Rating: 
Summary: An easy going scifi classic with the H.G. Wells feel.
Review: I, like many others was brought up on films like this and this IS one of my favourites. Another review says it is British jingoism, is american jingoism the only type allowed? The space craft sphere is just so Victorian and 'HGWellsian' that it creates a believabilty in the possibility of it really happening. This innocence is also portrayed in the Wallace and Gromit story "A Day Out". Sure, it has holes but that's not important. It's genuinely classic, romantic,poignant and telling.
Rating: 
Summary: Loud performances but sinister moon men!
Review: Monday, February 28, 2005 / 4 of 5 / Loud performances but sinister moon men!
Movie started a bit slowly, not being able to decide to play things for laughs or go a bit further into more serious sci-fi realms. What stays in ones mind is the enormous amount of shouting that goes on back and forth as they prepare the sphere for takeoff, seems someone is always yelling for someone else to do something. That carries through to the moon sequences. Once the trio reaches the moon, the moon creatures are indeed quite creepy in their shuffling insectoid look. Further the hushed whisper of the telepathic brain class and the ruler are quite sinister as they discuss mankind's predilection towards destruction. Harryhausen did a good job w/ the visuals in this one even if the acting was rather loud and over the top.
Rating: 
Summary: All Time Favorite! Hooray for DVD!
Review: Of all the Ray Harryhausen flicks this one was my all time favorite as a kid. I was eight years old when this premiered at the Saturday Matinee and the magic is still there! This DVD (May 2003) is an excellent restoration and with Dolby 4.0 the sound is much better than I remember from any previous showing. (Actually quite rare to see this movie on TV.)It's hard to believe that almost 40 years later this film is still fun to watch. I can overlook things like no gloves while walking around on the moon and just enjoy the show now. Is the glass half full or half empty? My wife sees midgets walking around in ant suits. I see an entire new world being explored for the very first time. There is probably no middle ground with this movie. You will either hate it or love it. Put me in the latter category. As Cavor would say: Just Imperial man, just Imperial!
Rating:
Summary: Mostly faithful adaptation of the H.G. Wells classic.
Review: Ray Harryhausen turns in yet another memorable film with this adaptation of H.G. Wells "First Men in the Moon". A clever modern day introduction(the idea of script writer Nigel Kneale) sets up the situation and quickly takes us to 1899 Victorian England, where Wells' story originally begins. The only major modifications of Wells source material from this point on is the addition of a love interest in the form of Martha Hyer, as Bedford's fiance, and of the elimination of a vegetation filled moon, which would not be believable to modern audiences. The Ray Harryhausen special effects again take center stage and they still hold up, even today. This film represented a technical and stylistic challange for Harryhausen because it was shot in the widescreen Panavision format, which did not allow for the use of traditional stop-motion animation techniques. Consequently, blue screen superimposing was used throughout and this lends a real sense of scope and spectacle to the film. The art direction and design are well thought out and are first rate, making the underground lunar empire seem all the more probable on the otherwise airless moon. The film is riddled with comic relief which usually works but seems inappropriate in a few places. Nathan Juran, who directed Harryhausen's "Seventh Voyage of Sinbad" and "Twenty Million Miles to Earth", is at his best in this movie. The story moves along nicely and is tied togther cleverly at the end, making for a more poignient climax than exists in Wells' book. The music supports the film well and enhances the weirdness of the situation. "First Men in the Moon" is perfect for sci-fi oriented family viewing and is a must-have for any sci-fi fan.
Rating:
Summary: Mostly faithful adaptation of the H.G. Wells classic.
Review: Ray Harryhausen turns in yet another memorable film with this adaptation of H.G. Wells "First Men in the Moon". A clever modern day introduction(the idea of script writer Nigel Kneale) sets up the situation and quickly takes us to 1899 Victorian England, where Wells' story originally begins. The only major modifications of Wells source material from this point on is the addition of a love interest in the form of Martha Hyer, as Bedford's fiance, and of the elimination of a vegetation filled moon, which would not be believable to modern audiences. The Ray Harryhausen special effects again take center stage and they still hold up, even today. This film represented a technical and stylistic challange for Harryhausen because it was shot in the widescreen Panavision format, which did not allow for the use of traditional stop-motion animation techniques. Consequently, blue screen superimposing was used throughout and this lends a real sense of scope and spectacle to the film. The art direction and design are well thought out and are first rate, making the underground lunar empire seem all the more probable on the otherwise airless moon. The film is riddled with comic relief which usually works but seems inappropriate in a few places. Nathan Juran, who directed Harryhausen's "Seventh Voyage of Sinbad" and "Twenty Million Miles to Earth", is at his best in this movie. The story moves along nicely and is tied togther cleverly at the end, making for a more poignient climax than exists in Wells' book. The music supports the film well and enhances the weirdness of the situation. "First Men in the Moon" is perfect for sci-fi oriented family viewing and is a must-have for any sci-fi fan.
