Review of The Creature Walks Among Us (1956) by Cassandra M — 12 Sep 2009

The first Creature film has been one of my favourites since I was twelve years old, but it wasn't until the advent of DVD that I caught up with parts 2 & 3 ... While RETURN OF pretty much mined the same vein as the first film, WALKS AMONG US sets out to do something entirely different.

In destroying the Gill Man's gills and inadvertently activating the Creature's vestigial lungs, the troupe of interfering scientists, led by a slightly whacked out Jeff Morrow, cause the Creature to jump forward to the next step on its evolutionary pathway. Interestingly, it's not just the Creature's appearance that changes (it seems to bulk up like a football player, for some reason) but also its behaviour. It seems to acquire some moral values. As long as the scientists treat it well, the Creature is perfectly docile, even obedient. But when Dr Barton kills the slimy Jed Grant in a jealous rage, the Creature loses its temper and sets out to specifically punish Barton for the crime. Once it's killed Barton, it wanders away from the compound and stands staring out to sea, enigmatically.

It's hard to fathom who this picture was intended for. Surely not the usual drive-in crowd of rowdy 1950s teenagers. Would they sit still for the "dramatic" scenes of the Barton's marital strife? Would they grasp the Creature's newfound moral outrage at the sight of a senseless murder? Probably not. So in that respect, WALKS AMONG US is that rare creature. A horror movie, with mature themes in search of an audience.

Did I like it? Yeah, I suppose. But in the final analysis - too much soul-searching and not enough violence.