Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

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Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

1964

1h 20m

Holiday

Sci-Fi

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

25%

Tomatometer

24 Reviews

27%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Martian ruler Kimar is upset that the children of Mars are lazy and under the influence of too much pop culture from Earth. They are obsessed with the planet's television programs and don't want to do much of anything. In an attempt to get the kids peppy again, Kimar orders the kidnapping of Santa Claus, hoping that the jolly old toy maker will know how to cheer the children up again. But two Earth children are also nabbed, and this complicates things for Kimar.

Critics Consensus

The endearingly cheesy Santa Claus Conquers the Martians might just be so naughty it's nice for viewers seeking a sub-competent sci-fi holiday adventure.

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Jason Bailey

Flavorwire

12/10/2016

There's no warmth to the movie, no good cheer or happiness, and (at risk of bathing in bathos), ne'er a hint of what makes the season special.

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Time Out

06/24/2006

[A] hilariously bad stab at sci-fi.

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Howard Thompson

New York Times

05/09/2005

3/5

Adults may find it obvious and as square-cut as cheese. But let's face it. From now till you-know-when, the youngsters are all that matter.

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Brian Orndorf

Blu-ray.com

03/09/2025

C

The dull feature is best served to these young minds, while everyone else should only watch the movie fully riffed to get the most out of the viewing experience.

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Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

11/29/2022

C

Full of endearingly oafish makeup, sets, and dialogue.

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Jennie Kermode

Eye for Film

12/17/2020

1/5

Its status as one of the strangest films ever made about Father Christmas has given it a degree of cult status. Without that, it wouldn't have a snowball's chance of still being watched today.

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DanTheMan 2

@DanTheMan2150AD Jan 12

It really makes you wonder whether Christmas cheer is a renewable resource, and whether it should be regulated. Watching this felt like unwrapping a present and discovering its socks. Now, I love receiving a good pair of socks on Christmas, except these socks are on fire and singing. Not the kind of socks I’d wish upon anyone but kinda have to admire the weirdly unshakable optimism that the film commits to wholeheartedly; it genuinely believes its demented logic delivered with an absolute sincerity to the point that it thinks toys, laughter and a few songs can fix anything, even planetary dysfunction. At one point, children teach Martians how to have fun, which feels less like a plot development and more like a philosophical threat. The acting is atrocious, both the costumes and sets look ready to fall apart at the seems from the dodgy workmanship and the entire soundscape feels like a carefully constructed attack on your soul, in the end Santa always wins… hooray for Santa Claus.

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Simon T

@Bucksplit Dec 28

Yes, it's terrible. For the most part though, almost watchable. The weirdest detail is that it's produced by Joseph Levine, who went on to oversee A Bridge Too Far and several other Richard Attenborough epics. Here, he clearly had no money for a script, costumes or decent sets. Santa chuckles a lot, one of the Martians has a moustache, and Pia Zadora has a tiny cameo. The rest is silence.

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Dean S.

@DeanDFW Dec 27

As B-movies go, this one is absolutely terrible.

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nick e

@CrimeSchool Dec 22

Dont listen to these reviews..this film is so fun,so colorful and so full of Christmas spirit! My son and I watch annually and Ive brought it to countless Christmas parties.This era of film had such an ambiance.The characters are amazing..Droppo is the best! What a fun juxtapose of wierd and wonderful!

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Robert T

@RT70963987 Dec 17

It's a funny comedy because it's so awful. Everything is just so campy. The costumes, the makeup, the sets, dialogue and music are terrible.

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Shawn R

@satiable 12/13/2024

It's so bad, it's even worse than Plan 9 From Outer Space

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Nicholas Webster

Director

John Call

Santa Claus

Leonard Hicks

Kimar

Pia Zadora

Girmar

Vincent Beck

Voldar

Donna Conforti

Betty

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Santa Claus Conquers the Martians: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Martian ruler Kimar is upset that the children of Mars are lazy and under the influence of too much pop culture from Earth. They are obsessed with the planet's television programs and don't want to do much of anything. In an attempt to get the kids peppy again, Kimar orders the kidnapping of Santa Claus, hoping that the jolly old toy maker will know how to cheer the children up again. But two Earth children are also nabbed, and this complicates things for Kimar.

Director: Nicholas Webster
Producer: Paul L. Jacobson
Screenwriter: Paul L. Jacobson, Glenville Mareth
Distributor: Something Weird Video, Sinister Cinema
Production Co: Jalor Productions
Genre: Holiday, Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 14, 1964, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Dec 2, 2011
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 30, 2016
Runtime: 1h 20m