It’s true that, like other people who’ve written about the movie online, you really need to consider the context of 1951 to fully understand it; however, this doesn’t change the fact that it’s one of the weaker films in the disaster and science fiction category from that era. The slow introduction of characters works well to give importance to what happens at the end, the special effects are good considering when they were made, and there's a feeling of optimism in the conclusion, but overall, watching it is still a long and tedious experience. Excuses about limited funds or the time period it was released in don’t hide the fact that the film depends too much on extensive conversations to keep viewers engaged. This would be acceptable if the reward were substantial, which unfortunately isn't what happens here. I did try to put myself back in 1951, and because of that, I’m giving it a middling rating of 5 out of 10. I would suggest genre enthusiasts watch it at least once; it warrants attention and deserves respect, but it isn't particularly better than average.

Source on TMDB