The Deadly Mantis- MM's Review!

[The Great MM]

Back in the 1950s, giant bug movies were all the rage. Insects like scorpions, spiders, wasps, and ants all got the kaiju upgrade, and it is no suprise that the Praying Mantis got the same treatment. Being made by Universal back in 1957, the movie would be the first in history to star a giant monster attack Washington DC.

The plot is basic, a glacior out at sea that was released by an earthquake contained a giant Praying Mantis. The mantis causes quit a stir when it attacks a huge jet and the accident is unexplained, and when a huge hook like object is found in the wreckage. A paleontologist is called in, and quickly finds out that it is from an insect, and a Praying Mantis to be exact. As they study the piece of hook, the Mantis attacks eskimos. As the Paleontologist and his assistant are at a military hanger in the Artic, the mantis attacks them, and is soon made to flee by flame throwers, and then goes to the states, where the real fun begins...

The mantis is spotted and starts to attack buses, trains, and soon Washington DC, missiles miss, bullets have no effect, and nothing seems to stop it. The mantis attacks DC, and craws up the Monument and then flies off to New York City, where it is finally shot down by a missile and then enters the Brookyln Tunnel. The Paleontologist and a few others enter it, and use a special poison gas on the mantid, causing it to fall down...dead.

The movie is good, but fails to compare to movies like "THEM", "THE BLACK SCORPION", and "TARANTULA", but all in all, it is very enjoyable. The acting is solid but tends to make a person squinch once in a while. The effects are good, and the mantid looks great...even if it is missing antenna. The best scene has got to be the scene where it crawls up the Monuement, which could quit possibly be one of the coolest giant monster scenes in history. My only grip with the Mantis is the roar... which seems more dinosaurian then insectiod.

Over all, this movie is damn good for an old 1950's bug movie, and is a classic till the end if your a B-Movie nut. If you want a more serious bug movie, I suggest "THE BLACK SCORPION" or "THEM", but if your looking for something to snicker at, laugh at, and just plain enjoy, then get the popcorn out, turn the lights off, and throw in...

"THE DEADLY MANTIS"

8.5/10

[kent]

The Deadly Mantis is one of my favorite giant bug movies along with THEM and The Black Scorpion. Sadly, the Mantis didn't get much screen time. Still is one of the best giant bug movies.

[Roehm]

Yeah the deadly mantic was pretty good actually, probably one of the better classic american monster movies. The movie had a pretty decent story line to it, and the special effects and props weren't all that bad. I think the score you gave this movie MM was right on the button.

[biochemitra]

DM was really a great movie. it had pretty good rampage scenes and really looked scary when seen from the inside.
but...they could have at least given the thing pincers coudnt they?

[The Great MM]

DD was really a great movie. it had pretty good rampage scenes and really looked scary when seen from the inside.
but...they could have at least given the thing pincers coudnt they?

A mantis doesn't have pincers unless your refering to the mouth, in which that's how real mantid mouths are.... The only thing they were missing were antenna...

[biochemitra]

you sure? cause all the books I have show them with mandables.

[The Great MM]

you sure? cause all the books I have show them with mandables.

http://pixelcatalyst.plastiqueweb.com/potd/2003-03/prayingmantis2.jpg

See?

[biochemitra]

no theres definately a pair of mandables in there and the one in the movie didnt have thoses. I dont mean pincers like gigan or anything.

[baragon2005]

I disagree. I think the Deadly Mantis was very boring with poor characters and some decent effects. Very much similar to other films in the era, with nothing much to distinguish it from them. Also, the film's loaded with stock footage. I'd give it a 5/10, but to each his own.











:baragon:

[Solar_Behemoth]

The film was pretty much mediocre. Although the film's runtime was only 79 minutes, the film seemed to drag on forever. I guess the worthless 5 minute radar introduction, uninteresting characters (even for a B-movie), and rarity in seeing the monster didn't help that much in keeping me entertained. And trust me, when it comes to B-movies, I can be entertained easily. But this film was just pretty boring and no where near as good as some of those other bug movies made around the time.

The prehistoric mantis effects were impressive though, but they certainly were limted.

My only grip with the Mantis is the roar... which seems more dinosaurian then insectiod.

The spoof "Eight Legged Freaks" paid a tribute to that campy stuff by having one of the spiders have a dinosauric roar in a scene.

[Gfantheheroman]

I got this one. By the way, he was awakened by an earthquake not a atomic bomb. Still a good one. Kamacarises Grandfather! Think of him as that. A good giant bug movie I love is Tarantula. Jack arnold did some of his best directing in that one, next to the creature from the black lagoon.

[The Great MM]

Uh... question to the mods and admins...

Why was this moved to the normal movies section? He is as much daikaiju as Godzilla, Kong, Rhedosaurus, and Kamacuras.......

got this one. By the way, he was awakened by an earthquake not a atomic bomb.

Whoops, was thinking of "BEAST FROM 20,000 PHANTOMS" while watching it x_x. Review has been fixed.

[Morgoth]

Because it is not kaiju eiga, its a giant bug film. One of the things that is a staple of kaiju eiga is that the monsters are immune to conventional weaponry - the Deadly Mantis isn't. Even foreign immitators like Gorgo and Yongary at least could shrug off tank shells and missiles.

I've been unhappy with the 'other kaiju discussion' description for some time, btw, and I think the continuous posting of things like this is going to result in that section's deletion in the near future.

[Jet Jaguar]

And if that isn't enough, Warnings will be given
If ignored further...BANISHMENT

[SuperXAsh]

Then we need a section for the US Giant Monsters or something like that. I mean... King Kong wasn't impervious, only when Toho got ahold of him. This double standard sounds rather ridiculous if you ask me, not wanting to get out of line here... but NOW this subject must be discussed.

I mean... what about The Blob? The Ymir? The Giant Claw even?

Cause Daikaiju means giant monster... or something along those lines, so it sounds... kinda silly to say that Giant Bugs aren't daikaiju when there were giant bugs all over the Japanese movie scene. The Gargantuas weren't impervious to harm... we... just really gotta sit down and talk this over. Cause now that it's been brought out to the forefront it's now needing to be discussed.

Again, not trying to go beyond my position in the run of forum things... but just voicing my opinion.