War of the Colossal Beast

The sequel to The Amazing Colossal Man, which has never been on DVD due to rights issues. I saw that one on TNT's Monster Vision years ago. I think I may have seen this one, too. If not on TNT, I may have seen it on MST3K. I may have also seen Earth vs. the Spider and Village of the Giants on MST3K, too - they loved Bert I. Gordon. It's funny that all three of these films have such low ratings (none are above 3.0), because, while they aren't good films, they are nowhere near that bad. They're pretty typical B movies. War of the Colossal Beast actually has a pretty emotional core, and the film's final moments are quite touching. It also has a fantastic opening sequence (Gordon really seems to know how to open his movies - all three of these start off beautifully). We don't see the Colossal Beast, just a truck driver driving full speed, frequently looking behind him and screaming. Dean Parkin is quite good as the title character, who has become a near-mindless monster, half his face torn off, after being nearly killed and falling off Hoover Damn in the first film. Like most B movies, the plot is pretty lean, and there are long stretches when nothing's really happening. There's also a nearly ten minute stretch which I think is just footage from the previous film.

Plot- an army officer is accidentally exposed to radiation causing him to grow to 6o-foot proportions with a deformed half-face. When the army transports him from Mexico to LA for treatment, he breaks loose causing panic. At same time his sister tries to rescue the giant from the tragedy that has befallen him. So what will happen.

The sci-fi cheapo's definitely a cut above the usual '50's monster flicks. It''s well-crafted (note how well scenes are staffed and directed); also, special effects with the giant are expertly matted onto conventional background giving fairly realistic effect; then there's good nuanced acting, especially Fraser; along with an ending that's not predictable since the giant is somewhat sympathetic. Most of all is the unusual plot where there's a '50's monster not predictably evil, despite the panicked crowds. In a general sense, the flick can be taken as having a deeper layer that puzzles the audience as to what they think their reaction should be to a monster that's not really one. After all, does the giant kill anyone or does the screenplay purposely maintain his basic innocence beneath the grotesque form. Anyway, see what you think.

All in all, I was somewhat surprised by the drive-in flick's unexpected dashes of quality. Meanwhile, Maltin's unreliable Classic Movie Guide only rates the cheapo a 1.5 out of 4. I'd definitely give it a 2.5 or maybe better. So, don't let the teen-age title fool you. It's much better than the usual drive-in fare, along with a number of surprising qualities.

This is the sad case of the Colossal man, Glen Manning, who through no fault of his own was doomed to suffer a horrible fate. In the first movie, he appeared to die as he fell off Hoover Dam. Now, he has resurfaced, with huge facial deformities and damage to his brain. The problem this time is that he doesn't seem to have the ability to communicate with others. His sister goes to bat for him when the military wants nothing more that to destroy him. It's interesting where he fits on the definition of humanness. That's why the sister is working so hard to get him some help, but he doesn't seem to be able to interpret his world. He does show his compassion one more time at the close of this film. The big guy never had a chance.

Colonel Manning, the amazing 60ft colossal man from the same film, falls into the Colorado River at the end of that film from not-so-friendly military firepower. It seems now though that he survives that only to be swept down river into Mexico where he resides in the mountains and yanks trucks off the road for food. OK, the story in this one in not anything grandiose to be sure, but Bert I. Gordon's follow-up is satisfying to a point. This time around Glenn's sister still believes her brother to be alive and flies down to Mexico - soon to be followed by a military officer who didn't believe her in the first place. Well, Manning is discovered in the mountains, tricked into eating bread loaded with something that knocks him out, and then transported to Los Angelos. From there on we basically get what we got in the first film. There are some differences though. Manning is played this time by the same guy that played the giant with the bad face and eye in Gordon's The Cyclops. He has virtually no dialog. This means that it is a lot more difficult to feel for the character as one might have in the first film. This film does show some attention to the bureaucratic way in which our government works. The acting is competent and Gordon's direction fair. His special effects are again nothing so special. We have the one brief moment of color in the climax. We also get a pretty lengthy flashback taken entirely from the first film. This is a decent sequel but not as "good" as its original source material.

"War of the Colossal Beast," the sequel to the cult-classic "The Amazing Colossal Man," isn't as bad as some critics would have you believe. It's loaded with unintentional laughs ("Get the picture?"), lots of cultural stereotypes, and a make-up design that is superior to most of its sci-fi contemporaries. The Colossal Beast's first appearance in the film can still shock the unsuspecting viewer, and the end sequence at Griffith Park -- along with the reinserted color pay-off -- make this film a must for any '50s B-movie enthusiast.