What stands out most about this film is its impact on the original Star Trek, which came out a decade later. It's true that "Forbidden Planet" had a greater influence on that show, which premiered just before filming began on this one. Setting aside the opening scenes, “The Mole People” feels much like an episode of Star Trek, only without Spock around. You could even interpret the archaeologists’ flashlights as something akin to a Federation phaser. There's also some thought-provoking commentary regarding civilizations: politicians manipulate people through religion, and those they control go along with it, even willingly heading toward destruction. Cynthia Patrick, playing Adad, is an asset too. However, there are significant drawbacks that prevent a higher rating. The two lead characters are so alike that it’s hard to tell them apart, and neither of them is particularly engaging. Another issue arises from the Sumerians speaking contemporary American English—unless we're supposed to believe the main characters understood ancient Sumerian and therefore everyone speaks that language once the lost civilization is revealed. And the mole people themselves don't make much sense if you really think about it. A dance scene appears, recalling Salome’s performance before Herod in the Bible. What’s odd here is that the dancer isn’t appealing. Sequences like this would be handled more effectively in later productions, such as “King of Kings,” Fritz Lang's "The Tiger of Eschnapur"/“The Indian Tomb," and the Star Trek episode “Whom Gods Destroy.” It has a runtime of 1 hour and 17 minutes and was filmed in the spring of 1956 at Universal Studios, located in Los Angeles County. GRADE: C/C-

Source on TMDB