Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster (DVD, 2006)

Also known as "Mars Invades Puerto Rico" and in Britain as "Duel of the Space Monsters", this was my fave flick way back when I was a kid (I actually used to draw my own comics of the title character's further adventures & strongly considered spending the hundred bucks or so on the unfortunately cancelled Monstarz action figure set back in 2008!), & I still love it to this day (so I'm probably not the right person to give this a truly objective review...).
Still, it's got a damaged and disfigured android astronaut on a murderous rampage (he's the HERO!) hunted through the semi-scenic Puerto Rican countryside by his clueless creator on a motor scooter with his beautiful big-haired assistant (the only one who thinks of Frank as a person rather than a piece of malfunctioning scientific hardware) riding on back while bald, pointy-eared aliens in search of new breeding stock (Mars needs women!) after their planet was destroyed by nuclear war land their geodesic dome-shaped aluminum flying saucer to kidnap girls in bikinis with their store-bought ray guns... all this plus lots of great sixties B&W footage from the NASA archives used in place of actual special effects (Ed Wood once said that he would love to make a movie that was all stock footage, & this film comes pretty darn close), so who can ask for more?
Great cast too including character actor James Karen ("Return of the Living Dead", "Poltergeist", etc.) as Frank's aforementioned creator, NASA scientist Dr. Adam Steele (great name!), &, in a duel role as one of the Martians & as the title clawed & hairy rubber-headed mutant known as Mull, Bruce Glover who is best known today as the father of Crispin but also played one of the gay assassins in the James Bond flick "Diamonds Are Forever".
They use the best print I've seen for this DVD, & all things considered, the sound is pretty good too (love those cool & incredibly obscure rock songs they play throughout the film!).
Only problem with the movie & the one thing that keeps it from getting an "Excellent" rating is the fact that they use that awful mock letterboxing to try to present a full screen print in a widescreen format, & it just doesn't work & is annoying as all heck.
To make up for it though they include a cool little booklet that details the complex & often quite bizarre story on the making of this flick that is almost worth getting this disc for alone.
So if you're a fanatical Frankie freak like me or just want to see how good a bad movie can be, give it a look & prepare to have you mind blown by all its cheap & ghastly glory!

In my review of "Mars Needs Women", I inferred to this film as being better. On most counts, I was wrong! The acting was dismal, the plot was poor, the special effects & make up were horrid & don't even get me started on the sound track!

The plot is similar, war has ravaged Mars & everybody is either dead or dying except the occupants of a space ship headed toward Earth. Here, the Princess of Mars, Marcuzan & her all male crew (no mention as to why they didn't bring any women?) are going to kidnap likely specimens of human females to repopulate Mars. As they arrive, they are confronted by a rocket manned by Colonel Frank Saunders on his way to Mars. Saunders is actually a cyborg made up of body parts & transistors, thus he is.... Frankenstein! they shoot him down & wound him once they all land. half of Saunders' face is horribly disfigured in one of the worst make up jobs I have ever seen! you can actually see a transistor radio dial & the works of a watch mixed in to the thick rubberized appliance. Anyway, he goes on a rampage.

Meanwhile, the Martians kidnap a voluptuous bikini girl who is rather meticulously inspected by Marcuzan who finds her acceptable. the Martians later raid a pool party, making off with a dozen girls, who offer no resistance. Nor do the other 40 or so party goers even though they outnumber the Martians 8-1! the girls are marched back to the ship, again offering zero resistance. Most act as if they are on a nature walk. they are inspected & placed on a conveyor & covered with a cowl. they unsatisfactory ones are apparently killed though we don't know how? Marcuzan shakes her head, her henchman Dr Nadir slashes a finger across his throat & you hear an off screen scream. that is it!

In case you were wondering, the space monster is a guy in a gorilla suit with an alien rubber mask head & spike fingered gloves. It is seen a couple of times early, but it doesn't fight Frankenstein until the very end. the battle is pathetic at best! the military presence is done using old footage from films & documentaries. the make up is atrocious! the Martians are bald with pointed ears. the bald heads are done with dime store bald headpieces poorly blended in giving them a stucco appearance. the ears look like built up clay. for the most part, the Martians wear old astronaut uniforms & helmets. their weapons are doctored up hand held spot lights. Princess Marcuzan's crown is made out of pipe cleaners & beads. Their ship is a joke! I think Ed Wood had a bigger budget than these guys!

Understandably, there is no star power here! Some fans will recognize a very young James Karen, a veteran character & TV actor best known for, IMO, being one of the unfortunate 1st exposed to the chemicals in "The Return Of The Living Dead" movies.

In closing, let me sum this film up by using a line from the film to describe people who try to watch this film; "The lucky ones are dead!"

A largely unknown cast appear in this "Classic" 50's "B" Movie which is nearly as bad as the infamous "Plan Nine from Outer Space" which was Ed Wood's Masterpiece.

Lousy acting,a non existent plot,and costumes that would give Charity shops a bad name are evident but I must admit I did enjoy the Movie as it is so bad!.
Probably in the "I could only watch it once" league but good fun if you are in the mood for such rubbish!.