A Cape Canaveral space probe to Mars causes an unexpected response for the lead scientist and his family.
The cheezy title along with the hokey first shot of a robot on Mars had me prepared for the worst. However, the storyline quickly turns around and makes the most out of a limited cast, a single location, and a neat Bodysnatchers premise. Hiring movie vets like Taylor and the great Marie Windsor was a shrewd move, since their experienced acting provides needed credibility. Then too, that grand mansion and elaborate grounds makes the storyline's walking both suspenseful (what's around the corner) and slyly scenic. And thankfully, the production avoids padding budget runtime with a lot of static dialog. Instead, there're atmospheric tracking shots down woodsy corridors that provide a few sudden jolts. This sort of technique makes the comparison with the great Val Lewton features of the 40's an apt one, though this film doesn't reach that quality level. Nonetheless, the results, including the surprise ending, are certainly better than the ratings (TMC and IMDb) indicate. No, the movie's no sci-fi classic, but it is a shrewdly done, often subtle, little film that doesn't settle for rubber monsters or the obvious.
