blamire

A really fun retro science fiction-adventure-monster movie with a pleasing cast, good sense of humor, fantastic traditional stop-motion animation, a remote island, a lost tribe, giant bugs, a rubber suited monster, a papier-mache volcano and Adam West as wacky scientist Dr. Harryhausen. The story moves along quickly and is told with considerable wit. There's also a nice use of obvious miniatures of the jungle, a boat and the island itself which really help convey the feeling of a 50's adventure film. Adam West gives a bravura performance in a highly amusing role. When I first heard about this film I had my doubts but we were really pleasantly surprised by the results. A classic Saturday matinee come to life. Well done to all involved!

I got tired of reading reviews containing either outright misinformation (suggesting the writer saw some other movie) or downright absurdity. From the top notch performances to the stirring Alfred Newman score to the brilliant Vincent McEveety direction to the detailed Calvin Clements script, this a western I can recommend wholeheartedly. This movie finally deserves its due, and a decent DVD release. Rather than falling into the spaghetti western mold popular at the time, this film looks and feels very American, a direct heir to the great Anthony Mann westerns of the 50s.

Jimmy Stewart, mystifyingly maligned in other reviews, gives a sincere moving performance. I wonder if the criticism comes at his farmer character's reluctance towards violence--disappointing no doubt to fans of "cartoon" westerns. The gritty realism extends to the easy, natural relationship among the gang played by Henry Fonda, Gary Lockwood, James Best, Jack Elam, and Morgan Woodward. This gang is the catalyst and their details, ticks and volatile unpredictability are portrayed with beautifully understated precision. And J. Robert Porter as the town simpleton will break your heart.

There's so much fine work by the cast, particularly Stewart, Fonda, Lockwood (who played another superb villain in the electrifying two-part "Gunsmoke" episode, "The Raid"), Best, Elam, Brooke Bundy, Jacqueline Scott, Louise Latham, Barbara Luna and Ed Begley. A dark, gritty, suspenseful western to be sure, but with a warm heart and soul at its center. Seek it out.

It ain't the budget, it's how you use it. Ignore the obvious limitations (mediocre dubbing, lack of effects, etc.) of this little horror film and enjoy the decent direction that manages to generate more suspense than most A thrillers. There's even a scene that reminded me of Val Lewton (that's right--Val Lewton!). This is just plain fun, with scares, a decent atmosphere and an often effective music score. And it's available on a budget DVD so how can you go wrong?