Rating:
Summary: An eccellent science fiction film of it's era.
Review: The First Men In The Moon is an eccellent science fiction film of it's era.
Forget Leonard Maltin's book review(he must have had a bad day),this film is every bit as good as classics like The Day The Earth Stood Still and The Time Machine.
It's special effects and set design are very good for the time.
It is about the first Moon landers walking on the Moon and finding..........a British flag and a note with names on it dated 1899 claiming the Moon.
They report this to people on Earth who then go to an old people's home to find the man involved and then the imaginative story unfolds of how they got to the moon and back and the creatures that they encountered.
First class special effects from Ray Harryhausen and a witty script make this DVD a must for science fiction fans.
It also features a 54 minute documentary on the lifetime career of special effects pioneer Ray Harryhausen and finishes with a special career Academy award presented to him by longtime friend writer Ray Bradbury in a show hosted by a young and enthusiastic Tom Hanks.
Rating:
Summary: 1899: The Year We Made Contact
Review: The moon...that mysterious heavenly globe (made of cheese, or so I've been told) seeming so close at times, and yet so far (about a quarter of a million miles)...how many Earthbound peoples through the untold ages have looked up into the night sky and dreamed of setting foot on that milky astral orb, either to feast on it's rare moon cheeses, or to befriend its' weirdo inhabitants, earning their trust and then enslaving them...imagine the possibilities of having your own moon man army...that kid with the go-kart who lives down the street who thinks he' so cool would certainly be the first to feel my lunar wraith...but I digress...
First Men in the Moon (1964) aka H.G. Wells' First Men in the Moon is based on a story by, well, H.G. Wells himself. I haven't had an opportunity to read it yet, but I've heard good things, and adapted to the screen by Nigel Kneale (a name known to Hammer movie fans for Quatermass and the Pit) and Jan Read, who penned, among other works, Jason and the Argonauts (1963). Nathan Juran directed the film, and while you may not recognize the name, you are probably familiar with his works, if you like older adventure and science fiction films like me, as he also did 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957), The Brain from Planet Arous (1957), and The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), among others. It's also worthy to note the film was produced by Hollywood legend and man responsible for some of the most popular science fiction/fantasy adventure pictures from the early 50's into the mid-60's Charles H. Schneer and let's not forget the special effects, provided for by none other than Ray Harryhausen, probably one of the most influential special effects artists ever...The film stars Edward Judd (The Day the Earth Caught Fire), Martha Hyers (The Night of the Grizzly), and Lionel Jefferies (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang).
The movie begins in the present, well, the present being 1964, and involves what many believe the very first expedition to the moon. Only thing is, once the astronauts arrive, they find evidence that Earthmen may have visited some 65 years earlier, in the year 1899. Further investigation leads to one Arnold Bedford (Judd), an elderly man in a English retirement home, who relates a utterly fantastic tale involving himself, his then fiancée Kate (Hyers), and an eccentric scientist named Joesph Cavor (Jefferies). Back in the day, Beford, a struggling playwright at the time, lived in a secluded cottage, with his only neighbor being Cavor. Bedford discovers Cavor has developed a metallic material, one that eliminates the effect of gravity, rendering any object coated with the material weightless. Bedford, seeing limitless possibilities and great fortunes to be had, manages to become partners with Cavor, and soon discovers Cavor has fantastic plans of his own, involving a space worthy sphere covered in the material, one that could theoretically transport it's passengers, as Ralph Kramden so eloquently put it, `to the Moon, Alice!' Somewhat reluctantly Bedford agrees to go, and by accident so does his fiancée Kate, and the three arrive on the lunar surface only to discover they are not alone. Within the moon, there's a race of creatures known as the Selenites, smallish, bug-like creatures living in a sort of hive, which capture our three now stranded travelers. For what purpose? (I'm thinking dissection for study or possibly even crossbreeding, myself, as that Kate is pretty hot...)
