Review of The Valley of Gwangi (1969) by Tom D — 25 May 2009

Wow... Every time I see a Harryhausen production, it just...I can't explain it, it just blows my mind what that guy has accomplished. He has got to be my very favourite visual effects dude (special effects make-up goes to Tom Savini, and special effects in general to Stan Winston).

It's strange - his creatures, whether they be Gwangi or a giant black scorpion or a beast from 20, 000 fathoms... You always feel drawn to them, they have such persoality, aside the sad fact they happen to be puppets.

The Valley of Gwangi sees the bizarre combination of western and...well, dinosaurs. And you know what? It works. About halfway through the concept of rounding up giant lizards started to make sense to me. Throw in the quintessential troubled love story between our hero and a plucky heroine that seems apparent in quite a lot of 50's science fiction films, and the result is truly cool. That's the best way to describe it, with the word "cool." The dinosaurs are cool. Tuck, our hero, is cool. The tiny horse, Eohippus aka El Diablo (despite disappearing and never heard from again once they find the allosaurus) is cool. And seeing Gwangi revealed to a crowd, King Kong style, only to be found innocently chewing on a dwarf is cool.

So rent it. Buy it, even. You'll feel cool for doing so.