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Creature From The Black Lagoon Details

1954 Certificate PG
  • Rated:
  • 70
  • from 677 members

A research team digging in the Amazon comes across the fossilized hand of a human fish creature. That night, the creature emerges from the swamp to kill. So begins one of the more recognizable classics of the science fiction and horror genres. Shot originally in 3-D, this has been a late-night TV hit for decades. The hand makes .. Read more

Starring Richard Carlson, Julie Adams, Richard Denning, Antonio Moreno
Director Jack Arnold
Genres Horror

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Creature From The Black Lagoon

A research team digging in the Amazon comes across the fossilized hand of a human fish creature. That night, the creature emerges from the swamp to kill. So begins one of the more recognizable classics of the science fiction and horror genres. Shot originally in 3-D, this has been a late-night TV hit for decades. The hand makes its way back to the oceanographic institute and soon conscientious scientist David Reed (Richard Carlson), greedy scientist Mark (Richard Cunha) and the beautiful girl they fight over, Kay (Julia Adams) are heading up the Amazon to find more fossils. Instead, of course, they run into the real thing, and terror begins. While Mark and David fight over what to do next, the creature falls in love with Kay, and makes plans of his own. Island diver Ricou Browning plays the creature in the spectacular underwater scenes, the highlight being a beautifully creepy scene of Kay going for a swim, while the smitten creature swims along below her, transfixed. The pounding, horrific score is credited to conductor Joseph Gerhsenson but was actually written by a team of composers, including Henry Mancini.

Starring Richard Carlson, Julie Adams, Richard Denning, Antonio Moreno
Director Jack Arnold
Studio UNIVERSAL PICTURES UK
Run time DVD: 1 hr 19 mins
Certificate Certificate PG
Genres Horror
Language DVD: English
Released DVD: 14 Oct 2002
Production year: 1954
Format DVD
  • Critics' reviews (3) of Creature From The Black Lagoon

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  • 4 stars out of 5

    It's horribly dated, the acting's lousy, the 3-D effects are worthless and the monster is a man in a rubber suit. Yet Creature from the Black Lagoon remains one of the all-time classic monster movies. The by-the-numbers plot — explorers encounter a half-man, half-fish that has the hots for Julia Adams — is enlivened by director Jack Arnold's atmospheric use of the Florida Everglades locations and a sympathetic portrait of the “Gill-Man”. (Champion swimmer Ricou Browning was picked for the role because he could hold his breath for four minutes at a time.) The underwater sequences are particularly memorable, while the scene where Adams swims alone with the creature watching from below plays upon all our fears of what may lurk beneath the sea. (That same fear was brilliantly exploited decades later in Jaws.) A massive hit in its day, the Gill-Man justly entered the horror hall of fame alongside Universal's other great monsters, Dracula and Frankenstein. Avoid the two turgid sequels that followed.

    • Radio Times
  • Unpersuasive and unsuspenseful horror hokum from the bottom drawer of imagination: it did, however, coin enough pennies to generate two even worse sequels, Revenge of the Creature (1955) and The Creature Walks Among Us (1956). And the underw

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
  • Most helpful member's review of Creature From The Black Lagoon

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  • 6 out of 6 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars

    Average movie, great extras.

    'Creature from the Black Lagoon' is an average 50's monster flick that largely relies on the design of the monster. While it might've been successful 50 years ago, in these CGI times it's almost quaint. For fans of the genre only.

    The DVD is excellent, first and foremost is the commentary from Tom Weaver, which races and 100 miles an hour with facts, trivia and anecdotes; quite simply it's the best commentary from a film historian there is. The documentary 'Black to Black Lagoon' is almost as good, it looks at the design of the monster, the impact of the initial movie and it's sequels, with interviews with some of the cast and crew (including the monster).

      • A customer from Bristol, England.
  • Most recent members' review of Creature From The Black Lagoon

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  • 6 out of 6 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars

    Average movie, great extras.

    'Creature from the Black Lagoon' is an average 50's monster flick that largely relies on the design of the monster. While it might've been successful 50 years ago, in these CGI times it's almost quaint. For fans of the genre only.

    The DVD is excellent, first and foremost is the commentary from Tom Weaver, which races and 100 miles an hour with facts, trivia and anecdotes; quite simply it's the best commentary from a film historian there is. The documentary 'Black to Black Lagoon' is almost as good, it looks at the design of the monster, the impact of the initial movie and it's sequels, with interviews with some of the cast and crew (including the monster).

      • A customer from Bristol, England.
  • News and features

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Rating breakdown

677 Member ratings
  • 100
82
  • 90
40
  • 80
106
  • 70
130
  • 60
150
  • 50
69
  • 40
43
  • 30
22
  • 20
22
  • 10
13

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