When I hear the word "Behemoth" I immediately think of brilliant black metal from Poland. Of course, long before this band saw the light of day (or, in their case, the dark of night) there was this tacky 50s movie from England. For those interested: the Behemoth is a biblical monster, open for interpretation on what it looks like, and the creature in this flick is definitely an "ordinary" dinosaur. The first casualty gets the honor of naming the monster, and as his last words he mumbles "Behemoth".
In short, "The Giant Behemoth" is a rehash of the director's own previous (and superior) movie "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms". He - Eugene Lourié - would later repeat his success formula one more time with "Gorgo". In between "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" and "The Giant Behemoth", the Japanese released what is probably the decade's ultimate giant monster movie with "Godzilla", hence "The Giant Behemoth" also borrows many elements of that classic. Does everyone still follow?
The plot opens very traditionally, with an auditorium full of egg-headed scientists skeptically listening to marine biologist Steve Karnes' stern warnings that our world leaders are gradually turning the oceans radioactive with all their reckless atomic testing and the dumping of radioactive waste. Karnes' premonition turns into reality even quicker than he feared himself, as millions of dead fish and other strange phenomena are reported in from Cornwall. Humanity's carelessness brought a massive radioactive dinosaur to life, and it's heading for London!
Monster flicks from the 50s are usually worth seeking out for their stop-motion special effects, and for the one or two campy scenes of mass-hysteria when the titular creature overshadows and ravages the city. Although "The Giant Behemoth" features both trademarks, they surprisingly aren't the highlights. The radioactive critter remains out of sight for 2/3 of the film, and the city-in-panic footage is mediocre at best (with shots of the same toy car getting crushed three times). The attack on a sightseeing vessel is good entertainment, but the best and most atmospheric moments take place in Cornwall at the beginning of the film. It even feels weird how the plot totally abandons the characters of fisherman's daughter Jean and her lover John as soon as the behemoth decides to take a city trip to London.
In short, "The Giant Behemoth" is a rehash of the director's own previous (and superior) movie "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms". He - Eugene Lourié - would later repeat his success formula one more time with "Gorgo". In between "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" and "The Giant Behemoth", the Japanese released what is probably the decade's ultimate giant monster movie with "Godzilla", hence "The Giant Behemoth" also borrows many elements of that classic. Does everyone still follow?
The plot opens very traditionally, with an auditorium full of egg-headed scientists skeptically listening to marine biologist Steve Karnes' stern warnings that our world leaders are gradually turning the oceans radioactive with all their reckless atomic testing and the dumping of radioactive waste. Karnes' premonition turns into reality even quicker than he feared himself, as millions of dead fish and other strange phenomena are reported in from Cornwall. Humanity's carelessness brought a massive radioactive dinosaur to life, and it's heading for London!
Monster flicks from the 50s are usually worth seeking out for their stop-motion special effects, and for the one or two campy scenes of mass-hysteria when the titular creature overshadows and ravages the city. Although "The Giant Behemoth" features both trademarks, they surprisingly aren't the highlights. The radioactive critter remains out of sight for 2/3 of the film, and the city-in-panic footage is mediocre at best (with shots of the same toy car getting crushed three times). The attack on a sightseeing vessel is good entertainment, but the best and most atmospheric moments take place in Cornwall at the beginning of the film. It even feels weird how the plot totally abandons the characters of fisherman's daughter Jean and her lover John as soon as the behemoth decides to take a city trip to London.