Sadly Over-hyped

Excellent but underrated film

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This film was grossly disappointing. It gives a promise of science-fiction and then turns into another version of "The Next Voice You Here", a religious babel about God giving a speech on the radio to mankind. This one is pretty much the same. The religious evangelism is obnoxious to the point of nausea.What Peter Graves is doing in this film, other than collecting a paycheck is beyond me. I'm sure Fury would be spinning in that horse's grave, if the horse could see this film. I did enjoy the appearance of the actor from The Millionaire, Marvin Miller as a Russian official. Other than that, there is nothing to recommend this setup for an extremely disappointing conclusion, which I will not divulge.You are better off watching an episode of Science-Fiction Theater.

Planet Earth has been receiving radio messages from its nearest neighbour Mars . Messages telling of a new type of technology means that fossil fuels will become redundant meaning that millions of jobs will be lost in the Western world . Are these messages genuine or is there another more Earthly power behind it ? After seeing INVASION USA I found myself watching yet another American propaganda film from the same year . I was attracted to the title thinking it might be an obvious film where the red planet decides to enslave the countries of Western democracy because that's what reds do . This isn't how things developed but any sort of rugs being pulled out from under you or irony of the red planet not being communist at all is hardly a recommendation . I can understand the thinking behind INVASION USA and the points its making within its own twisted reality but this isn't the case with RED PLANET MARS I don't know if I'm stupid or simply because I wasn't concentrating hard enough but I had difficulty paying attention to the plotting . It's not really a film that grabs your attention and is very static . I wasn't surprised in the slightest that this film was adapted from a stage play . One would have thought in that case it would be easy to follow since it's dialogue based but this isn't the case at all . Scientist Chris Cronyn receives messages from Mars and before he - and the audience - knows it religion is sweeping the world including the Soviet Union . The writers some entirely ignorant of religion and Marxism . Suppose we take on board the idea that our view of religion comes from a race from a higher civilisation . Ask yourself how does this explain life after death ? If a Martian lives 300 years then surely it'll die the same a human dies after 70 years . There will be no life after this one no matter what planet you're from . This is one of a number massive plot holes , and these plot holes even have the totally illogical nature of drawing attention to themselves such as the Soviet politburo asking themselves where are the Soviet population getting all their radios from ? Yeah I'd like to know too . I suppose this falls under the heading of plot connivance ? Perhaps the most irritating thing is the ending and the way it's developed . For large sections of the film you're being led along that the Soviets are behind these messages and it's all a communist plot , so much so that the counter revolution in the Eastern bloc is just a staged event and the British ambassador is being used as a stooge the same way plenty of useful idiots were taken on tours to the USSR in the 1920s and 30s . The communist double dealing is reinforced at the end when a former Nazi now working for the communists turns up at the Cronyn's lab at the end . This villain despite being a former Nazi and communist reveals himself to be a Satan worshipper . Let me get this right ? He's not a Neo-pagan like the Nazis and he's not a Marxist atheist like all communists but he worships Satan ! . Like I said the writers haven't thought any of this through especially where religion or Marxism is concerned . One massive plot hole that jumps out and grabs you is that the Cronyns' and the villain are killed in a lab explosion with no witnesses but the final scene sees the American referring to their sacrifice to the United Nations . Either this unnamed president has second sight or this film has a really poor screenplay . Guess what one I'm putting my money on ? If you thought NOAH was a genuinely bad film you obviously haven't seen this one

I was rather surprised to have seen this movie a long time ago. this obscure 1952 scifi movie is similar to the 1997 movie Contact, based off of a book by the same name. The plot is about an American astronomer, Cyron(Peter Graves) who obtains images of Mars suggesting large-scale environmental changes are occurring at a pace that can only be accomplished by intelligent beings with advanced technology. At the same time a colleague claims to have been contacting Mars by radio, first through an exchange of mathematical concepts and then through answers to specific questions. The transmissions claim that Mars is a utopia. A former Nazi, Franz Calder, who invented the hydrogen valve, is secretly bankrolled by the Soviets. He's set up in the Andes mountains. Messages come in telling of economic marvels.This revelation leads to political and economic chaos, especially in the Western hemisphere. The U.S. government imposes a news blackout after the first four messages, only to reveal much later that Earth's people can be saved if they return to the worship of God. Revolution sweeps the globe, including the Soviet Union.An avalanche destroys Calder's lab, but he shows up later at Cronyn's lab claiming to have sent the messages himself, to destroy the West's economy and the Soviets' empire. He then planned to tell all in order to destroy the faith the religious messages spawned. Cronyn and his wife decide that Calder must be stopped. They open the hydrogen valve, willing to die to stop Calder and preserve the new peace. At the last minute, the receiver begins to crackle. A new message comes in from Mars and obviously not Calder. Outraged, Calder shoots the radio, sparking the huge hydrogen-fueled explosion.Christian elements are woven throughout the film, just to underscore the point that the Free World has religion while the Communist country's are "godless". An interesting scene near the end, in which Calder scoffs at the Cronyn's faith in God. He quotes Milton. "Better to rule in hell than serve in heaven." Calder doesn't deny God's existence, but says he worships Lucifer. "God may have won that battle (kicking Lucifer out of heaven), but I will win this one..." (Nazi's are easy to hate.)Despite the fact that there are no aliens, flying saucers, or lasers it is a bit of a disappointment. But this is more of a thought-provoking film. It kind of makes you think what would happen if we did receive an alien message from space and the effect it would have on the world.

An American scientist is able to contact and communicate with Mars with shattering political, economic, and spiritual repercussions.I liked that they referenced Franz Calder, a Nazi scientist that apparently helped connect Mars and Earth. I do not know if Calder is real (I suspect not), but this seemed like a reference to von Braun, the Nazi scientist who invented the rocket. Indeed, we owe our space exploration to the Nazis in a round-about way.I am somewhat confused by the idea that if coal mines and oil wells are no longer useful that the next generation will not have jobs. I understand that the oil and coal companies would not want to lose their lucrative business, but I am unclear how this affects potential employees that have not even started yet. If all energy were free, there would still be other jobs -- the money not spent on energy would go to other, more leisurely pursuits.