Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Stoutor It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

Merolliv I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

weezeralfalfa You'll either love it or hate it. There's no in between. It's so outrageous, I have to love it. Never mind that the real Venus is a hellhole, with a sizzling 462 degrees C surface, and a suffocating 96% CO2 atmosphere. Never mind that A&C mistake participants in the New Orleans mardi gras as Martians. A&C rocket off to Venus after tiring of the 'Martians'.Abbott(Lester) is a maintenance worker at the spaceship research station near NYC. Costello(Orville) accidentally gains entrance to the facility when he hides in the back of a delivery truck, and is later mistaken for a Dr. Orvilla who is due to show up. The two have a mutual slapping session, with the Dr. the winner in the who's who decision. It's decided to let Lou stay and help Abbott. The 2 bring some things inside the spaceship. Lou plays with some switches and buttons, and it's lift off! First they buzz some skyscrapers, fly under some bridges, and even fly through the Lincoln Tunnel! They land at New Orleans, thinking it Mars(mighty fast trip!). They don their space suits and go out. Soon, they see some strange-looking people-like creatures and other creatures. It's the N.O. mardi gras. They fit right in with their space suits. Meanwhile, 2 escaped convicts enter the spacecraft and find a 'ray gun'. They use this to 'freeze' the employees at a bank they rob, then return to the spaceship, along with A&C. The boys decide to point the spaceship toward Venus. Upon landing, they discover that Venus hosts only beautiful young women(played by Miss Universe contestants). Seems they eliminated men 400 years ago, after it was discovered how to achieve physical immortality and eternal youth. Thus, these beauties are about 400 years old.Queen Allura(Mari Blanchard) is very bossy and jealous, if exceptionally beautiful. She has the 2 convicts incarcerated. Reluctantly, she goes along with Lou's request to be crowned King of Venus. But, it's only provisional if he doesn't think about the other women(Allura is very jealous and very much a feminist!). To see if he can pass this test, she gives him 3 balloons. If he thinks of another woman, one will pop. Bang! Now, he must pass the lie detector test. A metal chair is wired to produce a current sufficient to cause sparks to fly if Lou tells a lie. He flunks this test also. Thus, Allura says the men have to leave Venus, even if many of the girls want them to stay, at least for a while. Allura also orders that any girl who kisses a man will immediately lose the gift of immortality and eternal youth. One girl violates this decree, and immediately changes into a 400y.o. woman(well, 120y.o., anyway) At first, the spaceship wouldn't take off for Earth. It was concluded the reason was excess weight. Abbott discovered that Lou had smuggled a bevy of girls into some closets. After they are ushered out, the spaceship takes off fine, and eventually lands near NYC, but not before buzzing some skyscrapers, flying under a bridge, flying through the Lincoln Tunnel, and causing The Statue of Liberty to duck! A big parade is held for A&C, while the 2 convicts are sent to jail. The amazons watch the parade on their video, and Allura sends a congratulatory gift for Costello, but I won't say what it is.

Spikeopath Abbott and Costello Go To Mars sees the popular duo tackle a sci-fi theme that was to be so prevalent in the 50s. It's directed by Charles Lamont and the co-star line up features Robert Paige, Horace McMahon, Mari Blanchard, Martha Hyer & Jack Kruschen. The plot sees Bud & Lou as Lester and Orville respectively, who accidentally find themselves on a rocket-ship bound for Mars. However, they actually land in New Orleans during the Mardi Gras and confusion reigns. Then an encounter with a couple of escaped convicts leads to another blast off, to Venus. A planet populated by a bevy of beauties.They were three years away from making what would be their last film together, but history dictates that the best of the film outings for Bud & Lou were long since past. However, "Go To Mars" and "Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (also 1953) are worthy pieces showcasing the comic talent and irrepressible charm of two fine entertainers. Sure the plot is as thin as some of the sets are for "Go To Mars," but there's enough chaos and comedy schtick to keep the smile on ones face. We get Costello doing an Italian accent-badly, which in turn leads to a slapathon. Then there's stunts with magnetic moon-boots, a triple bed fall down, gravitational larks and Mardi Gras strangeness. There's even a cheeky aside in favour of the ladies (the Venusian female race being contestants of Miss Universe) as the new male arrivals on Venus are compared to beefcake Adonis types on Venusian TV.Far from their best work but certainly enough good here to shoot down those "worst of the series" tags. 6/10

