Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Billie Morin This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Cassandra Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Claudio Carvalho "The Valley of Gwangi" is one of those poorly developed silly films that become dated, boring and forgettable. The combination of cowboy and sci-fi in the turn of the Twentieth Century does not work and the terrible special effects seems to be from the 50's or an Ed Wood production. The conclusion is awful, with non-stop people running in repeated scenes and the fate of the nasty gypsy old woman that caused the whole trouble is not shown. My vote is four.Title (Brazil) "O Vale Proibido" ("The Forbidden Valley")

Leofwine_draca While I'm the first to admit that I love the majority of Ray Harryhausen's movies, I'll also say that THE VALLEY OF GWANGI left me cold. I'm not criticising the special effects work, which after all is the main reason to watch his movies; instead, I take issue with the script, which is slow and ponderous and rips off the far better (and earlier) Mexican movie, THE BEAST FROM HOLLOW MOUNTAIN. It takes an age before we get to see any of Harryhausen's creations here, and until then we're stuck with a bunch of rather uninteresting stock characters: the blond, square-jawed hero; the beautiful love interest; the precocious boy; the flustered scientist.It also hurts that a rather good cast is stuck with this stiff stereotypes. I've always liked James Franciscus, but he's given less here to work with than in any other film I've seen him in. Gila Golan is wooden and CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON's Richard Carlson is wasted as a supporting character. Laurence Naismith has a little fun as the irritable scientist, but again, it's a character we've seen a hundred times in these kinds of film – and the same goes for the witchy type character that Freda Jackson plays. The plot is a straight re-run of KING KONG, with the dinosaurs moved to a remote desert valley. There's some fun to be had with a cute miniature horse and a briefly-seen pterodactyl, but most of the action involves Gwangi – a tyrannosaur-type monster that reminds me of a plastic toy I had as a kid. Inevitably, this beast is captured, put on show and then escapes, and aside from a brief bout with an equally stop-motioned elephant, the finale just isn't very exciting, and his ultimate end a rather cruel one.I just feel like this is a film out of time. The late '60s were an era of change in cinema, and this would have worked far better as a black-and-white '50s outing. Stick with BEAST OF HOLLOW MOUNTAIN for the real deal.

Scott LeBrun James Franciscus plays Tuck, an amiable hustler who comes back into the life of T.J. (lovely Gila Golan). T.J. is one of the participants in a Wild West show that is not doing so well at the moment. However, one of their people, Carlos (Gustavo Rojo) has ventured into a Mexican location known as the "Forbidden Valley" and come back with a prize: an adorable "Eohippus", or miniature prehistoric horse. Circumstances lead Tuck and others to head into the valley, where they encounter other ancient animals, such as a Styracosaurus and a very aggressive Allosaurus.In the well loved tradition of "King Kong", T.J. and her friends, including Champ (Richard Carlson), get the bright idea to introduce the Allosaurus - who gets christened Gwangi - to their show. Havoc predictably ensues.There may be viewers who will grow impatient with the pacing at first. "The Valley of Gwangi" runs longer than previous Ray Harryhausen - Charles H. Schneer productions at 96 minutes, and it's not until the movies' second half that we get to see any dinosaurs. But the little Eohippus is sure to charm people, not just children, and the story is very engaging.It helps that the actors are so sincere. The handsome Franciscus is good in the starring role, with fine support from Ms. Golan and Mr. Carlson. Young Curtis Arden is appealing in the role of Lope the child, who had to fend for himself from an early age and who is clearly eager to make a buck. Freda Jackson is amusing in the somewhat annoying, clichéd role of the wise old doomsayer who rants about the consequences of individuals going into the valley and bringing back "evil" specimens.As expected, Harryhausen's special effects are excellent. They're especially impressive in the movies' major set piece, when Tuck, Champ and others work overtime to try to lasso Gwangi. And once the action kicks into gear in this thing, a real fever pitch is reached and then maintained until the absolute end, with an exciting rampage.Mostly lighthearted entertainment, but G ratings weren't always what they are now: a few people do fall victim to the jaws and teeth of Gwangi.Very well directed by Jim O'Connolly ("Crooks and Coronets", "Tower of Evil").Seven out of 10.

Chase_Witherspoon Oddly engaging fantasy finds entrepreneur Franciscus returning to his old haunt, re-igniting his passion for former flame (Golan) and teaming up with a precocious (and loyal) youngster (Arden) and eccentric palaeontologist (Naismith) who has made a significant discovery of a fossilised footprint of an ancestor to the horse. When one of the tiny ponies is captured for Golan's circus-rodeo, Franciscus suspects there may be more dollars to be exploited if he can find other descendants. Their subsequent search leads to the discovery of a hidden valley where dinosaurs still exist, "Gwangi", the most feared of them all (a T-Rex) and potentially the most profitable, if he can be caught and circus trained. Predictably, "Gwangi" is not a performing monkey.Unusual western - sci-fi fusion for adults is a "King Kong" rendition of sorts, with capable performances and Ray Harryhausen's superb stop motion animation depicting some brutal encounters with a number of well known dinosaur species. I couldn't help but feel sympathy for Gwangi, the innocent T-Rex minding his own business, chewing up the odd pterodactyl, then abducted to be exploited by Richard Carlson's insatiable greed. An undignified treatment of an apex predator.Potentially too bloody for the kids (and given their exposure to CGI effects, probably too primitive as well), the film's climax in which Gwangi is revealed to the peanut gallery is vintage stuff - there's a savage fight to the death between Gwangi and a circus elephant, and even more spectacular, the tiny taco attempting to release the enraged Gwangi from his cage, consumed in a bone-crunching fury as horrified spectators dash for the exits. Harryhausen devotee, or just a casual monster movie goer, you won't want to miss "Valley of Gwangi".