Il mostro che sfidò il mondo

I found this film about giant snails on the loose in the Salton sea area slightly better than most programmer monster films of the late 1950's. The giant snails are a believable menace in that they are presented as no more dangerous than any other large aquatic predator such a shark or crocodile. They put a fight but can be killed with several well aimed shots from a pistol or a heavy axe. The real danger as pointed in the film, is that snails are extremely fecund, and if they were to enter the ocean , they could reproduce in enormous numbers thus creating ecological havoc. Anyone who has ever had a fish tank knows once you introduce one tiny snail, in a matter of couple of weeks you have hundreds. One odd aspect everyone seems to comment on is that snails look like caterpillars in snail shells. There is a type of aquatic insect larva that uses a discarded snail shell as armour, much like a hermit crab does. Perhaps someone involved with the film had seen these insect larvae and mistook them for snails.

This tidy little "B" thriller features all the usual elements common to genre films of the fifties; a lantern jawed hero determined to get to the bottom of all the trouble, the stern scientist who provides the rationale for the beastliness and the comely love interest who provides the distaff side of the equation. That "The monster that challenged the world" succeeds in delivering an at times genuinely frightening experience is due, I think,to a great script and film makers who treat the material with respect. To do any less is a betrayal of the audience,in my view. The film is peopled with understated performances, especially those of Hans Conreid in a rare dramatic role and Tim Holt,a stalwart of "B" westerns, as the no nonsense Commander Twillinger. The monster of the title may not be as menacing as, say, Alien, but it provides enough creepy moments to satisfy all but the most jaded film goers. Nice photography and crisp editing add to the overall effect. "The monster that challenged the world" made almost fifty years ago, remains a fresh and satisfying example of the genre. Recommended.

Of course The Monster That Challenged the World is slowly paced. With a budget of about twenty dollars there's a lot of filler. But what little budget there is, is well used in creating a great animatronic monster.

The story is basic but well-structured and it works. I can watch this one over and over without wanting to throw things at the screen or yell at the characters for doing stupid things. My intelligence is more seriously insulted by modern horror films and their idiot protagonists than it ever is by The Monster That Challenged the World.

Among low-budget sci-fi flicks of the 1950s, The Monster That Challenged the World ranks near the top!

Jan Strnad (aka J. Knight)

"The Monster That Challenged the World", in spite of its long winded title, is not a bad movie of its kind. The film was one of a series of "giant creature" movies popular in the fifties.

The monster of the title is a giant mollusk/snail type creature (that actually looks more like a caterpillar) that is awakened by an earthquake. It then sets about attacking people and laying eggs. Commander Tim Holt of the U.S. Naval Intelligence Service then sets about to destroy it. Assisting him are scientists Hans Conried (playing it straight for a change) and Casey Adams (aka Max Showalter) and sheriff Gordon Jones. Audrey Dalton is Holt's love interest. Veteran character actor Ralph Moody (a true what's his name?) plays one of the monster's victims.

Director Arthur Laven gives us a believable monster(s) for the 50s and builds the suspense by not showing it until well into the film. Some of the victims look like papier mache but all in all it makes for a pretty good monsters film with high production values on a modest budget.

Holt, who had left films when his excellent "B" western series ended in 1952, came out of retirement for this film, apparently as a favor to director Laven. After this, he made only one more film before forsaking Hollywood for good.

A classic of its genre, this well-paced and tightly-scripted movie actually gave me a few shocks, which is not common with 50s monster cinema when viewed nowadays. It has good production values and above-average acting. Recommended for any fan of the genre. 7/10