La humanidad en peligro

"Them" is simply one of the most influential films of all time. This was the first film to deal with our fears of the atomic age and the what if scenario of what our continued testing and use of nuclear arms and how they would affect mother nature. Within the next few years we were bombarded with giant locusts, lizards and mutated humans of all sorts. In fact, this film was the inspiration for "Godzlla" (or "Gojira" as he is known in Japan). In fact, the giant insects in "Rodan" were a directly inspired by "Them". This film also works as a murder mystery as well. In the first half hour, the viewer thinks that he is looking at a whodunnit until the appearance of the giant ants. This film works on so many different levels that it still holds up well nearly fifty years after it was first released.

No science-fiction library is complete without this 1954 classic, probably the best of the mutant creature craze. Sure, the special effects have long been eclipsed by digital, but the suspense holds up as LA mobilizes to defeat the giant killer ants in a battle of the sewers. The opening scenes are among the best of any era. I don't know how director Douglas got little Sandy Descher to emulate wide-eyed speechless shock, but from that moment on the tension rarely lets up. Then too, her single word eruption in the van may be the single scariest moment and a genuine inspiration on somebody's part. I guess it takes a big man to defeat big ants and thank goodness James Arness has switched to our side since menacing the North Pole in The Thing (1951). He, Whitmore, and Gwenn prove to be great pest exterminators though their methods are a little unorthodox, while poor pretty Joan Weldon sort of tags along after the guys in typical 50's style. Note the many nice touches from both the producer and director-- the well-stocked press conference, the army units deploying in the background, the humorous aside from the ugly guy in the hospital. These are the kind of additions that turn a good movie into a memorable one. It's certainly one I've remembered fondly since its enthusiastic 1954 reception, and so will you if you haven't seen it.

This is the kind of stuff I grew up on as a kid, watching science fiction and horror movies on TV which had been originally released in the 1940s and 50s. The 1950s was a golden age of science fiction movies, and THEM! was one of the very best. Good casting, dialog, and storyline, and commendable special effects for the time. Although the "atomic-radiation-causing-terrible-mutations" was a standard device in 50s sci fi (THE DEADLY MANTIS, IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA, and others), it was a workable one, and given that the ants were from the same area of desert where the first atomic blast occurred, it had just enough plausibility. I also like the little touches of humor and banter between characters. There was even a little bit of cheesecake when the young Dr. Medford (Joan Weldon) gets her skirt caught when descended from the plane, revealing a pair of shapely legs. This is one I keep going back to on rainy Saturday afternoons! A gem of its kind.

This is the granddaddy of 'em all, the film that pretty much started giant bug genre of sci-fi films and spawned countless imitators, none of which are remotely as good as this one. This movie has pretty much everything going for it: a literate, atmospheric, extremely well-written script for what is essentially a B picture (although Warner Brothers put a substantial amount of cash into it)l outstanding acting jobs by everyone from the leads on down to the extras; razor-sharp direction by an old pro, Gordon Douglas (by far his best film; nothing he did before or since was anywhere near as good); a combination of visual and sound effects guaranteed to creep you out (the scene where James Whitmore's partner goes outside the wrecked store to investigate the strange noises he hears is among the scariest things you'll ever see). Also, the characters are believable; they act like you know people would act in the same situation. Edmund Gwenn isn't the typical befuddled scientist you see in these films; he may be a tad distracted at times, but he gets down to business when the situation calls for it. Joan Weldon, his daughter, isn't just just a pretty face for the leads to fight over; she's every bit as much a scientist as her father, and she lets that fact be known right away. There's another level of this film that works well, too; comedy. Not the slapstick kind, or the stereotypical dumb cop or cook or crew member (usually from Brooklyn) that pops up in these films, but there are several lighter moments in the film that really work. Everyone remembers the wonderful Olin Howlin, the guy in the drunk tank who sings "Make me a sergeant in charge of the booze!", but there are several other segements that are equally as lighthearted; the great Dub Taylor playing a railroad detective suspected of stealing a load of sugar from a railroad car that the ants have actually done ("You think I stole that sugar? When was the last time you busted a ring of sugar thieves? You ever heard of a market for hot sugar?") and another scene in the drunk ward where a patient looks at the army major accompanying Arness and Whitmore and says, "I wanna get out of here, general, but I ain't gonna join the army to do it!" The special effects are first-rate but do not overwhelm the story, as is all too common in many of today's action films (that is, when there actually IS a story). There are some truly terrifying scenes (the one where the ants, who have hidden in the hold of a cargo ship at sea, attack and slaughter the crew), and I liked the fact that the ants aren't invulnerable--they CAN be killed (it just takes a lot more effort)--and also that they actually act like ants. All they're doing is just what real ants would actually do--which makes things even scarier, given that we know how single-minded and vicious real ants can actually be.

All in all, this is a trailblazing film that attempts to work on several levels--as a sci-fi film, as a mystery, as an action film--and succeeds admirably in every one.

Them was the best giant bug movie. It was about giant ants and started a horde of pathetic clones that followed it, but none have even come close to matching this movie's effectiveness.

Atomic testing in New Mexico that went on in 1945 creates a horde of giant ants. It is up to a group of scientists, a police officer, and the military to stop these creatures from spreading throughout the USA and killing off the human race.

This movie is not only a horror movie, but it also makes a point about the dangers of atomic testing. Much like Japan's Godzilla, Them finds nothing good in radiation testing or atomic bombs. There is even a monologue at the end of the movie which explains that things have changed now that we have entered the Atomic age.

James Whitmore, James Arness, Joan Weldon, and Edmund Gwenn give good performances as the heroes who are out to save mankind, along with the U.S. military police. The pacing was rather good as well, slowing down when things need to be explained, and then picking up when the giant ants are on screen.

Though the special effects seem cheesy by todays standards, I thought they were rather effective in this movie and memorable for 1954. This movie definitely looks best in black and white because it adds a haunting feeling to the desolation of the desert where the creatures are first found, and it also makes other scenes in the movie seem darker and sinister. Definitely a thumbs up in my opinion.