Too bad the half-faced one-eyed guy is so hokey. The Cyclops head is grotesque but sticking it on top a normal man's body ruins much of the illusion. The matte shots creating the colossal effect are badly dated but then these were well before computerized effects. Seems our adventurous foursome have gone looking for Susan's true love who's disappeared on a plane flight into the Mexico wilds. Unfortunately for them, but good for us, radioactive uranium deposits saturate the search area. Thus, in typical 50's fashion, monsters are created out of ordinary critters. Actually the oversized lizards are pretty well done without the obvious matte marks that surround Cyclops. Then too, the small cast does a professional job, without mocking their parts--- something of a surprise for the often hammy Chaney Jr. Of course, I'll watch anything with cat-eyed Gloria Talbott, especially when she's in tight pants and top. The actress had a rather brief movie career, mainly in horror features of this type where her exotic features fit in perfectly. And, surprise, surprise, 50's audiences get yet one more look at Bronson Canyon, without which I doubt the monster genre would have happened. Still, the LA area locations are well framed, including The LA Arboretum used for jungle shots instead of the usual shaky studio sets. All in all, it's competent drive-in fare that's more shrewdly done than most.
