Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		2.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Revenge of the Creature 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Justin Dekker February 1, 2024

1955's 'Revenge of the Creature' returns to Blu-ray as part of the massive 'Universal Classic Monsters Complete 30-Film Collection' which includes all of the timeless monster movies from 1931's 'Dracula' forward. All of the original films from the timeless and unforgettable Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolfman, The Mummy, Invisible Man, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, and The Phantom of the Opera, are included here on 24 Blu-ray discs. All of the legacy features from the previous collections are included here, giving fans hours of content to pour over once the movies are over. Also included is a 47-page book featuring writing on the classic monsters as well as actors and people behind the scenes that brought them to life.

Plans for sequels were top of mind for the newest movie monster before the classic Creature from the Black Lagoon even first hit the screen in 1954. So it's no real surprise to find this first sequel arriving hot on its heels in 1955, with the last of the bunch, The Creature Walks Among Us hitting screens in 1956. This effort, Revenge of the Creature, takes us onto the familiar ground where the legendary King Kong trod decades before - take an unusual, one-of-a-kind monster and put it on display in a grand money-making scheme while it unexpectedly falls in love with a beautiful blond woman which will ultimately lead to its demise.

This adventure begins on a tributary of the upper Amazon River where a small group of men encounter the Gill Man. With all the finesse of a bulldozer, explosives are used to stun everything in the water and he slowly floats to surface. In a coma, he's taken to Florida to begin life in captivity while the profits roll in. From here scarcely 14 minutes into the film, the main action of the film transfers to the Marine Studios of Marineland, Florida which stand in for the film's "Ocean Harbor, Florida". Once there Joe Hayes (John Bromfield), the man who captured him, walks him around the tank to force water through his gill and revive him from his comatose state, while Professor Clete Ferguson (John Agar) races to the scene to study this amazing creature. Also newly arrived is Helen Dobson (Lori Nelson) who is at Ocean harbor to conduct research on her Master's degree. As this trio conducts their experiments, Clete is falling for Helen, and so is the Gill Man.

Had the film decided to keep its attention tautly focused on this unlikely love triangle, the film would have been the better for it. Instead, it opts to pad its runtime with extended scenes of fish swimming in the aquarium, feeding the dolphins, a porpoise show, a jazz band, and a number of uneventful dates between Clete and Helen. Attempts to maintain tension are primarily limited to quick close-ups of the Gill Man accompanied by a jarring and ominous musical sting. It doesn't actually add anything in that regard, but it does make me wonder why we're not spending more meaningful time with the monster. As an unexpected highlight, eagle-eyed viewers will be excited to see a young Clint Eastwood in his first film role as a researcher who can't keep track of his rats.

Revenge of the Creature 3D Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The 2D image of Revenge of the Creature is generally acceptable. On the whole, the image is free from significant defects, but the odd white speck is on display from time to time. It's hardly a pervasive issue, but it is worth noting. Detail can be good, especially with regard to fabrics which can have a heightened tactile presence. Never the sharpest image, softer shots spring up in the film with some frequency and are not limited to close-ups. Underwater shots are universally even softer and grainier affairs, no doubt revealing the limitations of the source material.

The 3D image looks generally sharper. While underwater shots can still be a bit softer than those in dry land, they largely fare better here - still soft, just not as soft. The issue with the excessive graininess of these shots is also mitigated to some degree. This is not a gimmicky 3D presentation with all manner of objects repeatedly thrust out at the audience at regular intervals. Revenge of the Creature instead focuses on and is the beneficiary of added depth in virtually every scene. When underwater, fish, bits of debris, and air bubbles float toward us. On land, we get a deeply layered image with foreground items being close enough to touch and providing a significant degree of tactile realism. As pleasant a viewing experience as the 3D presentation is, it doesn't make the film itself any better. It's just that if one feels the need to watch Revenge of the Creature this is definitely the way to view it.

Revenge of the Creature 3D Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The English DTS-MD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track is a fine accompaniment for Revenge of the Creature. It's not called on often to handle difficult sound effects, but when it needs to it reproduces gunshots and explosions in a manner that is era-appropriate and authentic. Music is clear and precise, though on occasion musical stings can be shrill. However, background and interstitial music is pleasant and precise. Dialogue is clear and never masked by music or sound effects and is perfectly intelligible in all instances. English SDH subtitles are also available.

Revenge of the Creature 3D Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Bonus features for Revenge of the Creature include:

• Teatrical Trailer - (2:29)

• Feature Length Commentary with Actress Lori Nelson and film Historians Tom Weaver and Bob Burns - This is one of the livelier and more entertaining commentary tracks I've heard in quite some time. Most of that is due to Lori Nelson. She's wonderfully energetic and excited about both this picture and her acting career, and she's got an amazing memory. Over the length of the commentary, she talks about how she learned to dive using the "new" aqualung technology and doing the underwater scenes, her cast members and shooting details, and any number of other Hollywood greats she encountered either on set, in the commissary, or in other locations. She's charming, funny, and a treat to listen to, and both gentlemen present for the track wisely let her carry the conversation. I don't want to name names and/or spoil her stories and recollections, but thanks to her presence I found the track to be a much more enjoyable experience than the movie itself.

Revenge of the Creature 3D Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Revenge of the Creature borrows a bit from King Kong in an attempt to add more emotional resonance to the film franchise. However, significant amounts of padding do nothing to enhance a picture that barely clocks in north of 80 minutes, often feeling much longer. Nelson and Agar are talented leads and are capable of holding our interest when they have interesting and important things to do, it's just that so often too much of what they're doing simply isn't that thrilling or impactful in a monster movie sort of way, and their tepid love story dominates the film and crowds out any real monster mayhem. With a reasonable enough 2D video presentation, a surprisingly good 3D presentation, a good audio track, and a delightful commentary featuring Lori Nelson, Revenge of the Creature is recommended for hardcore fans of the Creature as well as fans of vintage 3D films.