I never read the book but this is vastly different than the original movie. I didn't notice that it was made for TV until now but that explains the extremely low budget. Even with a low budget, the special effects were better than in the original. The story itself though is equally bad. At one point a guy dreams that he is in a silent movie and it's very bizarre. It's clearly just an excuse to shoehorn Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton into the movie. The end doesn't even make any sense. Mark Gatiss does have an interesting take on the story though. This is definitely worth watching if you have seen the original movie, just to see that time couldn't make it any better.

After so many bad Hg Wells film and TV adaptations it's nice to see one that's quite faithful to the original story and well made. the acting's great, so is the script and it should make you smile. It's well worth a watch if you like Wells stories and sci fi in general. The pacing was well done unlike for instance the new series of Dr Who has been since it came back in 2005.The special effects aren't too bad either. the selenites themselves are well done and there's also a nod to the old George Melies silent film which was a really nice touch.the only real downside i thought was we didn't see much of the Selenites world underneath the moon. I'd like to have seen some more spectacular scenery like giant caves and the impression there's a city of selenites under the moon.Still I liked it and will be watching it again.

The First Men in the Moon is a delightfully slow-paced, contemplative science fiction drama with enough depth to keep the viewer intrigued for the full 1 hour 30 minutes. The CGI wasn't great but this didn't really detract from the story, and the cheap animation actually seemed to make it more charming - it certainly has a hint of Harryhausen, as a previous reviewer pointed out. There was enough in common with the 1964 adaption to satisfy aficionados but also definite refinements - the 'apple' Cavorite scene, for instance, was far classier than the same scene from the previous version (which involved a chair). There was also a wonderful sense of innovation and quirkiness throughout; the Le Voyage dans la Lune style dream sequence did seem a little disconnected but was a great touch, and very avant-garde. Overall, watching The First Men in the Moon is an enthralling and thoroughly original experience.

It's only been on for 15 minutes and I love it! Thankyou Mark Gatiss for finding this brilliant novel, and presumably the previous film version, and remaking it for today. Clever and funny and hopefully immensely sad ( haven't got to that bit yet.....)it tells of before we knew more than that the stars twinkled and other worlds existed, and chances were that aliens lived in darkest Africa. If you've ever loved Edwardian schoolboy stories, or looked for adventure in everyday happenings - or imagined yourself living in a time when there was no cynicism, Science was King, and literally ANYTHING was possible - then enjoy this. The acting is good too - it's like tome travel....