The Deadly Mantis (1957)

"There is no more deadly or voracious creature than the Preying Mantis.", 23 April 2007

The Deadly Mantis is another of the big bug sci-fi movies that the studios were putting out in the 1950s. While these movies have a lot in common, not all big bug movies were created equally. Even though The Deadly Mantis does have a point or two in its favor (special effects, etc.), overall it's just not as good as similar movies. One problem is the lack of originality. The Deadly Mantis comes toward the end of big bug cycle. The better movies of this type had already been made. When you consider the number of other big animal movies that were made in the 1950s, it's little wonder why The Deadly Mantis doesn't feel very original. It's the same tired plot line that was pulled out and used over and over – a giant mantis destroys a few buildings, kills a few helpless citizens, and generally terrorizes a populace. If you were to substitute the mantis for the tarantula and the Arctic for the desert, The Deadly Mantis and Tarantula become very similar movies.

Another real problem is the first 15 or so minutes of the movie. It's pure, Grade-A, unadulterated U.S. government propaganda. I've read that the U.S. wanted to make sure that the Soviets knew that the country's northern border with Canada was more than adequately protected against a surprise attack across the North Pole. So for what seems to be a good portion of the movie, we're treated to maps of Canada's northern most territory, a voice droning on about the hard work of building and maintaining the radar stations, and a variety of stock footage. While it's reasonably interesting in that 50s Red Scare sort of way, it does nothing for the movie.

So, if you really want to see a big bug movie from the 50s, check out either Them! or Tarantula. While The Deadly Mantis certainly isn't the worst movie you'll ever see, there are much better examples of this genre available to be watched.

5/10