The Cyclops

Dir. Bert I. Gordon 66 Minutes

USA

1957

Starring: James Craig, Gloria Talbott, Lon Chaney Jr., Tom Drake, Duncan 'Dean' Parkin

**1/2/***** Bert I. Gordon's The Cyclops does not manage to overcome trappings of the 50s B-movie "cheapee" with any type of deeper thematic foundation (aside from, naturally, that radioactivity is a constant peril), but with a running time barely over an hour and with such a variety of (low low budget) special effects and creations it almost never matters because it never allows itself to be dull. The wafer-thin plot brings the core four together as Gloria Talbott's Susan goes to look for her fiancee whose plane crash landed in Mexico a few years back (wasting no time). Promising Chaney Jr's Marty (as despicable in the part as in real life) access to the heavy supply of uranium in the area in exchange for funding, Susan is accompanied by him, a guide, and a pilot. But the group crash lands themselves into an isolated valley where they encounter giant bugs, animals, and, ultimately, a giant human with a cycloptic deformity and a brutish instinct to protect his land.  There is a surprisingly low amount of set-up before the group finds themselves on the island, and a nice bulk of the picture is relegated to the silly, superimposed special effects of the giant creatures (none of which look any good and shots of the cyclops grabbing at the humans are laughable in their ineptness). But the film scratches the itch for this type of entertainment and does it without much fat on its thin narrative. Its goal is apparent: engage the audience with effects and spectacle, and do it as often as possible. it does not become bogged down in scenes of extended dialogue, as wooden in prose as is the delivery, or long passages of characters walking around and exploring cheap sets in the guise of suspense. And while its ultimate "message" is explicit and common for this type of fare, it successfully utilizes another "creature" to ignite discussions about the morals and ethics of radioactive experimentation. As far as genre fare goes, this is quick fun.  ​October 16th, 2019