▁rent als , ▁making ▁it ▁the ▁year ' s ▁ 7 4 th ▁biggest ▁ear ner . ▁ ▁Crit ical ▁response ▁A ▁review ▁in ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁by ▁Howard ▁Thompson ▁op ined : ▁" The ▁technical ▁effects ▁of ▁This ▁Island ▁Earth , ▁Universal ' s ▁first ▁science - f iction ▁exc urs ion ▁in ▁color , ▁are ▁so ▁super l atively ▁b izar re ▁and ▁beautiful ▁that ▁some ▁serious ▁short com ings ▁can ▁be ▁exc used , ▁if ▁not ▁over look ed ." ▁" Wh it " ▁in ▁Vari ety ▁wrote : ▁" Special ▁effects ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁real istic ▁type ▁rival ▁the ▁story ▁and ▁character izations ▁in ▁capt uring ▁the ▁interest ▁in ▁this ▁exc iting ▁science - f iction ▁ch iller , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁imag in ative , ▁fant astic ▁and ▁conce ived ▁entries ▁to ▁date ▁in ▁the ▁outer - space ▁film ▁field ." ▁Philip ▁K . ▁Sche uer ▁of ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times ▁was ▁also ▁positive , ▁calling ▁it ▁" one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁fasc in ating   — ▁and ▁fright ening ▁— ▁science - f iction ▁mov ies ▁to ▁come ▁at ▁us ▁yet ▁from ▁outer ▁space ▁... ▁To ▁the ▁camera ▁and ▁effects ▁men ▁must ▁go ▁the ▁major ▁la ure ls ▁for ▁making ▁this ▁w onders ▁visible ▁and ▁aud ible ▁— ▁in ▁awesome ▁Techn icol or ▁and ▁a ▁sound ▁track ▁that ▁is ▁as ▁ear - w rack ing ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁eer ie ." ▁The ▁Month ly ▁Film ▁Bul letin ▁was ▁less ▁positive , ▁writing : ▁" F