Hammer Films have a lot to thank writer Nigel Kneale and his most popular character Bernard Quatermass for. When the BBC originally broadcast The Quatermass Experiment to a terrified audience, Hammer producer Anthony Hinds saw the potential for a movie adaptation and quickly snapped up the rights. At the time, Hammer were enjoying modest success making low-budget second features, but 1955's The Quatermass Xperiment (named so to highlight the X rating dished out by the BBFC), known as The Creeping Unknown in the U.S., became a hit and put the company's name on the cinematic map. Quatermass 2 (a.k.a. Enemy From Space) followed shortly after, and the rest is history.

It seems like they were saving the best for last, and waited a whopping 10 years to deliver it. When skeletal remains are dug up during an extension to the London Underground, Palaeontologist Dr. Mathew Roney (James Donald) is called in, who concludes that the remains are that of an ancient race of 'apemen', possibly from 5 million years ago. Bernard Quatermass (Andrew Keir) disagrees however, and when further digging reveals a large metallic object, he believes it may be of alien origin. Colonel Breen (Game of Thrones' Julian Glover) insists that it is an unexploded bomb from World War II, and refutes Quatermass' claims. As the mystery unfolds, the discovery may lead to shocking revelations regarding man's evolution, and one that we are not ready to face.

Quatermass and the Pit may feature some incredibly dated effects, but this is sci-fi as complex and intellectual as 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968); a film it is often compared to. Based on the six- part series, Pit's main issue is the difficulty in condensing hours' worth of material into a 98-minute movie, hitting the audience with one theory and revelation after another. But great sci-fi is primarily built on a singular great idea, and this is up there with the best. While the twists and turns are often a struggle to keep up with, the frantic pace created by the lack of running time means that we're kept on the edge of our seats for the duration. Keir is also an improvement on American Brian Donlevy (who played the professor in the previous two films), infusing Quatermass with warmth and a distinct Britishness.

This is a thoughtful science fiction/horror movie from the 1960s that doesn't insult the intelligence of the viewers. Instead of relying on CGI to enthrall a clueless audience, this movie relies on something rather novel – a real story. Filmed on a budget, this Hammer Film's special effects are good enough to advance the story. Some IMDb reviewers have criticized the film for its "corny" special effects or its "ridiculous" story. They simply don't appreciate the movie's effects in their context. Further, I would disagree that the story is ridiculous. The story unfolds as the characters and viewers discover the secret in Hobbs End. If you don't know what the movie is about, you will enjoy this bit of discovery. Instead of so many contemporary films where the viewer is simply told what happens, as if he or she is slack-jawed imbecile, in Five Million Years to Earth the viewer is part of the discovery process. Finally, the sense of horror builds from a vague sense of unease to a real sense of loathing and fear. I've seen this movie at least a half dozen times and continue to enjoy it as much as the first time.

Hammer's decision to return to the formula of their Quatermass films of the 1950s was a good one, resulting in this exciting, intriguing and intellectually stimulating film, which is a classic example of the science fiction and horror genres intertwining wonderfully. The story of aliens being discovered in a pit and opening up latent psychic energies within their ancestors (i.e. us) is an excellent one, much more thought out and far-reaching than other typical sci-fi fodder. No doubt this is due to Nigel Kneale's involvement in the film. While I thoroughly enjoyed the Blob­-style aliens of the 1950s films in the series, this one tries something new and original and it really works.

Andrew Keir takes over the role of Professor Quatermass from Brian Donlevy here, and does a good impression of a kindly, middle aged scientist. I admit I wasn't taken with him at first but his bluff character quickly grows on you. Barbara Shelley is once again impressive in her role as the screaming heroine, and at least she isn't as drippy as some of her counterparts in other Hammer films. She's as attractive as ever and has an intriguing role. James Donald is on hand as a dedicated scientist and is a very likable actor, while Julian Glover perhaps deserves the greatest award for being one of the most slimy and plain stupid army officers that I've ever seen.

QUATERMASS AND THE PIT is an example of Hammer at its finest. The early scenes with the alien aircraft in the pit are very good and the film holds the attention throughout. The scientific jargon used is realistic and considerably adds to the film. I would say that the beginning and ending of the film are brilliant but that halfway through the film does become very leisurely paced, only a minor niggle though. There's a level of suspense and eerie atmosphere that is sustained up until the devastating climax.

My one criticism would be the special effects, which are not up to Hammer's usual calibre, due no doubt to the low budget. While adequate, they could have been so much more. The decaying insects are good but I hated the glowing space ship, the effects were really sub par here. As for the 'flashback' of the alien wars...well, it's basically a bunch of miniature creatures on a stick being waved up and down... you'd see better on Blue Peter. As for the giant devil in the sky at the end, it was pretty mediocre. Good enough to make you think "that looks cool" but bad enough to make you think "that could have been a lot better". However, lots of action, suspense, and typical science fiction elements help to make this cross-genre film a lot better than it might have been. Once again, Hammer deliver the goods!