CheerupSilver
Very Cool!!!
Huievest
Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.
Lollivan
It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
filippaberry84
I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
morganstephens512
I know that I was introduced to this movie on MST3K but even so, I still judge movies as they are as movies. I rarely try to judge them on how the show portrays them. The show is funny, but it isn't the movie itself. Anyways, with that aside, I will talk more about the actual film itself. It was alright as a general whole and it makes more sense than a lot of sci-fi flicks that were made in that time period. There is a bit of a confusing and yet decent enough story line if you actually manage to get yourself to care for it at all. Although I do wonder what the whole thing on slavery on over 5,000 years was really even an idea to begin with coming along. The effects are the same generic stuff you would expect in a movie at the time although the mole people as the film calls them are actually not that bad in terms of looks. And the acting was decent... just decent though. Overall, a better entry in MST3K than most of the movies in their list, even if it isn't exactly a great movie as a whole. But I am just looking at it as is.
Wizard-8
My pre-viewing research on "The Mole People" uncovered that it's not that well regarded by a number of fans of science fiction and monster movies from the 1950s. So I was prepared for the worst when I sat down to watch it. After watching it, I can understand why there are negative feelings towards it... though I didn't find it quite as bad as some people have made it out to be. Some of the sets and special effects don't look too bad, for one thing. But production values aside, the movie is kind of tough to sit through. Although it involves scientists finding an underground kingdom, the movie is surprisingly dull for the most part. Don't let the fairly short running time fool you; the movie moves very slowly, with a lot of blatant padding throughout, like the completely unnecessary opening sequence. And there is no sense of awe, wonder, or excitement. Instead, there is an almost casual attitude. A slight tongue in cheek attitude might have added some goofy charm, but there isn't even any comedy relief here. It goes to show that adding major studio gloss does not always make a movie better than low budget independent efforts.
xnet95
I am consistently saddened by the shallow reviews people give 50's monster movies here on IMDb. Sci-fi is a vehicle for making comments about problems in our society, so that we can grow into a better, more tolerant race.This movie deals with slavery, intolerance, monarchy vs. democracy, and a pagan religion that uses human sacrifice. Those are some pretty big issues to deal with, and nobody is talking about them in their reviews! I think the problem is that Mystery Homo Theater attracts the kind of people that are like Comic Book Guy on the Simpsons. They are losers, they've been picked on their whole lives, and they have absolutely no chance of having sex with another human - EVER! These people have no depth and don't understand the big ideas dealt with in these old sci-fi, horror films. For once in their sad lives, they unite with a group and get revenge for everything they've had to endure from "cool" people. They take out their frustration by attacking these movies, but in the process they fail to see the deeper meanings and make themselves look like unintelligent, under-educated fools.The ending (even though it is sad) is totally consistent with the theme of this movie. This race should've been erased by the Great Flood. God was trying to get rid of a humanity that had lost its way, but these guys cheated death. They should not exist. In 5,000 years, they didn't grow into kinder people. They were the same morally bankrupt society that used slaves and worshipped false idols with human sacrifices. They were living on borrowed time and they had to go. ALL of them, even the girl at the end.I think this is an awesome movie for its budget. Watch it like you were watching Citizen Kane, and try to appreciate what the producer and writers were trying to accomplish.
Lee Eisenberg
"The Mole People" isn't your usual '50s sci-fi flick. It has a slightly more intellectual side to it: a combination of the Hollow Earth Theory and a look at ancient civilizations. The plot is that a pair of archaeologists uncover an underground civilization consisting of descendants of the Sumerians. The ancient culture takes the archaeologists for gods after the archaeologists' flashlight hurts their eyes, since five millenniums underground have made them photosensitive.Yeah, it's pretty far-fetched. The title characters are the civilization's slaves: burrowing creatures with arachnid heads and webbed hands. Overall, the movie is pretty original, and very enjoyable.Starring John Agar (Shirley Temple's first husband), Hugh Beaumont (the dad on "Leave It to Beaver"), and Alan Napier (Alfred on the 1960s "Batman").By "Asia" at the beginning of the movie, I'm guessing that they meant either the Middle East or Central Asia.