In a deserted Chicago, a woman wakes up unaware that the city has been evacuated due to an alien invasion. As she wanders the streets trying to figure out what happened, she meets up with a man who is doing the same. Their band soon becomes four and then five, and not long after, they discover that the invaders are actually robots after one of them is killed by one of the mechanical menaces. Now it is simply a matter of survival while trying to figure out a way to get out of the city before the entire robot army marches through.

Kathleen Crowley and Richard Denning star as Nora and Frank, respectively, in Target Earth, a science-fiction thriller directed by Sherman A. Rose. With the movie being only seventy-five minutes long, Rose wastes no time on extraneous material but does manage to pack it full of characterization and enough action to make it compelling for the audience. The empty streets provide the perfect atmosphere, creating both anxiety and fear in his leads as they attempt to discover what has transpired. It is almost suffocating in a way, as they have no idea which way to turn or where to go. After they meet up with Jim and Vicki, as played by Richard Reeves and Vicki Harris, they box themselves in further by taking shelter in an apartment. Stuck, with no way to get out, they take tentative steps to escape, but are soon met with more obstacles, making things both tense and suspenseful. The robots bring a sense of horror to the picture as they seem unstoppable, killing all in their path, and it furthers the feelings of hopelessness in the main characters.

The special effects were limited, to say the least, as the robots were hardly impressive. The budget was small, like many a science-fiction and horror film made in the 1950s, and it was all shot in a week, so they had to make do with what they could cobble together. Thankfully, the robot was not the worst to ever grace the big screen, and its cold, boxy demeanour worked out quite well. It did look a little cheap, but at the same time, slightly imposing, and part of that can be attributed to the film being shot in black and white, as a colour production might have shown more flaws than might have been acceptable. The only drawback when working with such a limited budget is that the production was unable to feature more than one robot; the extraterrestrial army and their ships never materialized.

Not everything was perfect, not everything is, and while there might be a couple of faults in this outing, they are hardly worth mentioning compared to the overall enjoyment the film provides. Target Earth may not thrill as some other science-fiction fare of the same period might, but there is nothing here that one has not really seen before; it is put together well, and while it might seem outdated, it holds up well. The primary takeaway from this is the entertainment value. If those who view it find it entertaining enough to spend just over an hour on it, then it is worth watching. At the end of the day, it does just that and masterpiece or not, it makes for the perfect late-night or matinee movie to let one’s mind let go for a little while.

3 out of 5