ac ed ▁with ▁the ▁w onders ▁of ▁space , ▁man ' s ▁re actions ▁prove , ▁as ▁usual , ▁dread fully ▁limited . ▁The ▁dialog ue — es pecially ▁in ▁the ▁f aked - up ▁rom ance ▁between ▁Do ctors ▁Me ach am ▁and ▁Adams — rem ains ▁resol utely ▁earth - bound , ▁while ▁the ▁ending ▁is ▁simply ▁a ▁sp a cial ▁variation ▁on ▁the ▁conventional ▁cur tain . ▁Joseph ▁New man ▁has ▁done ▁his ▁best ▁to ▁make ▁his ▁characters ▁as ▁intr igu ing ▁as ▁his ▁special ▁effects , ▁but ▁they ▁have ▁neither ▁the ▁stat ure ▁nor ▁the ▁expression ." ▁ ▁Since ▁its ▁original ▁release , ▁the ▁critical ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁film ▁has ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁mostly ▁positive . ▁Bill ▁Warren ▁has ▁written ▁that ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁" the ▁best ▁and ▁most ▁significant ▁science ▁fiction ▁movie ▁of ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁… ▁[ it ] ▁remains ▁a ▁decent , ▁compet ent ▁example ▁of ▁any ▁era ' s ▁science ▁fiction ▁output ". ▁In ▁Phil ▁Hard y ' s ▁The ▁Aur um ▁Film ▁Encyclopedia : ▁Science ▁F iction , ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁described ▁as ▁" a ▁full - blo oded ▁space ▁opera ▁complete ▁with ▁inter plan et ary ▁war fare ▁and ▁bug - ey ed ▁mon sters ▁... ▁the ▁film ' s ▁space ▁oper at ics ▁are ▁given ▁a ▁dream like ▁quality ▁and ▁a ▁moral ▁dimension ▁that ▁makes ▁the ▁dram atic ▁situation ▁far ▁more ▁interesting ". ▁D anny ▁Pe ary ▁felt ▁that ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁" color ful , ▁imag in ative ,