This week’s entry in our series “Oh No! A Giant Monster!” asks the question “Just what makes that little old ant/Think he’ll move that rubber tree plant/Everyone knows an ant/Can’t/Move a rubber tree plant.” BUT what if that selfsame ant is mutated by the magic that is 1950’s radiation into a GIANT ant? You don’t think he could smack around all the rubber tree plants he wants? Of course he can! And that’s the message of this week’s movie “Them!” That’s right, if you come up against a problem that seems too big for you to handle, get yourself exposed to the sorcerous wonder that is nuclear radiation and grow to gigantic size. It worked for the Amazing Colossal man! It worked for the Fifty Foot Woman! It can work for you and me. Hmmm . . . ok, maybe that isn’t exactly the message of this week’s movie. I suppose a more literalist interpretation would be more along the lines of “OH MY GOD! GIANT ANTS ARE KILLING PEOPLE! KILL THEM KILL THEM KILL THEM! SOMEONE GET A REALLY BIG SNEAKER TO HIT THEM WITH!” Yeah, if I’m being honest, that’s closer to the heart of this movie. But do these cinematic Hymenoptra terrify or just look silly? How about the actors? Hey, Peter Graves’ brother James Arness is in this! Does that count for something? Give a listen and find out!
Poll question: what kind of movie monster can you just not take seriously?
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When i was a kid i went to the local cinema to see “Godzilla VS the Thing”. Another name for the film was “Godzilla VS Mothra” as Mothra was a giant…. moth. Even recent attempts to redesign her are a bad ass creature… she is still a giant… moth. I just can’t buy into that and never could. I keep waiting for the Japanese military to light a ginormous candle for her to fly into and die in flames. Or trap her in a giant wool coat and send it to a giant dry cleaner. I even think the smog monster was a better idea!
Good point, Vince. “Oh no, a giant moth is attacking! Quick, set up a giant lightbulb to distract it, then someone get a few tons of camphor and naphtha!”