This film isn't as bad as some of its detractors claim. It's not in the same league as Hold that Ghost or A&C Meet Frankenstein, but it's still a lot of fun in places. The duo meets a couple of dim-witted crooks who are actually almost as funny as A&C themselves. The scenes during Mardi Gras are quite amusing. Costello's argument with Dr. Orvilla (Joe Kirk) is a total hoot. The special effects are loads of fun. The Venusians are real campy in a 1950s atomic space age kind of way (although I must admit, I had forgotten about what an exotic and lovely woman Mari Blanchard was until I saw the film again recently). Despite all of these good qualities, and some of the funniest sight gags in any A&C movie, the film also has lots of stale dialogue and the boys look quite tired. Except for A&C Meet the Invisible Man, there's something kind of depressing about watching A&C's 1950s movies. You sort of know they're on the downward slope (which began after they met Frankenstein), and the descent is evident in this film. And why the movie wasn't called "Abbott and Costello Go to Venus" will always be a mystery. Still, it's much better than some of their worst films (e.g., Mexican Hayride, Jack and the Beanstalk, A&C Meet Captain Kidd), and when "The End" flashes up on the screen, true fans won't feel like they've wasted their time.
Review of Abbott and Costello Go to Mars
