Classic among bad movie enthusiasts, it is, after all, geared towards children and is innocuous, with it's heart in the right place. Martians kidnap Santa Claus and two Earth kids, hoping they can bring a smile to the frowning faces of their little green children. With a title like "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians", it's certain to draw ridicule..it's just so easy to mock the costumes, sets, effects, and dialogue, but it's all directed at kids at Christmas time, so adults would find such silly dross as this a perfect target for scorn.
The scene with the giant robot or North Pole polar bear, the martians' head gear, face paint, and costumes, Santa ho-ho-ho-ing at situations which simply aren't funny(..and few are laughing, and even here it's strained and forced), newspaper front pages proclaiming in horror of Ole Saint Nick's capture at the hands of the Martians, zap guns which "freeze" victims in a temporary state which will soon wear off(..Santa is quite disappointed that his wife and elves have been zapped, but his cheery resolve is rather amazing), the "radar box", Bill McCutcheon's clumsy oafish martian Dropo (..always bumbling, stumbling about and getting in trouble), the escape from certain death(..when it appears that Santa, Billy, and Betty are doomed to be sucked out in space, somehow miraculously finding their way out through a small access tunnel), the red cave on mars where Dropo is kidnapped after villainous Voldor(Vincent Beck)mistakes him for Santa, and a broom closet in the dwelling of King Kimar. The Martian kids have their own television sets which broadcast to them specials telecast on Earth, and a live interview in Santa's workshop instigated by a jovial reporter. The machine which makes toys for the Martian children is sabotaged by Voldor who believes Santa is making his "warrior race" weak through Holiday cheer.
I could go on and on, but, again, the movie's crowd was supposed to be children, and it's spirit is aimed at this particular demographic so we as adults are gonna respond with embarrassment at it. The dressed up sets and Martian costumes instantly tickle the funny bone, and the plot is bizarre, there's just no disputing this, but I find the motives behind this admirable.
The scene with the giant robot or North Pole polar bear, the martians' head gear, face paint, and costumes, Santa ho-ho-ho-ing at situations which simply aren't funny(..and few are laughing, and even here it's strained and forced), newspaper front pages proclaiming in horror of Ole Saint Nick's capture at the hands of the Martians, zap guns which "freeze" victims in a temporary state which will soon wear off(..Santa is quite disappointed that his wife and elves have been zapped, but his cheery resolve is rather amazing), the "radar box", Bill McCutcheon's clumsy oafish martian Dropo (..always bumbling, stumbling about and getting in trouble), the escape from certain death(..when it appears that Santa, Billy, and Betty are doomed to be sucked out in space, somehow miraculously finding their way out through a small access tunnel), the red cave on mars where Dropo is kidnapped after villainous Voldor(Vincent Beck)mistakes him for Santa, and a broom closet in the dwelling of King Kimar. The Martian kids have their own television sets which broadcast to them specials telecast on Earth, and a live interview in Santa's workshop instigated by a jovial reporter. The machine which makes toys for the Martian children is sabotaged by Voldor who believes Santa is making his "warrior race" weak through Holiday cheer.
I could go on and on, but, again, the movie's crowd was supposed to be children, and it's spirit is aimed at this particular demographic so we as adults are gonna respond with embarrassment at it. The dressed up sets and Martian costumes instantly tickle the funny bone, and the plot is bizarre, there's just no disputing this, but I find the motives behind this admirable.