Earth vs. the Flying Saucers is actually wonderfully done.

The special effects are really quite beautiful, especially for 1950s standards, and aliens' pseudo-science is imaginative and even semi-believable. This may be a little disappointing viewed alongside masterpieces of the genre like Plan 9 from Outer Space. The cynical viewer has no real chance to insult the UFOs - there's no string visible.

The movie follows Dr. Russell Marvin of Operation Skyhook and his wife/secretary Carol. By 1950s standards, Carol Marvin qualifies as a strong female character. She even gets to drive the car for a bit and express an opinion occasionally. After their first saucer sighting, she has to allow her husband to drive, but still, it was a very brave attempt at challenging gender stereotyping.

The thing that intrigued me most about the film was the attitude taken towards the aliens. In many later alien films, and of course in science fiction series like Star Trek, there is an emphasis on communication with aliens, finding out what they want and why they're here. Even the aforementioned Plan 9 from Outer Space, despite its proud status as the worst movie of all time, made some small attempt to portray the aliens' point of view. The characters of this movie have no such concern. They simply assume the aliens are hostile as soon as they land, and open fire.

Considering this, I had sympathy with the aliens when they then devastated the area.

This pattern continues throughout the movie to the climax. The human characters simply assume might makes right, and ignore any chances for negotiation, preferring to use firepower. At times it seems they even exacerbated the situation, aggravating the aliens further and getting more people killed. It's almost like a fable for our age.

This is worth viewing for the picture of America that it presents, and perhaps as an educational video on how not to do diplomacy. There is also the really rather thrilling sequence at the end in which the aliens ravage Washington DC. Rather a nice little bit of film history, especially if you had the urge to watch War of the Worlds or Independence Day afterwards. Best viewed with snacks and a few sarcastic friends.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12