bkoganbing
Tommy Kirk and the future Batgirl Yvonne Craig starred in this epic film that is still quite the hoot. Mars Needs Women, bad as it is, has the good fortune in having a cast that knows how bad it is and plays it for all its worth for some unexpected laughs.The situation is bad on Mars, some genetic experiments have caused an imbalance in the Y chromosomes and boy Martians are being birthed at a rate of 100 to 1 now. Ergo the title Mars Needs Women.You know if it was strictly a matter of breeding I might have chosen some Siberian peasant women. But the Martians have libidos just like Earth folks with the same taste. Hence they go after a stripper, a cheerleader for the Houston Oilers, a college coed, and a stewardess.Kirk aims a bit higher, Craig is a scientist who dresses down, but her beauty shines through. If all goes well, these five will mother a new an improved race of Martians.Just the title alone should tell you Mars needs women is a hoot from the start. Poor Tommy Kirk was reduced to this after Walt Disney gay blackballed him. Still he looks like he was having a bit of fun in the making of it.
zlucasz
I don't understand the reviewers here who say that they deeply enjoyed Mars Needs Women yet give it two stars. Having enjoyed something doesn't count in your assessment of its value? Those who claim it's among "the worst" movies ever made should take a look at the other three movies Buchanan made for TV at around the same time. None rise to the heights of Mars Needs Women (and Zontar is more an example of a film that taxes endurance enough to have a certain sublimity of it own). What makes this movie especially great are the genuinely poetic moments that make the obviously intended earnestness of the ridiculous scenes more plausible. This film will be watched and studied long after the pablum currently playing your mall's multiplex is forgotten.
Charles Herold (cherold)
I love this movie because it is just so darn sincere. There is not a moment in the film that suggests its author understands the ridiculousness of his premise. This wants to be a good movie, an intelligent piece of science fiction, and yet, it is called Mars Needs Women. The movie even has some literary pretensions showing. Everything about this movie is inept, but done with such earnestness that it is reminiscent of when a cute little kid says something totally absurd and laughable with a straightforward demeanor that just makes it all that much funnier. I rank this up (or is that down) with camp classics like Glen or Glenda. I just found it very funny.
preppy-3
That still belongs to "Salo".A bunch of Martians (led by Tommy Kirk) land on Earth. Their plan is to abduct women, bring them to Mars, and use them to keep their population growing. They each hunt down women successfully but Kirk falls in love with his prey Dr. Bolen (Yvonne Craig). Can he bring her with him or stay on Earth with her?With a title like that you would expect this movie to be pure camp. Surprisingly, it isn't! Everything is played straight-faced with absolutely no joking or winking at the audience. Now this movie is terrible--there's tons of stock footage (which easily take up most of the running time); a LOONGGGG strip sequence; dreadful acting (although Kirk and Craig do try); inept direction; bad sound (I couldn't hear some of the dialogue--no loss); hilariously inappropriate music and horrendous "special" effects (wait till you see the Martian spaceship!). The script is actually OK--it's not stupid just dull.There are plenty of dull spots in this movie but still, there are some moments to treasure--the introduction of Dr. Bolen on TV is hysterical and I got a laugh out of the title of a lecture she was giving--"Sex and Outer Space". And it was kind of fun to see how badly Larry Buchanan directed this. And I saw a new print and the colors were bright and strong.So, this is a bad movie, but I've seen worse. From what I've heard even Kirk and Craig to this day admit liking it! I'm giving it a 2.
AD
