NekoHomey
Purely Joyful Movie!
Mjeteconer
Just perfect...
Sameer Callahan
It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.
AaronCapenBanner
Bert I. Gordon directed this surprise hit about Lt. Col. Glenn Manning, who is accidentally exposed to a plutonium blast at a desert Army base, burning him extensively, but survives. However, he mysteriously starts to grow, reaching 50Ft. He becomes an object of study, but is gradually losing his mind because of both the situation and decreased blood supply to his brain. Glenn, enraged and despondent, escapes and goes on a rampage, forcing a showdown with the Army he once served in. Despite a good performance from the lead actor, and a sympathetic script, the F/X are shoddy and the ridiculous plot dissolves into an obvious chase melodrama, ending at a dam. Not yet on DVD for some reason, though was on YouTube for awhile.
oscar-35
*Spoiler/plot- 1957, A US Army major is part of the early Atomic bomb tests with Army personnel close to ground Zero. The Major is in the trenches waiting for the bomb to be set off. And he heroically leaves the apparent safety of his trench to rescue a crashed airplane pilot. He is irradiated with plutonium fallout. As a result, his body grows immensely large but his pumping heart stays normal size. This will cause him pain and his eventual death. His fiancée stays with him to watch helplessly to the many ways the Army goes about helping the giant Major and trying to reverse his radiation exposure.*Special Stars- Glenn Langan, Cathy Downs *Theme- Sometimes good things done by good people are not rewarded.*Trivia/location/goofs- Rocky scenes filmed at Chatsworth California Iverson Movie Ranch. Has some vintage scenes dealing with 50's Las Vegas. The film did so well in box office ticket sales that a year later another 'spin' of this plot idea was rushed into drive-ins. It's name was: "The War of the Colossal Beast". It did well also. Hoover dam was the site of his high fall to end this film. The film ends with the giant falling to his death.*Emotion- An enjoyable but rather silly for sci-fi B-Movie viewers. Hilarious for some of the cliques dialog, unintentionally comedic plot scenes and bad acting by supporting players. Another Bert Gordon spectacular on film. Another atomic era motivated film theme. This was one of the best drive-in movie of pot-boiler films for the 50's masses. This presents the 60-foot mutant man. He is the product of of an atomic accident. A luminous cloud irradiates him and his entire body system. Can be easy seen as a descendant of other earlier classical themes of overly large main characters. Such ludicrous collection of other kinds of these ideas with 'King Kong' being the foremost. The fifties were rampant with large insects, lizards and humans. That was the staple of Roger Corman ten day production films for years. They were money makers. The end of the film is a 'Debbie Downer' or a "buzz-kill'. It's one of the best Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes.
MartinHafer
This isn't exactly the Royal Shakespeare Company here and with a title like THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN, you know you're not about to watch something that's due for a re-make on Masterpiece Theater. So, as long as you realize it is first and foremost a schlocky sci-fi horror film from the 50s and have your expectations set relatively low, you'll probably have a good time watching it. On a campy and kitschy level, it's good stuff. I particularly like how his clothes seem to grow with him (thus allowing it to STILL be a family flick) and the scene near the end of the film when they give this crazed giant an injection--his reaction is priceless!! All-in-all, I'd recommend this as a good film to watch with friends. Watch it, laugh and enjoy.
mrb1980
"The Amazing Colossal Man" gets my vote for Bert I. Gordon's best movie, meaning that it's not nearly as bad as his others.Gordon's sci-fi/horror films of the 1950s had the same basic plot: 1. Monster is created. 2. Monster attacks. 3. Monster is destroyed, accompanied by inept special effects. In this film, luckless serviceman Glenn Manning (Langan) is exposed to intense radiation from a plutonium bomb, and is burned over his entire body. The attending physician (Hudson) gives him zero chance for survival, but the next morning his skin has miraculously healed. Afterwards, Manning disappears, and his wife (Downs) finds him at a remote army base--50 feet tall! The healing process apparently had some unintended side-effects, and now Manning is kept in a circus tent. Hudson tells Downs that Manning is in pretty bad shape, and that "his mind will go first", a sure clue to the rest of the film. Sure enough, Manning goes crazy and escapes into the Nevada desert. Meanwhile an Army scientist (Larry Thor) has succeeded in his miniaturization experiments, and thinks if he can just give Manning an injection, everything will be fine. Of course, the usual no-nonsense 1950s Army guy (James Seay) shows up and says that if Manning causes any trouble, "we'll stop him cold!" Manning attacks Las Vegas, tearing up a few casino signs and causing a ruckus. Off go Hudson, Downs, and Thor in a helicopter, toting a 6-foot hypodermic needle. In the film's best (and funniest) sequence, Thor and Hudson give Manning an injection in his big toe, whereupon Manning picks up the giant needle and impales Thor with it. Sure looks painful.Apparently by now Gordon was out of ideas, because Manning shows up next on Boulder Dam, carries Downs around for a few minutes, then as soon as he puts her down, Seay yells, "FIRE!" His Army guys blast Manning with a variety of weapons, and in a very bad show of special effects, Manning ends up in the Colorado River. The End.What sets "The Amazing Colossal Man" apart from the rest of Gordon's 1950s films are the story and acting. The story is actually pretty intelligent (compared with, say, "The Beginning of the End"). The acting is not bad, and the little-known Langan gives something of a minor tour-de-force as Manning. Hudson, Downs, and Thor are also quite adequate in their roles.I recommend this film as a pretty good time-filler. Try watching without paying too much attention to the special effects. Gordon actually filmed a sequel, "War of the Colossal Beast", but it's pretty rock-bottom.
