Cast and Crew Information
James Whitmore as Sgt. Ben Peterson
Edmund Gwenn as Dr. Harold Medford
Joan Weldon as Dr. Patricia Medford
James Arness as Robert Graham
Fess Parker as Alan Crotty
Written by Russell S. Hughes, Ted Sherdeman and George Worthington Yates
Directed by Gordon Douglas
Availability Information
Available on DVD from
Amazon.com and
Amazon.ca.
Premise
Nine years after the Los Alamos test bomb, mutated ants over nine feet long start to establish themselves in the New Mexico desert, turning carnivorous when food supplies dwindle.
High Point
Edmund Gwenn's role as the crotchety old scientist. He did a great job in this.
Low Point
The special effects really didn't age well.
The Review
As an adaptation, its originality is limited. However, it is one of the earliest of the multitude of "big bug" movies that followed over the next decade. I give it 4 out of 6.
The effects are so bad I wonder if they were even passable in 1954. The ants do not look remotely realistic at any time throughout the film. I give it 2 out of 6.
The story actually works, if you accept the power of the nuclear bugaboo to kick things off in the first place. This is the only thing that must be accepted to enjoy the movie; all other actions, decisions, and consequences follow naturally under these conditions. This is a significant difference between this and most other horror flicks. I give it 5 out of 6.
The acting is actually pretty good, which is also a surprise in this particular genre. The actors, particularly Gwenn and Whitmore, are entirely convincing in their roles. I give it 5 out of 6.
The production is well done. The lighting, editing and camera work create a genuinely creepy atmosphere, right down to an unearthly noise from the creatures themselves. I give it 5 out of 6.
The emotional response is actually quite good. It really does feel creepy, and rather disturbing. The dry wit of Gwenn provides needed relief with some excellent timing. It only falters when the creatures are actually on screen, which isn't all that often. I give it 4 out of 6.
Overall, this is a horror movie that actually survives the decades in most respects. I recommend it. I give it 4 out of 6.
In total, Them! receives 29 out of 42.
