It takes a hell of a classic sci-fi film to merit such careful restoration, especially one that that seemed largely lost among the scores of other similarly-themed films that were released in the same general period. Robinson Crusoe on Mars benefits from its director, Byron Haskin. Haskin’s previous coup de grace was The War of the Worlds, a film directed over a decade before Robinson Crusoe on Mars’ 1964 release. Robinson Crusoe on Mars begins with the introduction of the crew of Mars Gravity Probe 1, Colonel Dan McReady (Adam West) and Commander Christopher Draper (Paul Mantee, Mission: Impossible, The Fugitive) become imperiled on their mission. Crash landing on the titular planet, Draper and a chimp are the only survivors. Robinson Crusoe on Mars shifts gears, exchanging what was then cutting-edge technology for an expose on the human spirit.
Criterion originally released a DVD version of Robinson Crusoe on Mars back in 2007, but this Blu-Ray release substantially improves even over Criterion’s original restoration. The video transfer blows up nicely for those rocking the 1080p set, while the quality of the print has been cleaned up to a stellar degree. Aside from putting out a lush and vibrant version of Robinson Crusoe on Mars, the special features enclosed here represent a great time-sink for fans of the film.
I found the Destination: Mars featurette to be the most interesting. In this twenty-minute piece, historian Michael Lenneck attempts to create a context in which Haskin was creating the film. For those viewers that either have forgotten the general mood of the time period or were not alive or cognizant during the period, this featurette should serve admirably. A further contextualizing element is the original trailer for the film. Finally, “Under the Surface” will provide a look into the process between pen and paper to the actual film. Cap all of these additions off with a detailed and smart commentary conducted between Paul Mantee, screenwriter Ib Melchior, and Robert Skotak (fan extraordinaire), and what viewers will have when they have a copy of Robinson Crusoe on Mars is a tremendous deal.
Rating: 9.0/10