Invaders From Mars (1953)

 INVADERS FROM MARS (1953)
By Ralph Santini - ***

                “Invaders From Mars” is one of those sci-fi films where the Aliens are hostile, menacing and merciless, intending to destroy the earth one by one and quite possibly one of the better ones to tackle such subject. That’s because it’s carefully supervised by special effects master William Cameron Menzies, whom also happens to direct. It’s also one of the better films to be shot in the rather usually inconsistent cinematography of Cinecolor (in this case Super Cinecolor). Mind you it still contains crude special effects concerning the aliens’ make-up, the set decoration for their hideout, etc. Nevertheless I still think it’s an effective and chilling story with plenty of good results.

                The film centers on a science-loving young boy, David McClean (Jimmy Hunt) who is awakened several times by an Alien invasion and eventually finds out that his parents (the father portrayed by Leif Erickson) have been taken over by the Martians with a hideout near his home. He tries to report them to police, but it turns out the chief himself has also been taken over by yet another Martian. Because of this, David has been detained by the cops and they call young and brilliant Dr. Pat Blake (top-billed, attractive Helena Carter) whom thankfully has not been taken over the by Martians, leading David to trust her. They would team-up with an intelligent astronomer Dr. Stuart Kelston (Arthur Franz who also happens to narrate the films) so they would alert the armed forces against the Martians along with the humans they have taken over.

                This is one film that I might suggest to give multiple viewings because in my opinion Menzies does an effective job by putting the viewer off the path in a satisfying and exciting way. By the way, not giving away the ending, I must say it’s going to a gripping one and I think it might thrill not only fans of 50s sci-fi but also any other movie-buff along other types of viewers of this film. In fact the official DVD release of this film from Image Entertainment, represented by The Wade Williams Collection, contains an alternate filming made for British theatres, which I have not seen, but probably might one of these days to see the difference. Overall I find this film to be excitingly thrilling and well-cast and like I said one of the better alien invasion sci-fi films of the 1950s made especially in the wake of the cold war.