Dr. Cyclops

Released Apr 12, 1940

1h 15m

Sci-Fi

List

79%

14 Reviews

Tomatometer

56%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

To assist with his work due to his failing eyesight, renowned biologist Dr. Alexander Thorkel (Albert Dekker) invites two prominent scientists and a mineralogist to his hidden Amazon jungle laboratory. Thorkel remains evasive about the nature of his experiments, and after the team evaluates his bacteria slides, he orders them away. When they refuse, Thorkel and his servant trick them into a chamber where Thorkel shrinks them down to microscopic size, and they escape to the terrifying jungle.

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Variety Staff

Variety

Story and direction both fail to catch and hold interest.

Mar 26, 2009

Full Review

B.R. Crisler

New York Times

Dr. Cyclops is the best bad picture of the year, an epic of silliness, and, more than that, a triumph of the process screen and the department of trick effects all combined very tastefully with Technicolor.

Mar 25, 2006

Full Review

Tom Milne

Time Out

An engaging fantasy with brilliantly executed (though mostly rather unimaginative) special effects which look back to The Devil Doll and forward to The Incredible Shrinking Man.

Jan 26, 2006

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Albert Dekker delivers a chilling performance.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jan 27, 2022

Full Review

Kieron Moore

Starburst

The story and characterisation is where this movie falls apart, even given the fact that you know from the start it's going to be schlocky.

Rated: 5/10

Aug 25, 2017

Full Review

Alan Jones

Radio Times

The standard plot now looks hackneyed, and the cueball-headed Dekker is stereotypically crazy. However, the impressive array of oversize props make this a lot of fun to watch.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 19, 2016

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georgan g

Made in 1940, the special effects are loads of fun. The mad scientist is well acted. This old movie is much better that I expected!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The best 01 hour: and 15 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Childhood memory was a menacing Dekker, not so much now. The special effects and set design are still amazing. Novice actors in the supporting hurts

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

Full Review

martin a

I just love this camp horror. An evil doctor tucked away in the jungle kills the doctor who employed him and then starts experimenting on animals to shrink them. The problem is some other scientists turn up and discover his secret experiments and then he makes an evil plan to shrink them to the size of mice, and he does. He then torments them, they do all they can to escape, but will they, and even more worrying will they be able to revert back to their original size? Great cast, and enjoyable throughout

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A mad scientist working in the South American jungle miniaturizes his colleagues when he feels his megalomania is threatened. Director: Ernest B. Schoedsack ,Schoedsack and O'Brien launched their most ambitious project to date: the matchless fantasy classic King Kong (1933) ( also with Wray). This film must have had a above average budget as it was filmed Color: Color (Technicolor) good for 1940 schlock sfi-fi . It all looks so familiar now, but by placing the film in its historical perspective--novel special effects, Technicolor, and the directorial pull of Schoedsack--one can understand its sensational attraction at its time. Beautifully crafted trash that should appeal to all lovers of sci-fi, horror and cult cinema.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It's not Shrinking Man, but the colorful atmosphere and story-parallels make this a fun watch. Effects are decent, the props are neat, and there some good elements of suspense. The story is a little weak and there are some dumb moments. Otherwise, it's a fulfilling film.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

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Ernest B. Schoedsack

Director

Albert Dekker

Dr. Alexander Thorkel

Janice Logan

Dr. Mary Robinson

Thomas Coley

Bill Stockton

Charles Halton

Dr. Bulfinch

Victor Kilian

Steve Baker

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Synopsis

To assist with his work due to his failing eyesight, renowned biologist Dr. Alexander Thorkel (Albert Dekker) invites two prominent scientists and a mineralogist to his hidden Amazon jungle laboratory. Thorkel remains evasive about the nature of his experiments, and after the team evaluates his bacteria slides, he orders them away. When they refuse, Thorkel and his servant trick them into a chamber where Thorkel shrinks them down to microscopic size, and they escape to the terrifying jungle.

Director: Ernest B. Schoedsack
Screenwriter: Tom Kilpatrick
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Genre: Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 12, 1940, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 5, 2016
Runtime: 1h 15m