Talky tale of what happens when Peter Graves achieves radio communication with aliens on Mars. In most science fiction films of the Cold War 1950s, aliens from other planets are a metaphor for the Communists, but this one’s a little different. Here, the friendly Martian who chit-chats with planet Earth over the radio is actually meant to represent… well, maybe I shouldn’t give it away.
Let’s just say that if this film were made today, Kirk Cameron might star in it, if you get my drift.
Bottom line: Don’t expect any sci-fi matinee thrills ‘n’ spills here. It’s not that kind of movie. This is as action-packed as the C-SPAN channel. We never even get to see any aliens. What it amounts to is a clumsy attempt at profundity. It’s slow, dull and remarkably uninteresting visually considering that the director is acclaimed Hollywood production designer Harry Horner. It has a firm place in the Cold War film museum though for its subplot about Russians (with the aid of an ex-Nazi scientific genius) in competition with Americans to be the first to talk to Mars, as well its strange asides that depict oppressive Russian peasant life.