Them reviews (1954)

Them

1954

Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5

from 2906 members

Available on LOVEFiLM Instant for 42 more days

A little girl is found wandering in the desert, in a state of complete shock. When she finally revives, she can scream out only one word: Them! Any aficionado of 1950s horror films can readily tell you that Them are giant ants, a byproduct of the radiation attending the atomic bomb tests of the era. Extremely well organized, these deadly eight-to-twenty-foot mutations converge on the storm drains of Los Angeles in the finale. Forming a united front against the oncoming ant battalions are New Mexico police sergeant James Whitmore, FBI representative James Arness, and father-and-daughter entomologists Edmund Gwenn and Joan Weldon. Since the details of Them are fairly common knowledge today, the mystery-thriller structure of the film's first half tends to drag a bit. Things liven up considerably during the search-and-destroy final reels, as the audience is barraged with convincing special effects and miniature work-not to mention that eerie ant-induced sound effect, so often imitated by subsequent lesser films. Fess Parker appears in a starmaking cameo as a pilot driven to the booby hatch after witnessing the ants in action, while an uncredited Leonard Nimoy is seen pulling info out of IBM machine. Definitely the high point in the careers of director Gordon Douglas and scenarists Ted Sherdeman and George Worthing Yates, Them is also one of the handful of vintage science-fiction thrillers that holds up as well today as it did when first released. (Sidebar: Though filmed in black-and-white, Them is alleged to have been released with a Technicolor opening title, the word THEM! hurtling towards the audience in a vibrant red).~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Them details

Formats:	PG DVD, LOVEFiLM Instant
Starring:	Joan Weldon, James Whitmore, James Arness, Edmund Gwenn
Director:	Gordon Douglas
Genres:	Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy - Sci-fi - Alien, Sci-fi - General
Studio:	WARNER HOME VIDEO
Collections:	Alien Invasion, B Movies, Barely Scary, Beasties, Budget Animal Horror, Budget Beasts, Freaks and Beasts, Freaks and beasts

Title	Runtime	Certificate
Them	1hr 28 mins	PG

LOVEFiLM Instant Information

Run time:	1 hour 28 minutes
Rental release:	To be confirmed

Name	Discs
Them	PG Feature

DVD Information

Run time:	1 hour 29 minutes
Rental release:	17 Feb 2003
Main languages:	English

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Most helpful review Them

A trendsetter

By a customer from Birmingham, UK , 23 Dec 2004

[Highly rated reviewer]

First of all, I was impressed with the quality of the print transfered to DVD - you would think that this film was made yesterday rather than fifty years ago.

Unlike most B movie creature features the villains (the ants) get introduced fairly early on in the film, and most of the movie is concerned with tracking down escapees from the original nest to prevent new colonies being established. While I doubt this film will inspire the same horror and dread that a viewer in the 1950s would have thought, it still moves with sufficient pace and action to satisfy a modern viewer.
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A golden oldie

By RichClement (7 reviews) , 14 May 2013

A classic film from a golden age, a simple idea made very watchable by a great cast and punchy dialogue, the old man is great in it and is the heart of the film for me. It makes you wonder where it all went wrong in tinsle town! Loved it.
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Enjoyable B movie fun!

By a customer , 05 May 2013

Much better than I thought it was going to be, effects were very good considering the time. Good acting, well paced film, enjoyable! Would definitely recommend if you like black and white films.
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Classic SF and well done

By sidecar_jon (28 reviews) , 20 Mar 2013

Good film the opening sequence is genuinely unsettling. Silly premise well carried out and even the acting is good and 'Them' are not embarrassingly badly done.
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If only Spock were here...no, wait....

By a customer , 03 Feb 2013

Nice to see an early appearance of Leonard Nimoy as an Airforce sergeant...Still stands the test of time, a superb creature feature !
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Us and Them!

By EduardoSanchez (13 reviews) from London , 15 Sep 2012

Stonking creature feature B movie from the 1950s and one of the few that still hold up today. The first half hour has some pretty creepy scenes, it is well paced and the acting is of a high quality. A classic of it's genre and a great late night weekend movie.
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