MY REVIEW OF IT
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THEM!(1954)
(Directed by Gordon Douglas)
Plot: Giant, radioactive ants terrorize New Mexico.
Review:
“Them!” was a movie I’ve been wanting to watch for awhile. I suppose the reason I hadn’t seen it until now was my reluctance to watch older movies. Luckily, it came on T.V and I was able to watch it for the first time. Lets just say it was a good first time, as I was almost blown away. Hell, for awhile, I was even thinking this would make a perfect rating. Unfortunately, this was not the case. But still, it was pretty damn impressive.
The funny thing about this movie is how much “Aliens” borrowed from it. Sure, the fact that the aliens are referred to as “bugs” is obvious, but even the hierarchy of the ants was similar. Both movies begin with a little girl. Both have “eggs” that look alike and both have characters who use flame throwers against the monsters. Now sure, I’m not taking anything away from “Aliens”, because it changed the mold enough to not be considered a rip-off, but I found this interesting nonetheless.
The movie begins with two Police officers(including Sgt. Peterson) finding the mentioned little girl, who is clearly in shock, as well as an abandoned trailer. It definitely appears someone attacked, and when they go to a house not far away, they find the owner dead. Peterson goes back to the trailer while the other policemen stays. However, he mysteriously vanishes almost as soon as Peterson leaves. They do find a print, but can’t make it out. When it’s discovered one of the victims(of the trailer) was an FBI agent, they send Robert Graham to help with the case. Then comes the two doctors(Dr. Medford and Pat) who intend to find out what the print is. When they go to visit the girl, she wakes up and starts screaming “Them!”. Things are getting quite ominous as this point.
So our crew of heroes go where the last few attacks took place. There, to their horror, they discover a giant ant. It takes lots of firepower to bring it down and they quickly begin to hunt for the nest. They find it and successfully destroy it. But two queens escape, and they must find them before it’s too late.
The first noticeable aspect about “Them!” is the special effects. The ants themselves look astounding considering when this was made. Oddly, in the last few years, bug movies tend to use crappy CGI and somehow manage to look worse. It’s quite a shame. I also loved their “introduction”. Besides the ants, I thought the settings were also awesome. The ant holes looked superb and gave a creepy air of menace. In many ways, that reminded me of “Aliens” too.
I will say that the director did some great things as well. I liked the wide shots of the cities, showing that the ants could be any ware. I think the director really nailed the first act. It was quite scary due to the ants staying in the background. The freaky ambiance(the wind!) was scary and the dusty landscapes were very menacing. The third act becomes an action-horror bonanza, and that works too. While the special effects are superb, he shoots them well so that the movie isn’t just about special effects.
Another aspect of this movie that I liked is how the scientists and military never get into any arguments over what action to take. Most movies tend to stress this, such as “Day of the Dead”, but I personally find it annoying. Here, they must work together. Also, the scientists never try to keep the ants alive. They know the ants have to be killed as much as everyone else. In the end, you can’t help but feel bad for the ants either. They are victims of mans folly.
The movie suffers the most during the 2nd act. This is when they first go searching for the surviving Queen ants. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not poorly done. But the horror(and action) aspects are toned down quite a bit here as it simply becomes a search. To me, what hurt this the most, is how the characters seemed to become forgettable. They basically get lost in the hunt, which is a shame. Graham, who had main character status, doesn’t really return until the final bit. Why is Peterson there again? Would a policeman of his rank really be allowed to help in all of this? Pat, the obvious love interest for Graham, is also pretty much dropped. Yet there she is at the end again. The only character who really stands out is Medford.
Nevertheless, “Them!” is probably one of the better animal/monster flicks out there. This is especially impressive considering its age. I thought it was an entertaining, frightening horror/action flick with a swift pace and plenty of scares.
Edmund Gwenn(Dr. Medford) sticks out the most and was interesting. James Whitmore(Police Sgt. Peterson) is also pretty cool and I liked him more than the lead. James Arness(Graham) is charming and likeable but I wish he had more to do. Joan Weldon(Pat) does well as the strong female.
Violence: Not really that violent, but there is some disturbing scenes.
Nudity: Naked ants.
Overall: “Them!” stumbled a bit during its 2nd act, but the first(and third) acts made this worth watching for any fans of the genre. The special effects rock, the directing is creative and the script keeps things moving. It’s my kind of picture.
3.5/4 Stars
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