Robot Monster (1953)

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

No spoiler alert but, look for the line when boy loses sister and the center of this classic morality tale reaches its meaty climax.

I LOVE this movie. I own the DVD and never tire of watching it. Also, I love the opportunity to show it to friends. When I first saw it on TV when I was young, I DIDN'T like it, largely due to the fact that things don't go too well for the earth side (the first time I had ever seen that happen). But when I saw it again in my 20's, I was struck by the fear of dehumanization in a technological age (a clear motif besides and beyond the usual cold war/nuclear war paranoia). Also, as I've continued to watch it, I've noticed that the actors and acting are actually quite decent and sincere. (The adults, in fact, have pretty good resumes -- and I'm a fan of George Nader from "Man and the Challenge".) I found the story to be an involving one, with it's share of surprises. And one cannot fail to be affected by the indomitable determination of the survivors to persevere in the face of overwhelming odds (before the precipitous turn where everything goes down the toilet for BOTH sides). And last but not least, there's Ro-Man going through an identity crisis worthy of Hamlet! ("I must! But I cannot!! How do you calculate that!") Plus the exquisitely desolate set and the hokey props and special effects. 10/10. BEYOND criticism.

No need to get into the loony plot. Thanks to this ghastly treasure, I nominate Ordung and Tucker for the Outpatient Hall of Fame. After all, who else but the ditzy would think a gorilla suit topped by a diving bell is the stuff of nightmares. And if that's not scary enough, top it off with a menacing Lawrence Welk bubble machine. Still, when those alien bubbles came flying at me, I was under the bed in nothing flat. Yes indeed, this lunatic mess qualifies for not just any award, but for a big fat Golden Turkey. I love it when the world's at stake, and a shirtless Roy and a busty Alice traipse off to the weeds for some serious canoodling. Nice to know Hollywood won't let world's end interfere with a commercial product. But the movie's real star is lowly Bronson Canyon. It's a burned up pimple on the face of LA that no 50's schlock would be complete without. Then too, I love the way a waddling Ro-Man clumps up and down the desiccated slopes like he's looking for Humane Society rescue. Oh well, what can you say about a near home-movie that cost all of sixteen grand. Heck, production companies spend that much on lunch these days. Still, someone should have let the cast in on the joke. They play things like there's an Oscar at stake. Anyway, a tip of the diving helmet to the makers of this inspired mess. Meanwhile-- Is it safe to come out now?

ROBOT MONSTER is often heralded as the worst movie ever made, although I've seen plenty that are more boring than this zero-budget effort, which is enthusiastic if nothing else. The nutshell plot of the film sees a family struggling to survive in the aftermath of an apocalypse, where they're menaced by the titular alien.The film features an anything-goes, shot-in-your-own-backyard feel which makes it hard to take seriously. I'm a huge fan of '50s sci-fi, but this has more in common with the dodgy offerings of Ed Wood than a real film. The acting is sub-par, the script even worse, and the attempts to enliven things by shoving in stock footage are simply helpless.Things aren't quite so bad as all that, though. ROBOT MONSTER is a film that it's easy to laugh at, which counts for a lot, and Ro-Man is quite an entertaining menace...at least, he's highly amusing, whether it be his bizarre look or the way he talks in that portentous voice. As a movie, it's also very short, which makes things easier to take. Watch it as an unintentional comedy and you might even find yourself enjoying it.