Movie Review: 12 to the Moon (1960)
Synopsis: After forming the International Space Order, Earth launches a mission to the moon with a diverse crew representing multiple countries. After surviving the journey and early encounters with meteorites on the moon's surface, a group of aliens living underground order the crew to leave and then freeze Canada in retaliation.
Who's in it? The movie stars Ken Clark, Michi Kobi, Tom Conway, Anthony Dexter and John Wengraf.
Review: Even though the material is usually dated, I do get a kick out of classic science fiction films made prior to man landing on the moon. So, when I came across 12 to the Moon, filmed nearly a decade before the Apollo 11 mission, I decided to give it a try.
Unfortunately, it was a film I just didn't care for.
One of the reasons for this is the film, at least in my opinion, is kind of dull for a science fiction thriller. They are only on the moon for a fraction of the movie, have no significant interaction with the aliens that inhabit the moon and even though there are several dangerous incidents, they just weren't enough to get me on the edge of my seat.
A bit part of the reason for this, in my opinion, was the decision to have it be 12 people going to the moon rather than a more manageable number. There were just too many characters, and it was hard to become invested in any of them or care what happened to them when I was having a hard enough time just trying to remember who they were. And there really was no reason to have that many people. This could have just as easily been done with half as many.
My biggest problem with this movie is it seemed as though it couldn't decide if it wanted to focus on the science fiction part or the political commentary/anti-communist part. I won't provide spoilers but let's just say the aliens weren't the bad guys, the communists turned out to be. It honestly made the plot a lot less believable because if there was that much distrust and deception, the whole idea of being able to plan a moon mission together seems less plausible than encountering a race of aliens with the power to freeze a planet.
Final Opinion: There were some good things about this movie from a set design and special effects standpoint but those get lost behind a slow pace and plot that becomes almost as much about political views as aliens. It's probably not a bad movie, just one that isn't as good as many others from that era.
My Grade: C
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Here are some reviews of other science fiction movies:
Movie Review: Space Probe Taurus (1965)
Movie Review: Beyond the Time Barrier (1960)
Movie Review: Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet (1965)
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