| Robinson Crusoe on Mars - Criterion Collection | 
 enlarge | Director: Byron Haskin
Actors: Paul Mantee, Victor Lundin, Adam West, Barney (iv)
Studio: Criterion Collection
Category: DVD
List Price: $39.95
Buy New: $24.97
You Save: $14.98 (37%)
New (42) Used (10) from $21.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  68 reviews
Sales Rank: 2790
Format: Color, Widescreen, Ntsc, Subtitled
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 110
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: CC1712DDVD
UPC: 715515025621
EAN: 0715515025621
ASIN: B000SFJ4K4
Theatrical Release Date: June 1964
Release Date: September 18, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Special-effects wunderkind and genre master Byron Haskin (The War of the Worlds The Outer Limits) won a place in the hearts of fantasy-film lovers everywhere with this gorgeously designed journey into the unknown. When his spaceship crash-lands on the barren wastelands of Mars U.S. astronaut Commander "Kit" Draper (Paul Mantee) must fight for survival with a pet monkey seemingly his only companion. But is he alone? Shot in vast Techniscope and blazing Technicolor Robinson Crusoe on Mars is an imaginative and beloved techni-marvel of classic science fiction.System Requirements:Running Time: 110 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: SCI-FI/FANTASY Rating: NR UPC: 715515025621 Manufacturer No: CC1712DDVD
Amazon.com
Although it is a thoughtful and surprisingly nonexploitative movie, the title Robinson Crusoe on Mars might conjure up unholy echoes of cross-pollinated genre movies such as Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter or Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Well, don't worry. This 1964 space epic is in fact an adaptation of the classic Daniel Defoe novel, and it plays fair by logic and science. After his spaceship crash-lands on Mars, astronaut Paul Mantee must figure out how to survive on the hostile planet (shot mostly in Death Valley), aided only by a monkey from his ship. Director Byron (The War of the Worlds) Haskin's sober approach brings a refreshing emphasis to issues of survival--how many space travel movies have you seen where the traveler tests the air of a distant planet and discovers that, by George, he can breathe just fine? Not this one. Mantee's desperate methods of tracking his air flow and experimenting with methods of breathing are painstakingly explored, and seem like exactly the kind of problems a real planetary voyager would encounter. The second half of the picture cleverly blends Defoe's plot with sci-fi conventions, and the movie never does "dumb down." The Criterion Collection's DVD of Robinson Crusoe on Mars is a handsome treatment of a minor classic. A commentary track stitches together comments from a variety of participants, including Mantee, Haskin (in a 1979 interview), and original screenwriter Ib Melchior (disagreements between Haskin and Melchoir are included). A featurette, Destination--Mars gives some of the "science fact" behind the movie, and excerpts from Melchoir's original treatment show suggest changes made. And a "music video" puts movie clips alongside a song written and performed by co-star Victor Lundin, a number he developed for his appearances at sci-fi conventions. --Robert Horton
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| Customer Reviews: Read 63 more reviews...
 Classic Sci-Fi, A Childhood Favorite! August 24, 2008
This was one of my favorite movies on Saturday afternoons! There really wasn't much wrong with this movie (other than some of the science, but there is almost always a need to suspend disbelief). The strong plot, acting, and decent special effects make this a movie that stands the test of time and will be enjoyed by my children, and perhaps even grandchildren.
Highly recommended!
Still enthralled August 23, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Some movies just span the test of time, of course you have to give a degree of allowance for what they had available for special effects in 1964, but this movie will not disappoint a SF enthusiast nor is it a put down. I first saw Robinson Crusoe on Mars when I was 10 years old and was thrilled to see it remastered in digital format. I paid for the movie what you'd normally pay for a new release, but I tell you it was well worth it.
Survival on another planet has always intrigued me and so has Mars. You'll think there is no way this astronaut is going to make it, but something appears from the most unlikely source, I think the underlying message of this movie is that we are all dependent upon this planet and each other, no matter where in the galaxy we live.
Marv
Great classic scifi! August 15, 2008
I finally got a hold of a copy of this wonderful classic scifi movie on DVD. Definitely not your usual scifi flick. This one covers subjects such as: finding water, air and food, suspicion and friendship and totally deals with the consequences of isolation. Not a "shoot-em-up" by any means, more of a thought provoking gem I'd say (OK, the special effects were just alright but it IS an old movie ya know), besides...Paul Mantee and Adam West were HOT! Mona was way cool too :) Nuff said...
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robinson crusoe on mars July 20, 2008
I have watched this movie since I was a little kid.
I would recomend it to anyone who collects old si-fi classics.
Stands above the rest July 18, 2008
6 out of 8 found this review helpful
This is one of the best of the era's many SF films that still holds up today. The special effects were as good as anything done up till that time, and the stop action animation for the alien ships was cool. The three main actors, Adam West, Paul Mantee, and Vic Lundin (who plays Friday) all did fine jobs, and this might have been the peak of Paul Mantee's career, who I don't recall ever doing another staring role like this, although he turns up briefly many years later in the Robert Duvall film, The Great Santini, 15 years or so later. I always (along with West) thought he should have gone much further.
The Martian landscape is beautifully and realistically portrayed, and the science about the Martian surface was accurate for the time. One of the strengths of the movie is in showing how difficult it would be to survive there, and I didn't mind the Deus ex machina of the oxygen containing rocks too much--after all--there wouldn't have been a story if not for that. :-) The final big scene with the meteror strike melting the Pole ice is still memorable, too. Overall, a fine SF classic from another day that stands heads and shoulders above the rest.
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