Dr_Cool

This is the very first movie that I remember having watched in my life. I watched it in the company of my father on his old b&w TV at some point during the sixties, and yet I remember vividly some of most dramatic scenes of it. It was nice thereafter to watch it again now on DVD, in the company of my 9 years old son. This time it was the glorious Cinemascope wide-screen version, projected on a big-screen TV. I remember that, to me as a kid, this movie was scary, although in a nice positive way, and it brought my attention to a fantastic world of science and technology, that ended up having impact much later in my life. Now it was really funny to see that the movie had the same impact on my son! When the movie started, he would mock at the old-style settings and the electronic score (really nice even if outdated), but later in the movie he was so captivated and curious about the story that he could not stop making questions about it ("what's *id*?"). His imagination was yet running wild at bedtime, so impressed he was with the main concept of the story. So, this is a great family classic in the form of a typical sci-fi flick of the fifties. Watch it if you have a chance. 9 out of 10.

A very good war movie, despite somewhat expected chauvinist moments counterpointed by fluffy pacifist messages. Nice exploration of the inner personal dramas of the characters, and how it will affect their battle actions. Some battle scenes are very realistic; others contain elements of mystic heroism, yet the mix works well. The story has the same ingredients of the siege of the Alamo, but in a completely different cultural environment, what gives it a special appeal.

I've seen this film twice, the first time almost 20 years ago. I thought it was a very good film then. However, after watching it again recently, it looked cheesy and badly acted, even painful to watch. Does not compare at all, for example, with the best Hitchcock movies.