Although the premise may sound absurd, (giant mutated ants running amok in the southwestern United States), this is by far one of the greatest sc-fi movies of the fifties or of any other decade for that matter. What sets this movie apart from all other giant bug movies is both the acting and the direction.
The acting is top notch, with a cast ranging from James Arness and James Whitmore to Edmund Gwen (Santa Claus). Everyone plays their roles perfectly and brings a sense of urgency and believability to the proceedings (which is crucial to a movie like this.) The direction is also excellent, there has never been a more believable movie made about what sounds like such an absurd topic. The special effects, although dated, still hold up today because the ants are never on screen long enough to truly look fake. A lot of the action takes place off screen. The decision to do this movie as murder mystery, rather than a straight horror piece, was also a master-stroke.
For all you film buffs out there, if you look quickly when a soldier is talking by a teletype machine towards the middle of the movie, you will notice he bears an uncanny resemblance to a certain pointy-eared alien from a famous T.V. and movie series.
All in all, a great example of what can be done with a small budget, great b-actors and perfect directing.
The acting is top notch, with a cast ranging from James Arness and James Whitmore to Edmund Gwen (Santa Claus). Everyone plays their roles perfectly and brings a sense of urgency and believability to the proceedings (which is crucial to a movie like this.) The direction is also excellent, there has never been a more believable movie made about what sounds like such an absurd topic. The special effects, although dated, still hold up today because the ants are never on screen long enough to truly look fake. A lot of the action takes place off screen. The decision to do this movie as murder mystery, rather than a straight horror piece, was also a master-stroke.
For all you film buffs out there, if you look quickly when a soldier is talking by a teletype machine towards the middle of the movie, you will notice he bears an uncanny resemblance to a certain pointy-eared alien from a famous T.V. and movie series.
All in all, a great example of what can be done with a small budget, great b-actors and perfect directing.