5/5 Don't Go Near The Water!
  by Robert B. Nelson (Webster, MA)
The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms is sci-fi at it's best! Made before computer generated monsters, it stands up well with it's stop motion photography. A great story of a prehistoric monter releaded by A-bomb tests in the Arctic that ravages the east coast and, eventually, New York City. Monster chaser Ken Tobey (The Thing, It came from beneath the sea) lends a hand tohelp finish the beast off. Look for Lee Van Cleef as an Army sharpshooter. A great story with few slow spots. A must have for sci-fi fans.

4/5 Simple but fun 1950s classic
  by D. Hellwig (N. W. Ontario)
This is a great, clear, crisp remastering of a simple but fun 1950s classic Godzilla-like story. A frozen dinosaur warmed back to life through an atomic bomb blast. Where have you heard that story line before? Several scenes from this movie have been cloned and updated in more recent sci-fi movies. Simple plot and special effects by today's digital film making standards but fun and not too scary for younger kids. Crisp and clear video and audio.

5/5 Great Movie and Extras
  by Susan (Jersey Shore)
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms is a terrific movie. I really liked the extras, especially the part with the two great Rays- Ray Harryhausen, amazing creator of such wonderful creatures like the beast, and Ray Bradbury, the great writer and friend of Mr. Harryhausen who wrote the wonderful short story the Fog Horn that helped inspire this move.

4/5 A Monster From the Past
  by Nelson W. Lentz (Monroe, LA)
Believe it or not, I think I actually saw this film when it was first released. It was fun then and it still is. My favorite part is when the elderly anthropologist is in the diving bell, deep underwater; he spots the beast and as it is coming toward him, he describes it to those above on the ship. Just as he says "But the most astounding thing is..." GULP, the beast swallows him, his assistant and the diving bell all together. Wow!! The stop action special effects, compliments of Ray Harryhausen and, at the end, the motion picture debute of Lee Van Cleef as the shooter, add to the fun.

4/5 Harryhausen's great Feast of the Beast!
  by Robert Badgley (London,Ontario,Canada)
This was Ray Harryhausen's first major film work and to me his Rhedosaurus,aka The Beast,is arguably his most finest work.It is a simple and straight forward stop motion presentation that works perfectly,and actually serves to elevate a rather tepid story.
It involves a group of scientists who venture to the North Pole to observe and take measurements of an atomic bomb test.As they check their their device stations post-blast,one of the group hears and spies a huge dinosaur wandering the area.Injured he calls for help and is rescued by a Prof.Nesbit(Paul Hubscmhid/Christian) who also briefly spots the beast.Colonel Evans(Keith Tobey well known from The Thing)does not believe the story as well as Dr Elson(well known character actor Cecil Kellaway),back in New York.
When stories of boat sinkings start popping up along the Atlantic coast Prof.Nesbitts' story finally gets credibility.In fact Dr Elson takes a bathysphere down into the Hudson River Trench off of NYC to see if the creature has returned to that area(skeletons of a dinosaur matching the beasts description were found there).The beast has indeed returned there and Dr.Elson becomes a mid morning snack for the creature.Eventually the beast checks out the environs of the Big Apple spilling its' blood as it meets with stiff resistance from the local police and armed forces.They soon learn the beasts' blood carries a virulent strain of bacteria that along with the beast himself,is dropping people like flies.
When the beast arrives at Coney Island to check out the roller coaster there,the professor gets the idea to shoot a radioactive dart into the creature at the top of the ride,which they do.Amidst an engulfing fire the creature writhes and finally dies in agony.The world is saved.
On paper the story is a good one but in execution(direction and acting) it is generally wooden.The best parts of the film are the creature's appearances throughout,and they are spectacular.Its' various journeys through the city are excellently done and worked in seamlessly with the background.This is due to Harryhausen's great and meticulous work.
I would normally give a B-film like this around a three star rating but what bumps this DVD up is first and foremost,the wonderful print they have used.It is generally crisp and clear and a joy to watch.I have never seen it in better condition;a nod to Warner Brothers for such a great job.Second are the nice extras.Along with the usual trailer are two wonderful vignettes.The first one is a nice retrospective on the making of The Beast.The second is a nice interview with the two Ray's,Harryhausen and Bradbury.As you will learn,if you didn't know before,it was their love of dinosaurs(The Lost World,1925,specifically and Willis O'Brien's groundbreaking work),that brought them together those many,many years ago.The interview is in front of a studio audience and took place in 2003.
In conclusion despite The Beast's definite B-movie status,the titles' object of our affection steals every scene that it is in;a case of the special effects being better than the movie they inhabit.In other words because of the quality of Harryhausen's work the film is more memorable than it has a right to be.The print used here is magnificent and the two nice vignettes included definitely elevate this DVD release from a three star to a four.
For the current price this release is a definite steal and I recommend you get your copy today!