping yarn in a 50's sci-fi kind of way.What really cracks me up though is some of the effects, no doubt outstanding and acceptable in their day -they now make you laugh out loud.
Watch out for the guy trying to start a generator -at one point you can clearly hear the motor turning over while all he does is fiddle with a rubber hose."But wait there's more" who could forget the hero trying on an alien helmet -ClearlY a plastic bucket!How the other actors kept a straight face in this scene i'll never know.
Its a must for any sci-fi or "its sooo bad its good" fan.

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