a review of X 放射线

ℍ𝕆𝕆ℙ𝕋𝕆𝔹𝔼ℝ 𝔼𝕃𝔼𝕍𝔼ℕ ℕ𝕀𝔾ℍ𝕋 𝕋𝕎𝔼ℕ𝕋𝕐-𝕊𝔼𝕍𝔼ℕ: Released four and a half months ahead of GOJIRA/GODZILLA, THEM! seems to qualify as the first giant irradiated-monster movie of the atomic age (the previous year's THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS was just a regular ol' frozen dinosaur that got thawed by atom bomb tests) and it still holds up as a mix of serial-style adventure and semi-serious sci-fi. I appreciated the slow-burn scientific discovery of the giant-ant threat and the way it escalated from the New Mexico state police investigation, to the involvement of the father-daughter scientists, to the huge federal task force and military intervention. Instead of beginning with a bunch of splashy spectacle in the manner of most monster flicks, we're led carefully through the evidence leading us to understand the true nature of the attacks, and I like that it trusted the audience to stick with it before delivering the big bug hunt. I kinda wonder if a young James Cameron might have been partially inspired by this movie when he did his own riff on military vs. bugs in ALIENS.