The world is delighted when a spacecraft containing a crew made up of the world's astronauts lands on the moon for the first time. But the delight turns to shock when the astronauts discover an old British flag and a document declaring that the moon is taken for Queen Victoria proving they weren't the first men on the moon. On Earth, an investigation team finds the last of the Victorian crew, a now-aged Arnold Bedford who tells them the story of how he and his girlfriend, Katherine Callender, met up with inventor, Joseph Cavor, in 1899. Cavor has invented Cavorite, a paste that will allow anything to deflect gravity and he created a sphere that will take them to the moon. Taking Arnold and accidentally taking Katherine, they fly to the moon where, to their amazement, they discover a bee-like insect population who take an unhealthy interest in their Earthly visitors... First Men in the Moon might have to be my favourite of the H.G. Wells movie adaptations. The prospect of this film is certainly unique, having Victorians find a way to travel to space years before it is accomplished again and what is found is equally amazing. However, the most amazing thing about this film is that it was made before the real first moon landing which occurred in 1969. Everything about it is simply perfect. The sense of wonder and intrigue felt throughout this spectacular adventure, to the use of special effects that look years ahead of their time, most especially the stop-motion, which moves so fluently and smoothly like nothing I have ever seen before. Ray Harryhausen provided marvellous stop-motion animation effects for the movie. He worked on the Selenites, the giant caterpillar-like creatures and the large-brained Grand Lunar. Each one of these individual models moved with such ease and didn't look jolted in any way which can sometimes be the case in stop-motion. The designs were superb and looked extremely life-like making the story work all the better. One of my favourite uses of this art form was during a short sequence where the Selenites use a form of x-ray on Katherine. We get to see a detailed Skeleton model animated just as well as all the others and despite only being on screen for a couple of minutes it really stood out to me. Not only was the stop-motion great but also the sets. The surface of the moon looks beautiful however we spend more time inside the planet as the title insinuates. The inside is just breathtaking and has some magnificent colours and infrastructures that bring this insect-like space society to life. Whilst watching this film I couldn't help but notice how grand it looked and felt. Every scene felt huge in scale and a true cinema experience. I can only imagine how it must have looked and felt on the big screen. Alongside the phenomenal effects, the characters are very entertaining with each having their own experiences, thoughts and beliefs. They all go through individual adventures on this unique expedition and each has different views on it. Cavor is very excited, being a scientist, and wants to make contact, becoming friends whilst Bedford fights off the Selenites as they push them about and do experiments. Their contrasting beliefs drive the story forward leading to a whole manner of repercussions. My favourite character has to be Cavor (played by Lionel Jeffries) who is absolutely hilarious. He adds a level of comedy to this otherwise series movie, which I personally welcomed because although I do enjoy some of the more series adaptations like The Time Machine (1960), having some comedic elements and moments to laugh helps contrast the two. However, this film doesn't shy away from the more series moments and when they occur, it allows them to play out in full effect. I have quite fond memories of this sci-fi adventure after having witnessed it on television once during my childhood. The only reason I even remembered it was mainly because my Dad made a joke during one segment that has stuck with me and thanks to it, I was able to find it again. Overall, this classic science fiction flick makes for some fabulous escapism into an awe-inspiring tale with plenty of aspects to enjoy like the special effects and characters.
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