Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Admirable film.

The acting in this movie is really good.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

It's the late 1960's London, England. A group of construction workers are working in the Underground section of Hobbs End. One of the worker's finds a skull that's been buried for millions of years. While continuing to work, they discover a skeleton buried into the wall. The news of this causes a press conference to be called to explain the findings. Dr. Matt Roney( James Donald) explains to the press what the findings mean, and take the skeleton back to his institute for further study. A mold of the skeleton is made into clay; it is ape-like with human characteristics. The news halts construction until a further investigation is complete. Roney calls Professor Quartermass in he shows Quartermass the findings and explains the specimen is some 500 million years old.Another press conference is called, making big news. The public gets to see the actual mold of the creature and learn more about the age. When someone discovers a metal structure showing beneath a wall of clay, the military is called in. Quartermass is called into a meeting and there he is greeted, by a Col. Breen ( Julian Glover). Quartermass is told he will have to work with Breen and his men. He is not happy and feels the military will take of the operation. When they return to the Hobb's End location, more of the mysterious object is unearthed. At first, Breen thinks it could be a German V weapon left from World War 2. This creates alarm, and the block is closed. They continue to dig, and discover another skull close to the object. This is strange, because it looks similar to the other one. Once the entire object is unearth, they realize it isn't a bomb/weapon at all. It is a spaceship that has a very hard outer shell, and has a bug like shape.Quartermass then begins to work with Roney's assistant Barbara Judd( Barbara Shelley). The ship is unusual, and try to open the door to see if anything is inside. They take a blow torch to it, and realize they are getting no where. After several attemps they are able to finally get the door open. Once in Quartermass, along with Breen eventually discover Bug- like aliens. These aliens look like locust and appears to have been buried there for 500 million years. There is a connection between the ape and locust like creatures. These aliens are able to communicate by sending powerful signals. Once they contacted one of Breen's men. He described what they looked like, and Breen brushed it off, as nonsense. When Quartmass, Judd, and Roney hear this, they realize they have got to take the specimen's back for further Annalise. The aliens appear that they crash landed on earth 500 million years ago. Aboard there ship were the ape men. Quartermass and Judd what to know more about the area around Hobb's End. They discover that an evil presence & strange spirits surrounded the area a long time ago in the 1920's. They ask a Sgt. Ellis( Maurice Good) about the older area of Hobb's End. They both wonder if these aliens are using some evil like force. The Sgt. takes them to an older area of Hobb's End. He shows them these derelict apartments that have strange markings, and stories of apparitions appearing. These aliens can pick people who are sensitive to telekinetic communication. They have already communicated with the military worker, then they drive a 3 shift Underground worker mad. Barbara will become their main source of communication. On a night when Quartmass, Roney, and his assistant return to the Underground to do an experiment, Barbara is with them. A loud humming and shaking beginning. They realize the creatures are communicating though Barbara. She is able to receive one of their memories. When Breen hears of this he brushes it off as trickery. They are able to get it on film, it is a memory of the cleansing of the martian hive. Once they see it on video they can't believe what they are seeing. At this time reporters want more, so Quartermass, Barbara, and Breen return to the Hobb's End area. There the ship starts to come alive, becoming a powerful force. It starts to come alive. It is so powerful it kills an electrician and eventually Col. Breen. While this is going on transmission is lost and people become possessed. They group up and go after other individuals. It appears that an evil force is controlling individuals and trying to take over Earth. All of a sudden this devilish face appears. Quartermass and Dr. Roney come up with a plan to stop the evil. They will use an iron crane, to stop the madness; and return the area to normalcy. In conclusion, I really thought this movie was cool. It's a sci-fi movie movie that mixes good vs. evil, along with ancient aliens. I'm glad I caught this movie on TCM, because it's a must see.

Like many classic films, the pace is slow and takes awhile to get going. There are some amazing special effects for the era. But ultimately, like the Canticles of Liebowitz (novel), it's undone by the final act that reveals a very old, uninteresting idea. Only goes to show how much anguish, fear, and suffering the world comes from people believing in the most far-fetched stone-age ideas. Totally unnecessary.

A 5-million year old Martian colony ship containing the remains of the original insectoidal crew is found buried beneath London. Disturbing the ship causes a release some kind of paranormal energy that causes visions of the horned Martians, violent compulsions, and psychokinetic disturbances, so the area (Hob's Lane, 'hob' as in 'hob'globin for example) is reputed to be cursed. Despite hero Quatermass' warnings, the army dismisses the ship as an unexploded experimental weapon from WW2 and allows the press to bring in generators. The ship, which was programmed to compel the original Martian crew to preserve the colony at all costs and to destroy any different life forms (apparently a continuation of the eugenic genocide that destroyed their home world), fully awakens and drives the local humans to embark on an orgy of destruction and murder. Earth is saved by an astute guess as to the nature of the Martian technology and a convenient crane. Overall an imaginative and intriguing set-up let down by a weak ending - the astute guess was not based on much data, so comes across as a bit of a Deus Ex Machina, and the crane was just tooooo convenient (and the heroic martyrdom of James Donald's character is a bit silly – what did he think he was going to do, perched on the edge of the massive construction crane – shift it with his weight?). Despite the limitations of the climax and some dodgy special effects, "Five Million Years to Earth" (aka "Quatermass and the Pit") is a great example of the cerebral (relative to most concurrent American releases) science fiction movies to come out of Britain in the 50s and 60s. Overall, a clever spin on the classic premise of aliens being the inspiration of our racial memories of devils and demons (for other examples, see A. C. Clarke's "Childhood's End" or the third doctor serial "The Dæmons" (1971)) and well worth watching for both the story and Andrew Keir's excellent portrayal of the iconic (in some circles) 'Bernard Quatermass' character

For me Quatermass and The Pit is the best of Nigel Kneale's Quatermass stories. The concept behind it, which literally gives us an explanation for all recorded supernatural phenomena in human history, is a staggering conceit of cosmic imagination and thought. Like H.P. Lovecraft, Kneale views the human race as nowhere near as important as we think we are in the scale of things; yet succeeds in instilling his story with a humanising warmth.The central idea - that the human race is just a Martian colony by proxy, has been borrowed by everything and everybody from Star Trek to Stephen King to Prometheus. But the idea is never more convincing (and alarming) than when it is on display here.Though I think it's a shame that Andre Morell never got to reprise his role as Quatermass from the original t.v. series, we are more than compensated with the presence of Andrew Keir, who has the warmth and humanism totally lacking in Brian Donlevy's earlier showings as Quatermass. He doesn't even get top billing - that goes to James Donald, another fine actor probably best known today for his appearances in Bridge on The River Kwai and The Great Escape.The story has been recounted many times in the review pages here, with it's labyrinthine plot development, growing sense of wonder and dread as the "thing in the pit" is gradually uncovered, and its skillful handling by Director Roy Ward Baker all helping to make this one of Hammer's best efforts. The final effects filled half-hour of course, has dated somewhat; and the film's one misstep is the ludicrously silly looking Martian Purge, which was done much better on the t.v. show. But this is a small quibble when set against Pit's many merits.I really can't recommend this film highly enough for first time viewers. A treat for the intellect with a true sense of cosmic fear.