Review #663: Them!
Cast
James Whitmore (Sgt. Ben Peterson), Edmund Gwenn (Dr. Harold Medford), Joan Weldon (Dr. Pat Medford), James Arness (FBI Agent Robert Graham), Onslow Stevens (Gen. O'Brien), Sean McClory (Maj. Kibbee), Chris Drake (Trooper Ed Blackburn), and Sandy Descher (Ellinson girl) Directed by Gordon Douglas
Review
Them! was one of the first films released dealing with nuclear created monsters, which were a big thing in the 1950s (that and alien invaders), with a unique opening credits sequence to boot. The words practically glow against the black and white background and rightfully so. The insects used for this film are giant ants, which for me is terrifying enough (swarms of ants are already creepy, imagine a swarm of GIANT ants), but hey. The sounds that the ants make is also pretty chilling. The characters are fine, they serve the purpose of advancing the story without being annoying, though seeing Edmund Gwenn is enjoyable. The effects are brilliant to watch, they especially look good underground when the lights aren't as lit, which makes them look more menacing. I like how the movie just flows well with itself, it doesn't get too convoluted, it has its moments of terror along with moments of action, and the sewer scene at the end is pretty good. What we have here is a finely crafted sci-fi film that helped popularize the nuclear monster/bug era.
Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.
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