Michael C
This 1957 science fiction horror film is not terrible, but at the same time it is also very forgettable. It is no "Them!" or "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms", that's for sure. That being said, the movie does have it's high points. The first is the cast. All of the main characters do well in their respective roles. The standout cast member is veteran actor and voiceover artist the late Hans Conreid. He does very well in the role of Dr. Jess Rogers. My problems with the movie are minor but should be mentioned. The first is the foreshadowing in the script. When Dr. Rogers tells the soldiers that there is no way the captured mollusc egg would hatch unless the laboratory thermostat was turned up above 39 degrees, it could not have been more obvious what would happen. I hope Sandy's mother never finds out what happened! Also, I just saw too much of other classic monster movies, like the aforementioned "Them!" in this movie. Despite all of that, the movie is at least entertaining and I would recommend you give it a look at least once. You may not remember seeing it later on, but you will at least be entertained.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
03/30/24
Full Review
CodyZamboni
Watchable, quasi exciting, low budget 1950's sci fi horror flick. Plot is typical, as scientists and the miltary battle against giant prehistoric mollusks To the movie's credit, the camp factor set at low. Movie benefits from likeable characters and above average monster design and fx. Add in some nice on location photography, one good jump scare, a hot brunette, Audrey Dalton, which all makes for a solid 90 minute diversion.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/12/24
Full Review
Ted B
3 stars; The actual special effects 'rubber/latex' monster was disappointing by today's standards.
So, looking at it through my 50's sci-fi glasses, it wasn't that bad. It used the tried-and-true method of hiding the monster to build up the tension.
The film was an extension of the giant insects caused by atomic energy piloted by "Them," which was a much better movie.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/11/24
Full Review
Dallas H
When the nuclear bombs went off, Japan was terrorized by Godzilla and other kaiju monsters. And all we got were oversized, radioactive sea snails? This movie is the best, campy B-movie I would expect of the era. However, one of its scariest elements would be the man who gave me nightmares as a kid -- Hans Conried from The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. (1953).
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/11/24
Full Review
dave s
The main problem with The Monster That Challenged the World is the title. First off, the title implies that there is only one monster when, in fact, it would seem that there is more than just one. Second, the monster(s) seems to be attacking a small area of south-central California, not the whole damn world. And ‘challenged' is probably the wrong word – there's no challenge. They're just looking for food. Beyond that, it's actually not a bad movie and is much better than other sci-fi movies from the era. This time around, the problem seems to be radioactive (surprise!!) mollusks that are causing the problem. The productions values are good, the monster(s) looks pretty decent and, all-in-all, it's sort of fun, providing you can overlook some bad choices made by some of the characters. For example, if you have the choice between a fire extinguisher and an axe when fighting a large mollusk, choose the axe.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
03/30/23
Full Review
martin a
By modern day standards, the effects and monster appearance will leave some disappointed. But I felt this was a very interesting movie for some different reasons. It has some history to it. While I am not sure if it was actually shot this area, the movie takes place in the Salton sea area. Where in fact we actually did train pilots and have an atomic facility of some kind . It mentions canals in the area, the imperial valley and Mexicali. At the time the Salton Sea was a resort area. I felt the acting was good and the storyline was decent. Overall I was surprised that this movie was as good as it was. Worth watching!
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
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