Rated: NR

It's 1952. Abbott and Costello are coming towards the end of a distinctly average 15 years at Universal and the well of inspiration has truly run dry. How to make them funny? Ideas are scarce. It seems they've run out of ideas on Earth so some bright spark comes up with the idea: 'Let's send them out to space!'. Executives shakes hands, danger averted, and we can all sit back and enjoy new frontiers of comedy.

Except we can't. This just isn't funny now and I can't believe it was ever considered funny.

Abbott and Costello board a spaceship and think they've landed on Marsbut it turns out they're in the middle of the New Orleans Mardi Gras. Cue laughter. Hijacked by a couple of bank robbers, they escape to Venus, which is populated solely by former Miss Universe contestants under Mari Blanchard as Queen Allura. Hilarious. Not.

By this stage of their Universal career the duo looked worn-out, bereft of any semblance of comedy. They were going through the motions and from whatever angle you look at this film you just won't find laughter. A low-budget shocker.

Look out for Anita Ekberg though.

© Paul Page, Lenin, 2013

Available: amazon.com | amazon.co.uk

Best Film Review Book: Radio Times Guide to Films 2013

If you woud like to add to this review please e-mail here (ihuppert5@aol.com) and it will be included within 24 hours. Please specify whether you would like to be credited or not. It's great to share any knowledge such as on filming locations or any trivia - it brings the page alive.