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This is a wonderful science fiction adventure in the same vein as JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH (1959) and THE TIME MACHINE (1960). Imagine the astronauts of the first lunar landing finding evidence of prior human activity on the moon's surface. It's also worth noting that the movie is titled "First Men IN the Moon", not "First Men ON the Moon".

The story (based on H.G. Wells) is a lot of fun and the pseudo-science doesn't altogether ignore the laws of physics, giving the Victorian era space expedition an air of fantastical plausibility. The special effects are great, although the moon creature costumes are a bit of a let-down. This isn't one of Ray Harryhausen's signature creature flicks, but it's a gem.

A 1964 moon landing discovers they were not the first men to arrive there. Turns out there was an 1899 expedition to the moon. Upon investigating, they find the only living member (Edward Judd) of that voyage. He tells the tale of how he and his fiancée (Martha Hyer) accompanied brilliant scientist Professor Cavor (Lionel Jeffries) to the moon through use of a special gravity-defying substance called Cavorite. Once there, they encounter an insectoid race of creatures known as Selenites. It's a fun old-fashioned sci-fi adventure. Beautiful sets, great Ray Harryhausen special effects and a script by venerable Nigel Kneale, adapted from the story by H.G. Wells. Most of Wells' social commentary is absent from the film. Some of it is still present, particularly in one of the film's best scenes -- Cavor's talk with the leader of the Selenites, the Grand Lunar.

When retro sci-fi became all the rage due to the fifties craze for Jules Verne it was only a question of time before H. G. Wells got the same treatment.

Embellished by special effects by Ray Harryhausen for whom 'The First Men in the Moon' marked a rare excursion into science fiction - although the Selenites recall his mythical creatures - Kennedy having only recently made his pledge to set a man on the moon by the end of the decade; the fulfilment of which then seemed just within reach.

When Wells published his original book in 1901 even George Melies hadn't yet launched his rocket to the moon, and the idea seemed really cutting edge; although Cavor's spaceships and spacesuits are more like a bathysphere and diving suits.

NOTE FOR PEDANTS: The film has replaced the book's bleak original ending with the famous twist that concluded 'The War of the Worlds'.

Five years before the Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin touch down on the moon, this film adaption of the H.G. Wells story First Men in the Moon came to the screen. A moon expedition has finally landed and to the amazement of all a perfectly preserved union jack is found and presumably claiming this large piece of real estate for the United Kingdom.

And a diary with three names in it gives the names of those people who were on this first lunar expedition. One of them is still alive and in a nursing home in Great Britain. It's Edward Judd, now in his eighties or nineties as you'd have it and he has an amazing adventure to tell.

I use the phrase deliberately because such an amazing adventure is the kind of stuff Stephen Spielberg would find ideal. And if he reads this, maybe he'll think on it as a future project. But if he does it, it will have to be without the special special effects of Ray Harryhausen who created an enchanting, but very dangerous world on the moon.

Judd's story is how he and his fiancé Martha Hyer got involved with an eccentric scientist Lionel Jeffries. Jeffries may look eccentric as he usually does in his roles, but he's developed nothing less than a totally unique form of propulsion and he knows what he wants to do with it. Nothing less than a trip to the moon.

Like Jeanette Macdonald in Maytime or Gloria Stuart in Titanic, Judd from the man's point of view tells the story of his lost love Hyer and that unique trip to the moon. As to what happens there and what happens to Jeffries, Judd, and Hyer you have to see the film for that.

Since it's a Ray Harryhausen film you kind of know what to expect and Harryhausen delivers in grand style.

It almost makes you believe that it was Judd, Jeffries, and Hyer who took that one small step for man first.

This is one of those adaptations of works of authors like Jules Verne, Arthur Conan Doyle, and H. G. Welles. While short on science, it's a fun venture into the stars. Of course, there is a simplistic romance that goes on. The space ship is primitive at best and wouldn't work at all, but we are in the realm of the speculators. This is played tongue in cheek and there are lots of funny bits. But it is a story of courage and effort to find out about the great beyond. There is an interesting confidence in the principle character. These writers weren't accurate scientifically, but they brought joy to the people of the time. Watch this for its colorful presentation of the great stories.