morrison-dylan-fan After having liked Abbott and Costello meet The Invisible Man.I was keen on seeing how this film would be.And,to my very pleasant surprise,i found this to be a very strong comedy,with some great laugh-out-loud moments. The plot:Orville and Lester are two technicians that are doing a final check up on a rocket the is going to to be sent to Mars.(Though neither of them realise that there are two escaped prisoners hiding in the rocket.)Whilst doing the check up,one of them accidentally presses the ignition button!When they eventually land,they discover that they have "landed on Mars".Where,everyone is very tall,and they all have spinning heads,and very long necks (though this is actually people in costume,for the New Orleans Mardi Gras festival.)Due to seeing all of these terrifying things,Orville and Lester quickly rush back to the rocket,where they are held at gun-point,by the escaped prisoners who have been hiding in the ship.The prisoners explain to them that they are still on earth,and,they are then forced by the prisoners to re-start the rocket,and are told to program it to go to Mars.When they decide to land,they all realise the they have not landed on Mars,but,have actually landed on Venus.Luclay everyone becomes very happy,when they all find out the Venus is a planet that is only populated by stunning super-model looking girls!!.Though all of them star to feel a bit uneasy,when they find out why there are no men on the planet... View on the film:The main thing that i feel makes the film very strong is the great screenplay by John Grant and D.D. Beauchamp (who also co created the story with Howard Christie.)Which has lots of strong comedy set-ups,the really suit the great cast in the film (the Mardi Gras bank robbery and the Venus lie detector being two of the highlights.)And,the story is also surprisingly quite original,with having them not get to Mars at all in the film,but instead setting it in New Orleans and on Venus!Final view on the film:A great comedy,with fun performances and a very interesting story.

classicsoncall "Abbott and Costello Go To Mars" is one of the better remembered films from my childhood, along with their romp with Frankenstein, and other Million Dollar Movie favorites like "Godzilla" and "King Kong". Perhaps it was the memorable New Orleans Mardi Gras setting with it's outlandish cast of costumed "martians", it would have been an even better visual treat in color. It's pure and simple fun, and doesn't use a lot of scientific mumbo jumbo to explain space flight, unless you rely on the comments by a couple of Orville's (Costello) young friends in the opening scene.The fact that the boys never do get to Mars is easily overlooked, particularly as they get sidetracked by a couple of bank robbers and take off for Venus. There we get an early look at the 1950's version of a Star Wars type land speeder, and get to see Venusian girls testing their accuracy in a game using saucers that pre-date the Frisbee. Presiding over the man-less Venusian landscape is Queen Allura, portrayed by Mari Blanchard and looking nothing short of gorgeous. Universal could have done a lot worse than populating the movie with an array of Miss Universe contestants.The funniest bit for me was probably meant to be serious; as the boys take off in their rocket for the second time, Dr. Wilson (Robert Paige) needs only about one second on a slide rule device to determine the ship is heading to Venus - huh, how'd he do that? Then there was the comment made by Orville when confronted by a foggy landscape in an unknown world - "Being I can't see a foot in front of me, I'd say it's Los Angeles." Wow, I didn't think L.A. became known for it's smog until the Sixties!It's a shame that as time goes by, movies like "A & C Go To Mars" have less and less of an audience. It's charm lies in it's wholesome fare from a simpler time that doesn't have a message, without pretending to be anything more than fun. I think I'll get me a Venusian balloon.