Produced by George Pál and directed by Byron Haskin from a script by Barre Lyndon, it was a box office hit, mainly for its then innovative special effects.
The spindly looking creatures which pilots are impressive, even though they're barely seen as always it's not what you see that scares you, it's what you don't see; if only movie-makers would learn!.
On the other hand the dialogue is pure 1950s sci-fi, heavy on the tech-talk, short on the characterization.
The acting by and large is either OTT and then some or from the IKEA school of wooden acting.
The Martians are an opponent who is both irresistible and inexorable, presented resistant to human ingenuity, courage and grace.
As a metaphor for Cold War America's view of its mortal enemy, the USSR to which our younger readers might cry, "Who.?", the film works well.
As a representation of Humankind's insignificance in the bigger cosmic picture, where all our traditional attributes, ingenuity, determination and sheer viciousness, count for little the film works better.
After all, is basically dirt and disease, which makes for prospective intruder - a message in a bottle for respectful of our time environment and perhaps even more resonant.
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