The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953) YTS

Reviewed by John Chard 7 / 10

Rhedosaurus rampage as Harryhausen genius starts to work

Rhedosaurus rampage as Harryhausen genius starts to work. Nuclear testing out in the arctic rouses a prehistoric Rhedosaurs from its icy incarcerated sleep. It promptly lays waste to everything that gets in its path, and its next stop is New York City. The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms stands as one of the most important of the 50s sci-fi/creature feature films that filled the screens during that particular decade. Notable for being the first picture where Ray Harryhausen had total control over the effects (and thus setting his career on an upward route), it is also one of two pictures from 1953 that would be the first adaptations of the gifted writings of Ray Bradbury (the other being It Came from Outer Space). Watching it now you can see just what a template movie it was to be for the genre, the perils of nuclear testing a vivid jolt of paranoia, the rugged alpha male, the svelt sexy strong lady, and of course the creature to terrify all who come into contact with it, yep it's safe to say that this picture has all the trademarks. The Rhedosaurus (completely made up name) is a wonderful creation from Harryhausen, a giant stalking lizard who sinks ships for fun, pulls down lighthouses, and has no problems about feasting on local police officers, it's safe to say that since being woken from his sleep he is in a very bad mood! While the ending is wonderful, as the giant beast finds himself cloaked in a roller-coaster with mankind fighting the good fight, a perfect finish to a hugely enjoyable picture. 8/10

Reviewed by Hey_Sweden 7 / 10

A solid collaboration between the two Rays.

Messrs. Harryhausen and Bradbury serve up a thoroughly enjoyable dinosaur epic with a reasonable amount of thrills and typically excellent effects work by Harryhausen. It's rather heavy on plot and dialogue for a while, so the less patient of viewers may get a little restless waiting for the next good bit of dinosaur action. However, whatever pacing issues there may be are compensated for with some wonderfully iconic shots & scenes. The lighthouse sequence in particular is a gem.Based on the Saturday Evening Post short story "The Fog Horn" by Bradbury, this tells of an atomic test in the Arctic that unleashes a ferocious rhedosaurus from its icy tomb. It goes about doing just what you'd expect any monster to do in this type of tale, making its way to NYC for the grand finale. Nuclear physicist Tom Nesbitt (Paul Hubschmid), one of the first to glimpse the monster, must convince paleontologist Thurgood Elson (Cecil Kellaway) that he wasn't hallucinating, and also enlists the services of Jack Evans (Kenneth Tobey) in hunting down and destroying this beast.The acting is engaging across the board, with Hubschmid very likable in the lead; Paula Raymond plays his leading lady (fortunately, hints of romance that might slow down the action further are kept to a bare minimum). Intrepid Tobey is once again terrific as the kind of hero you need in such a story, and Kellaway is delightful as the old pro who is willing to put vacation plans on hold in order to participate in a historic expedition. Donald Woods, Lee Van Cleef, Jack Pennick, Frank Ferguson, King Donovan, and an uncredited James Best can be seen among the top notch supporting cast.The exciting amusement park finale is of course the best part, with expert marksman Van Cleef and Hubschmid taking on the beast from atop a roller coaster.Good fun overall.Seven out of 10.

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The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

1953

Action / Adventure / Drama / Fantasy / Horror / Sci-Fi / Thriller

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

1953

Action / Adventure / Drama / Fantasy / Horror / Sci-Fi / Thriller

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Rhedosaurus rampage as Harryhausen genius starts to work

A solid collaboration between the two Rays.

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