Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

First Men in the Moon Blu-ray Movie Review

In, on—who’s counting?

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman March 27, 2015

What’s up with that odd preposition adorning the the title of First Men in the Moon? Shouldn’t any premier explorers of any interstellar body, whether that be a planet or a satellite, actually be on that object rather than in it? Of course, the conceit of H.G. Wells’ iconic tale is that the unlikely late Victorian Era astronauts who do manage to make it to the surface of the moon actually then go substratum, as it were, discovering a whole hidden culture underneath the sandy shores of the Sea of Tranquility (or wherever it is that they actually landed). And of course popular nomenclature back in Wells’ time often posited a “man in the moon,” so there was probably a conceptual precedent helping Wells to his somewhat fanciful titular formulation. First Men in the Moon actually begins with a cute prologue of sorts that takes place in the “high tech” world of 1964, when a United Nations team lands on the lunar surface as the first men on the moon. Except—they’re not. They soon discover an ancient British flag as well as some other documentation which leads them to the unavoidable conclusion that someone else managed to make it to the supposed land of green cheese decades ago. That then sets the film out on the bulk of its narrative journey, where a now elderly Arnold Bedford (Edward Judd) relates the improbable story of his long ago journey beyond the pull of Earth’s gravity. While First Men in the Moon is still one of the more fondly remembered efforts from this era of Ray Harryhausen’s legendary filmography, it actually takes its good, sweet time getting around to those vaunted special effects sequences for which Harryhausen became so rightfully famous. For those with a certain amount of patience, however, First Men in the Moon is an often rollicking adventure story that should delight the wonder filled child in any viewer.

At the tail end of the 19th century, writer Arnold Bedford has holed himself away in a beautiful country cottage, an effort at isolation which has nonetheless done nothing to cure his incipient writer’s block. His lovely fiancée Kate Callender (Martha Hyer) drives her newfangled motorcar to visit him (in a scene which plays oddly like a similar moment with one Truly Scrumptious in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), becoming concerned that Bedford is getting precariously close to financial ruin. Speaking of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, like that film, First Men in the Moon also offers a somewhat hyperbolically inclined “mad” inventor, in this case Professor Cavor (Lionel Jeffries), who (years before The Absent-Minded Professor, mind you) has invented a “Flubber”-esque anti-gravity element he has eponymously named Cavorite. Cavorite is the method by which Cavor wishes to travel to Earth’s nearest satellite, and soon enough both Bedford and Kate find themselves ensconced in Cavor’s quest, if largely by mistake (at least with regard to Kate).

The major problem with First Men in the Moon is that all of the above set up actually takes up a goodly portion of the film’s relatively brief running time, leaving the last third or so for the bulk of the special effects sequences and the adventures both on and in the moon. That slowness may be the biggest obstacle for younger viewers especially, though patience is rewarded with some grand set pieces once Bedford and Cavor fall through the lunar surface into a huge underground lair where they meet ant-like beings Cavor dubs Selenites. There are also huge “moon cows” (which to my eyes looked more like “moon caterpillars”) that seem to want to snack on our intrepid explorers. In typical Victorian Era fashion, poor Kate is left to tend to the “housekeeping” aboard the spaceship which is for all intents and purposes a diving bell (the “astronauts” also wear old time diving suits and helmets).

The other occasionally off putting element is the character of Cavor, especially as brought to life by the manic Lionel Jeffries. While Cavor’s tendency to grate is part and parcel of the dialectic between him and Bedford (and, later, Kate), once the trio gets to the moon, the good professor’s dunderheaded reactions to various events become increasingly mannered, giving the film a kind of flighty, nervous ambience around the edges that actually ends up distracting from the fun of the Harryhausen creatures and general sense of wonder engendered by the fanciful story and setting. By the time Cavor is stumbling around in a huge cavern attempting to outrun one of those giant caterpillars, albeit with his pants wrapped around his ankles (don't ask), some curmudgeons may be rooting for the aliens to win.

Interestingly, the film employs a perhaps winking reference to what is arguably H.G. Wells’ best known creation, The War of the Worlds. Without overtly revealing this kind of odd “joke,” let’s just say that some interstellar travelers, whether they be Martians invading the Earth, or Earthlings invading the moon, really should carry along some antiseptic wipes.

First Men in the Moon Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

First Men in the Moon is presented on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. Twilight Time's "other" iconic science fiction release this month, the remastered Journey to the Center of the Earth, is getting the lion's share of the attention and praise (rightfully so, in one way), but fans may well be just as impressed by the results of this transfer as they have evidently been by the Jules Verne tale. While there are some extremely minor and transitory issues with the elements, this is an often stunningly beautiful presentation, one that makes the most of the film's rather opulent production design and appealingly deep and burnished palette. Colors are very natural looking and nicely saturated, and fine detail is generally abundant, offering precise looks at fantastic elements in everything from the tufted furniture to the fuzzy bodies of the huge crawly beasts chasing after the astronauts underneath the moon. The grain field is rather heavy at times, something that should be expected given the amount of opticals employed, but everything resolves naturally and the stop motion sequences don't exhibit any huge spikes or valleys. Clarity and sharpness are also first rate, and this is a commendably organic presentation which should easily please the film's many fans.

First Men in the Moon Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

First Men in the Moon features a wonderfully bombastic and boisterous DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, one that provides suitably floorboard shaking moments when the lunar module (1964 era) fires its landing jets early in the film or, later, when Cavor's "diving bell" spacecraft explodes through the roof of his barn. Sound effects are very smartly placed throughout the surrounds, and the sense of a reverberant hall in the depths of the lunar caverns is quite nicely articulated. Dialogue and score (by the wonderful Laurie Johnson) are presented very cleanly, without any signs of damage or age related issues. Fidelity is excellent and dynamic range is extremely wide.

First Men in the Moon Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary with Ray Harryhausen and FX Artist Randall William Cook


• Randall William Cook Introduces First Men in the Moon (1080i; 4:54)


• Tomorrow the Moon (1080p; 4:33) is an enjoyable if hokey vintage featurette tying the film into then current "space race" events.


• Original Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 3:21)


• Teaser (1080p; 1:23)


• Isolated Score Track is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0.

First Men in the Moon Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While it's admittedly a little slow to leave its cinematic launching pad, First Men in the Moon is a fun and exciting viewing experience, one that offers a neatly retro take on slipping the surly bonds of Earth to penetrate the dusty surface of our lunar neighbor. Jeffries is a bit much, especially as the film goes on, but Harryhausen provides a number of great moments, and children of all ages will certainly enjoy finding out about the moon's cavernous interior society. Technical merits are excellent, and even without a huge array of supplements, First Men in the Moon comes Highly recommended.