GamerTab That was an excellent one.

Moustroll Good movie but grossly overrated

ShangLuda Admirable film.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Daniel and Svetlana In my opinion, this is one of the best classic science fiction movies ever made, right up with The War of the Worlds (1953), The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) and Forbidden Planet (1956).To us in 2011, its special effects might be laughable, and yes we know that you wouldn't fire a missile down a hole to punch into magma with a nuclear warhead. But it is a delightfully unique story of ingenuity that contains a major element that *has* come to pass, albeit not as the writers foresaw - the development of geothermal energy. It also showcases a time 55 years ago when no one had any idea what the inside of the Earth was like! The movie was based on best-guess geology, and what they developed made it fun. Further, it notes the potential dangers of messing with Mother Earth unless you're absolutely sure of what you're doing.Many pieces of technology and social graces speak well to illustrate a period in history that many of us were either too young to remember, or not even born yet.As I said, this is not Industrial Light and Magic, but the special effects are great for the period. I have and always will be a fan of using detailed miniatures.I gave this movie a very high rating because it's just a good flick to sit down and watch. The story is fun and interesting, but not heavy. The science is wrong but at least they tried, and you have to smile at that. Astonishingly, the casting and acting is decent as well.Be sure to find some time for this movie, and don't be afraid, this is *not* a 1956 version of "The Core." They are entirely different movies of both type and quality.

mark.waltz Dana Andrews plays an ailing scientist trying to find a way to use magma from the center of the earth to create a new natural energy. Kieron Moore is his assistant, a scientist out to prove that what Andrews is doing could unleash a disaster if the earth's crust begins to crack. Of course, there is the obligatory romantic subplot, and it involves Moore and Andrews' much younger wife, Janette Scott. Things don't really begin to gel until the end, but in the meantime, there is the scene of the bomb descending into the earth to break through the crust to get to the magma, a series of conversations about sudden earthquakes that break out, and finally, a visit into an actual volcano to counteract the force of the magma by scientifically blowing it out like a candle. (Didn't I see this plot on "Gilligan's Island"?) But in disaster movies where scientists are trying to play God, things always go wrong, and a crack begins to develop in the ocean's floor that begins to head totally around the world. The film is actually pretty good, and the exposition scenes are not really boring. But it doesn't really become "hot" until the last 20 minutes, which makes the overall impact of the film less than it could have been. Still, it is a lot better than two other films that actually involved volcanoes-"Krakatowa, East of Java" (filmed obviously in a mirror-Krakatowa is WEST of Java!), and the disaster master Irwin Allen's hideous "When Time Ran Out". We would have to wait until years later for "Volcano" and "Dante's Peak" to entertain us more than those disasters did.It should be noted that Andrews looks incredibly handsome here, distinguished and gray, yet not lacking the appeal he had 20 years ago in "Laura". Alexander Knox has a bit part as an English Lord whose financing oversees the whole project.

MARIO GAUCI This is another popular sci-fi outing – which follows a world crisis pattern established by the superior THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT FIRE (1961) – that I had only previously read about in books; I finally watched it via a DivX made from a P&S TV broadcast on AMC (unfortunately, my enjoyment was slightly hampered by recurring lip-synch problems).Anyway, the film itself – initially slow-going and talky but becoming persuasive and fairly gripping once the disasters start – is good-looking and features remarkable special effects, while the principal actors are all adept at this sort of thing (an ageing and quite moving Dana Andrews as the dying scientist, Janette Scott and Kieron Moore – both from THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS [1962] – and Alexander Knox from THESE ARE THE DAMNED [1963]); besides, unlike many films of its ilk, the characters' personal dilemmas actually contribute to the tension.While not exactly a milestone of the genre and ultimately forgettable, the film ought to get a decent DVD release (if it weren't problematic, I guess I could have lived with my current copy); however, being a Paramount production, it can't be much of a priority (seeing how they've reportedly leased one of their more desirable properties – ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS [1964] – to Criterion, thus burdening fans with a much more expensive edition!)

carriego I've looked for this movie so many times, in the DVD and VHS sections of my stores. I really would like to have this one. I have the other classics. War of the Worlds, When Worlds collide, Day of the Triffids. I would love to have this one also. I love Sci Fi and this one was quite great. Special effects and everything. I'm into earth science and Volcanoes and Magma excite my senses. We should all vote on taking this to the Film creators and having them make this available on DVD for purchase. Thats my thought. The acting was great and the script was really good. The turmoil while the crack was developing, was well written. I could only imagine what I would be doing all through the earth breakup. I remember, as my most excited part was when the magma broke through the earth and started to pool. For natural energy, its a great thought. The movie was well planned and scientifically feasible. In my mind anyway.