FIRST MEN IN THE MOON (1964) **1/2 H.G. Wells' British fantasy about beating the Americans to the moon and claiming it in the name of Queen Victoria. Takes forever to get going, but once Ray Harryhausen's incredible giant moon ants make an appearance things start rockin'. Someday we'll dump all this computer graphics and virtual reality schlitz and entire schools of special effects persons will do nothing but try to recapture the spirit of Harryhausen. Anyway, the Brits find themselves in a battle between the ants and a giant moon caterpillar. The ants prevail largely due to their solar perpetual motion machine composed of crystals. See what excitement can come from not dumping a playwright who doesn't write, sells you land he doesn't own, and dumps the cash into "lunatic" scientific experiments? Martha Hyer's a good girl-she smuggles gin onboard the spacecraft, though she's also responsible for the eggs. The ant tribunal is pretty damn condescending once they hear of mankind's tendency to make war, but look what they did to that caterpillar...and they freeze their unemployed! Will pacifist professor Lionel Jefferies set them straight or wipe them all out? Great space shots and sets, NASA was clearly consulted.