Universal Monsters - Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954)

The Creature from the Black Lagoon was the final Universal Monster introduced during the classic age, and he came along almost two decades after things got rolling with Dracula. It is a very different movie from the others, inspired by the sci fi trend of the 50s, yet still featuring the tropes of the classic movies (a monster who becomes fascinated with a central woman who needs to be saved by the dashing, and somewhat sympathetic, hero). The story here is as flimsy as they come and even its 80 minutes runtime feels like a stretch. But it manages to capture the series' magic and remains one of the more popular. 

Creature is sun-drenched and full of beefcake. Unlike its predecessors, which were shot is shadow and moonlight, this is very much shot in the daytime under a burning sun. Its message seems to be a warning against going where you don't belong. Are there anti-colonialist sentiments here? Perhaps that's stretching. But the Gill-Man's motives appear mostly to be about protecting his lagoon from shirtless interlopers. The film's messaging feels muted compared to some of the other films in this series and feels more interested in showcase the simmers bodies of the cast and the monster action. 

Still there isn't much there there. The action is stunted by what they could do underwater at the time and there are long swimming sequences which slow things down. The film never quite manages to be scary. It often milks the idea of the creature's hand slowly reaching from the depths but this doesn't evoke much fear. The film was famously shot in 3D so perhaps that craze moved audiences to fear but there are few moments of real terror. 

Creature was followed by two sequels which see him taken into custody and then "terrorizing" the locals as opposed to here where he is in his element. It has inspired many other monster movies including Guillermo del Toro's Oscar winning The Shape of Water, a film which began as a potential remake of this film. As his series ran out, so did the Universal Monsters original run. Despite the film's shortcomings, the creature himself is iconic and leaves a huge legacy along with his fellow monsters. 

Creature From the Black Lagoon

Starring: Richard Carlson, Julie Adams, Richard Denning, Ben Chapman

Director: Jack Arnold

Writers: Harry Essex, Arthur Ross