3/4  Classic 1950s paranoia
"Them!" was a terrific example of how sci-fi movies should always be made: a tight, engrossing, suspenseful script and great acting, with the special effects there to support the story and actors, not to be the whole movie. We seem to get ... (read full)

5/5 Giant Ants!
  by Bobby Underwood (Bakersfield, California United States)
"We shall visit the desert now." -- Edmund Gwenn
"It's getting pretty late, Doctor." -- James Arness
"Later than you think." -- Edmund Gwenn


One of the few bright spots during the decline of quality films in American cinema after the 1940's was the sci-fi genre which developed in the 1950's. At it's best it was both fun and entertaining, as well as thought provoking. Them! does all that and more. A great film for late at night cuddled up with your Baby or a Saturday morning when you're being lazy, it's loads of fun. Star Trek fans might even get a glimpse of a young Leonard Nimoy at a teletype machine if they look fast enough. Those who grew up watching Daniel Boone will enjoy Fess Parker minus his coonskin cap as a pilot who has seen THEM so is presumed bonkers.

It all begins in White Sands, New Mexico, as cop Ben Peterson (James Whitmore) patrols the unending desert with air support above. They find a young, traumatized girl wandering nowhere, in shock and unable to speak. Following her trail to discover what has transpired, a ravaged trailer and a general store in shambles are just the beginning. Bob Graham (James Arness) is called in from the F.B.I. and when a strange acid is found in a body, both men realize they are in over their heads. What neither can understand is why, once those results are sent to the government, the response is to send two scientists and the Army.

Edmund Gwenn and Joan Weldon are father and daughter, and have a theory they don't want to reveal until they're sure. Bob and Patricia (Weldon) hit it off as that strange and eerie sound in the desert winds is revealed to be a product of atomic testing by man; ants having grown gigantic and mutating until they have no choice but to find the only source of food available--man! They prove hard to destroy, and the heroes must follow escaping queens all over the US, culminating in an exciting battle in the storm drains of Los Angeles with the lives of two frightened children and an anxious mother hanging in the balance.

Ted Sherdeman's screenplay adaptation of George Worthing Yates' story has a message about man's interfering in the natural course of nature while director Gordon Douglas never forgets this is supposed to be fun as well. Just good clean fun for a rainy night. Highly recommended.

5/5 One of the greatest Sci-fi movies of all time!
  by John Lindsey (Socorro, New Mexico USA.)

It seems during the first test of the atomic bomb in 1954 in New Mexico, the radioation has affected the blood of Ants mutating them into giantic creatures with colonies that seem to attack human beings. After several folks are found dead in the desert, FBI Agent Sgt. Ben Peterson (James Whitmore) with FBI agent Bob Graham (James Arness) to investigate these strange occurances. They discovers that hordes of mutated ants are the cause, Dr. Harold Medford (Edmund Gwenn) and his daughter Patrica (Joan Weldon) help them try to solve a solution to get rid of the ant problem before they spread to the world.

A brilliant and thrilling 1954 Sci-fi horror classic that is one of the most cautionary movie tales of all time is one of the best Sci-fi movies around. The performances are nothing sort of outstanding and for it's time the special effects are quite dazzling even with chilling scenes of Ants attacking people. This movie is like a warning about the effects of radiation and what they can do to some animals who want vengence on the human race, a classic all the way that never gets old.

This DVD contains great picture and sound quality with extras like behind-the-scenes archieval footage, Trailer, montage and cast film highlights.

5/5 Rick 43530
  by jack the Ripper
I loved this movie I saw it in the theater as a kid ,I watched it hiding behind the seat in front of me,it was great then and great now the special effects were crude by todays standard but it is a good time

5/5 cool old Movie
  by Robert Burns (Texas)
I remember this movie when I was growing up in the 50's. It's low tech, but who cares....it's OLD SCHOOL. Now my little girls enjoy it.

5/5 Beware of...the spiders?!
  by Ashtar Command (Stockholm, Sweden)
When this movie was released in Sweden about 45 years ago, it was retitled "Spindlarna", which means "The Spiders". It still bore this title when it was first shown on TV years later, but recently, it's simply been called "Them" (the original English title).

The Spiders?! Why on earth would a horror movie about gigantic ants be called "The Spiders"??? There's not a single spider in the entire movie!

The retitling was either a joke, or a crude way of hiding the real plot. After all, you're not supposed to know that the monsters are ants, until they SHOW THEMSELVES. I was certainly surprised when I saw "Them" the first time. In fact, I was even a little bit irritated. I mean, I had expected large, woolly tarantulas! Besides, I happen to *like* ants. (I hate spiders.) Nuking a bunch of Black Widows would have made my day!

But yes, the movie is surprisingly good for a black-and-white production from 1954 (I didn't even know it was *that* old).

Therefore, I give it five stars.

Besides, ants in California or Arizona are probably nastier than the coy, peaceful garden ants we have in our Swedish rosebushes...

Beware then...of the ants.

;-)