Abbott & Costello play Lester & Orville, who somehow are on a top secret rocket-ship project. They accidentally launch it and wind up not going to Mars, but to Mardi Gras here on Earth(which they think is Mars). Two equally bumbling bank robbers named Mugsy & Harry force their way on board the ship, which does take off for outer space, though Venus, not Mars, which is inhabited by beautiful women who have banished the men, making these four guys both feared but welcome. Utterly inept and entirely unfunny farce is the team's worst; they look bored and indifferent the whole time, and there is no energy or point to this farrago at all. Just dreadful.

Bud and Lou finally decide to invade outer space and interplanetary relations will never be the same after Abbott and Costello Go To Mars. And they couldn't even get that right because it's Venus they wind up on.Bud does maintenance and deliveries at a scientific base and Lou is the oldest orphan in the world who sneaks on an army base and has to be kept there for security reason by order of Dr. Robert Paige and his assistant Martha Hyer.Which says security on this base is lousy because Bud and Lou accidentally lift the rocket off while cleaning it and become the world's first astronauts. They arrive at New Orleans during Mardi Gras and think they're on Mars because of all the colorfully costumed people. That being done they go right back to the rocket ship and take off again this time with two escaped convicts, Horace McMahon and Jack Kruschen, who have just robbed a bank.Then they arrive on Venus where the planet is populated by Amazons, men having been expelled hundreds of years ago. It's quite a place, but has its rules.This jaunt to outer space by A&C is once again quite below the standards of their work in the Forties. With Universal having a new look being typified by new leading men, Tony Curtis, Rock Hudson, and Jeff Chandler, Bud and Lou were no longer keeping the studio on the plus side of the ledger. They were gradually being phased out and this picture and others kind of prove it.The film provided some work for Joe Kirk who occasionally appeared as Mr. Baccagalupe on the A&C television series. Today the Italian American Anti-Defamation League would get all kinds of upset with his caricatured Italian scientist with the exaggerated accent. Nothing different from Kirk's character on television however, but you'd never get away with it today. It's a carryover from the ethnic humor of the Abbott and Costello days in burlesque where that kind of stuff was standard.This is not a bad A&C feature, but hardly anything like Buck Privates.

Abbott and Costello Go To Mars sees the popular duo tackle a sci-fi theme that was to be so prevalent in the 50s. It's directed by Charles Lamont and the co-star line up features Robert Paige, Horace McMahon, Mari Blanchard, Martha Hyer & Jack Kruschen. The plot sees Bud & Lou as Lester and Orville respectively, who accidentally find themselves on a rocket-ship bound for Mars. However, they actually land in New Orleans during the Mardi Gras and confusion reigns. Then an encounter with a couple of escaped convicts leads to another blast off, to Venus. A planet populated by a bevy of beauties.They were three years away from making what would be their last film together, but history dictates that the best of the film outings for Bud & Lou were long since past. However, "Go To Mars" and "Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (also 1953) are worthy pieces showcasing the comic talent and irrepressible charm of two fine entertainers. Sure the plot is as thin as some of the sets are for "Go To Mars," but there's enough chaos and comedy schtick to keep the smile on ones face. We get Costello doing an Italian accent-badly, which in turn leads to a slapathon. Then there's stunts with magnetic moon-boots, a triple bed fall down, gravitational larks and Mardi Gras strangeness. There's even a cheeky aside in favour of the ladies (the Venusian female race being contestants of Miss Universe) as the new male arrivals on Venus are compared to beefcake Adonis types on Venusian TV.Far from their best work but certainly enough good here to shoot down those "worst of the series" tags. 6/10

A series of misadventures sees orphan Orville get onto the base for the space rocket launch and be mistaken for an imminent scientist. Lester is having none of it and puts him to work but the two of them manage to get into the rocket and accidentally launch it. They assume they have gone to Mars and the vast array of weird creatures convince them of as much. Of course they are unaware that they have actually landed in New Orleans and fit right in wearing their spacesuits. Coincidentally two escaped criminals see what is happening and understand it better than Lester and Orville and decide to take advantage.It has been years since I last watched an Abbott & Costello film and I decided recently to record some of the various movie channels and watch them. Years ago my TV options used to be limited to 4 terrestrial channels and as such my film watching was heavily influenced by the matinees that BBC2 used to put on during Saturday afternoons and the old films they used to show during school holidays – A&C being a regular part of those slots. With access to more (hell, I can even get DVD's posted to my flat) I rarely go back into the archives except for accepted "classics", which one could not really put on many of the A&C films. In hindsight, starting watching them again with this film was maybe not the best idea because it is a pretty weak affair.The basic plot allows for three or four scenarios, each of which are played out for longer than the basic gags can sustain. Of more concern though is the lack of energy and wit that the film has, it feels tired and basic throughout the whole film (which feels longer than it is). The material is lacking for sure but strong delivery can spice up things in some cases. Shame then that the majority of the cast just seem bored. Abbott and Costello both do their usual shtick but do it like men going through the motions. It perhaps isn't as bad as I make it sound but it is not either of them at their best. The rest of the cast are obvious criminals or lovely, lovely ladies – that's it. Nobody really gives the guys a lot to play off apart from a nice scene with Dr Orivia and Orville.Overall this is a basic film without much to recommend it for. Fans will appreciate it the way they do but for the casual viewers it is best left to kids rather than adults. The material is weak but it is the lack of energy in the delivery that caused problems for me, making it feel weaker as a total film. I will continue to watch some more of the A&C films but this is a bad place to start.