H.G. Wells' First Men in the Moon is a completely unrealistic tale, but then that's where the fun lies for me at least. Victorian age astronauts traveling to the moon in a metal sphere covered in anti-gravity metal and railcar bumpers to lessen the impact of landing? Somehow the film actually made it seem kinda credible (well, except for the deep sea diving suits used as space suits, and the fact that the men wore no gloves...I guess outer space is warmer than I was led to believe)...given the present day and age when so much information is available at the touch of a finger, we know how silly this is, but the idea seems to have a certain charming innocence, like that of a child who believes in things that occupy the twilight of our existence, like Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. I was particularly impressed with the marvelously detailed and immense lunar sets and impressive special effects. I've seen better in other Harryhausen films, but even decent Harryhausen effects are better than others' best efforts (the giant caterpillars were top notch). The actors all did a good job, and I particularly enjoyed Lionel Jefferies as the somewhat kooky scientist imbued with limitless optimism. The Selenites looked cool, despite their artificial and unnatural look. The story is pretty simple, one I've seen many times before in science fiction films, so I wonder how closely it was to the source. I especially enjoy the touches of humor at the beginning, and I was a little disappointed that didn't carry over into the rest of the movie, but given the predicament that characters were in, it's understandable. I thought the ending capped off the story nicely, employing a classic element in science fiction with regards to our best, natural defense against ornery aliens. All in all, I'd say this is a wonderfully entertaining film that can be enjoyed by all, and certainly worth owning.
The wide screen anamorphic picture provided on this DVD looks really good, and the audio is superior. The case claims a remastered in high definition print, but since I have no high def TV, I could tell you how it looked. The special features are plentiful, but basically the same I've seen from other DVD releases featuring Ray Harryhausen effects like featurettes entitled This is Dynamation, and The Ray Harryhausen Chronicles. There's also a photo gallery featuring photos from the film, and theatrical trailers for other Harryhausen films.
Cookieman108
Rating:
Summary: Pay Dirt
Review: This film left its impression on me back in the mid sixties when it had its run and I was only 10. I later would catch it on TV, but only rarely. With only four channels what would you expect? Back then you had to rate a movie by how much you longed to see it again. It's different now. You can get almost any movie you want and watch at your leisure. I liked the movie because I liked the aura around it. I believed it. The special effects were state of the art for the sixties. Bettered only perhaps by "2001 A Space Odyssey" in 1968. And the music of Laurie Johnson keeps the mood unbroken throughout the film. Available on CD by the way "The Avengers/Laurie Johnson" (Varese Sarabande Records). I also liked the nutty yet brilliant and determined scientist "I'll explain, I'll explain". What was neat too was the whole movie being a flashback. Pardon my grammar. Even today I'm still moved by the scene at the beginning of the film where the last living survivor of the moon expedition in presented with the recently taken photo of the the british flag on the moon. I know that this is an adaptation of the book by H.G. Wells, but I never read the book, so this movie is my only reference point. Can't wait to see it on DVD. Mark
Rating:
Summary: It's Imperial
Review: This is a jolly version of H.G. Wells' vision aided with Ray Harryhausen's special effects. A group of astronauts from earth go to the moon for the first, so they think. Once there, a British flag and a paper declaring the moon in the name of Queen Victoria is found proving there we not the first to visit the moon. Basically, told as a flash back, the rest of the story is about 3 British "astronauts," that go to the moon in the year 1899. These astronauts are equipped with deep-sea diving space suits; meet moon creatures and the inhabitants of the moon. The trip is possible because an inventor, Joseph Cavor, invents a substance called Cavorite that allows anything covered in it to deflect gravity. I am so glad to see this movie on DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Good old stuff
Review: This is a nice stuff for those who like sci-fi films of the 1960's or those close to that time. I was very much impressed after seeing this movie in the beginning of the 70's, although there were already blockbusters like "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Planet of the apes", etc. The film has nice technical effects (of course you can't compare them to modern ones, but at that time they were quite impressive) and that successful blend of mystery/suspense with sci-fi. One thing for sure - anyone who is keen on the books by H.G.Wells will be delighted to see this screening of the author's remarkable novel.
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