This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

'Destination Mars' is a direct to video movie made in 2006. It was made to look like an Ed Wood type B/W film from the 1950s. It starts with some modern day interviews with people supposedly related to those involved with the making of the fictional film. It also explains what later happened to the lead actors in the film. The premise is that the film's maker was blacklisted during the Mc Carthy era, His film was confiscated then not released by the government till recently. They then say millions of dollars were spent to restore it to original condition. I can appreciate what they were trying to do here and their attempt at a homage to bad sci-fi films of the 50s and Ed Wood specifically. I also understand that they had an estimated budget, about $10,000 according to the IMDb. To some extent they succeeded with this attempt. With a little more work it could have been much better. It really is pretty funny most of the time. For instance they copy the way the cops in 'Plan 9' would wave their guns around carelessly when they talked like it was an extension of their hand. Also, the imitation 50s special effects were very well done. Sadly at other times it just drags on. Unfortunately they included scenes that didn't belong in what they are mimicking, like two painful Nelson Eddy and Jeanette Macdonald type songs between the two young lovers. That just wasn't 50s sci-fi like. They also had scenes that seemed more 30s Flash Gordon sci-fi than 50s. They should totally remove the opening dialog with the supposed interviews about the films fictional background. That part was dragged out and took away from the overall illusion IMO. It would have been better to just show their work and pretend it was a found film.I do appreciate the effort they put into this and what they did with their surprisingly low budget. I also share the film makers love of these old films. I'll give them a 4 out of 10 for their almost successful attempt at a tribute.

I watched this thinking that it actually was a bad 50's Sci-Fi film. I hadn't read the brief synopsis on Netflix, and got hauled in hook line and stinker. Reading the first two reviews on this site had me wondering if we were all writing about the same movie and it sent me in search of more information. How could anyone think this was a good film. Boy was my face red. I was prepared to give it a one. I fell asleep half way through it, a really good sign of really bad 50's cinema. A scene that showed some cops running to the bushes for cover from multiple atomic bombs being dropped on Martian robots a few yards away, should have given me a clue, but hey, it would have worked for Ed Wood. We were really gullible in the fifties, but not that gullible. I just racked it up to Ed Woodianess and moved on. I was feeling sooo bad for "Gloria Fremont" the drug addicted daughter of "Joseph P McDonald" and "Darla Baxter" that I wanted to jump off of something tall. Actually, it really is a terrible 50's film... made in 2002. I'm so glad.

My friends and I watched this movie on DirectTV. It was worth every penny! For anybody who loves 1950's Sci-Fi, you will love this movie. They recreated the look of the old Ed Wood Jr. type movies, especially Plan 9 from Outer Space. My friend and I researched it and learned that it was originally supposed to be a sequel to Plan 9. We found a great review on Harry Knowles' website. He opened his annual film festival in 2001 with this movie and it appears that most people loved it! This should have been shown at some theaters. Maybe it was, but somehow we must have missed it. If you watch this movie, watch for the detail in recreating the style of sets and props that were used in the 1950's. We love the fact that this film was shot in black & white, staying true to the era. The actors were really great! It must be hard to do some of these scenes without cracking up. We're going to gather up a couple of other favorites and host a Sci-Fi movie party. This movie will be our headliner!

I originally picked up this movie after reading about it on Harry Knowles website, aintitcoolnews.com. He referred to this movie as a 50's movie that "had everything he wanted in a 1950's Sci-Fi movie, martian women, clunky robots, etc." To any of us who are fans of the genre, the fact that this movie is reminiscent of favorites like the original "War of the Worlds," "Plan 9 From Outer Space," and When Worlds Collide" makes it extra special. The movie is extremely well-done and actually looks like it was filmed in the 1950's! It is hilarious to watch the actors "play it straight." No matter how silly their lines, they all act their roles beautifully by being serious. Really, the casting was perfect for this film! I ended up watching it three times in the span of two weeks, and still haven't found anything about it that I would have done any better. After I watched the DVD I looked for any information I could find online. The official website for this movie is a lot of fun, just like the movie! Anybody who can create the look and feel of the old 1950's Sci Fi movies this well is awesome in my book! I love this movie!