Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		2.5

The Creature Walks Among Us Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Justin Dekker February 1, 2024

1956's 'The Creature Walks Among Us' 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.

Never mind the fact that the Gill Man is an entirely new species we know nothing about, the scientists in The Creature Walks Among Us are intent on making genetic modifications to him to make another entirely new species. A group of scientists consisting of Dr. Thomas Morgan (Rex Reason), Dr. William Barton (Jeff Morrow), his wife Marcia Barton (Leigh Snowden), and some others are on an expedition when they hear of a man who has had a run-in with an unknown and dangerous creature. Based on a dried blood sample on a knife that was used to fend off the creature, they determine that his red corpuscle count makes it a perfect candidate for an experiment to bring about a new form of life. The team immediately heads out and gets into the water, looking for the Gill Man, who makes his first on-screen appearance here around the 17-minute mark. The initial dive is quite lengthy, filled with underwater footage of swimming, paying particular attention to Marcia Barton who bears a resemblance to the other two female leads in this franchise. The team sees the creature and begins working on a plan to capture it, but just who is tracking and stalking whom? Adding to the danger, the attraction between Barton and Dr. Morgan is instant and obvious, so too is the jealousy displayed by Dr. Morgan, and there's no doubt this love triangle is going to have an impact on the outcome of this adventure.

Inexplicably, the process of converting the Gill Man into a new lifeform that can live on land is easy and quick. In no time at all, he develops human eyes, more human hands, and starts growing human skin. The transformation of the eyes is important from a practical perspective. The design of the first Gill Man made it notoriously difficult for the actor inside to see. He had no peripheral vision and has to rely on crew members with bright lights to direct him where he had to go. In the first sequel, while much of the creature's costume was fanatic, the new design for the eyes was particularly comical and disappointing no matter how much better the actor inside the suit could see. Here, human eyes solve the vision problem and somehow make the human-Gill Man hybrid all the more creepy.

The Creature Walks Among Us is a small picture, and those expecting to see the new Gill Man roaming the streets, terrorizing towns, and leaving nothing in his wake but death and destruction will be sorely disappointed. After a very taut and promising beginning the film begins to lose steam once the team is back on the boat and the plot swings around to focus on Dr. Barton's jealousy. Once they arrive back at the Bartons' compound in Sausalito, that jealousy dominates every scene and it ceases being a monster movie. The film ends rather abruptly after the Gill Man escapes confinement. There isn't much of a final battle or a chase through Sausalito. No, instead, the monster wanders alone through the countryside until he finds himself at the edge of the ocean, never to be seen again.

The Creature Walks Among Us Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The transfer for The Creature Walks Among Us is frequently quite good for its age. Facial particulars, fine hairs, wrinkles, lines, and the like can often be picked out in closer shots. Whites tend more toward grey, but blacks can be deep. Unfortunately, detail can often be lost in its depths. Fine grain is present in shots above sea level and resolves naturally without becoming chunky, blocky, or noisy. But the print is not in perfect condition. Intermittent damage is present on the right side for quite some time during the initial dive sequence. Underwater shots also carry with them a tendency toward softness, and the environmental particulars of those aquatic locations remain elusive. White specks also pop up in these shots, as does chunkier grain. As much of the film takes place either on a boat or on dry land the impact of these issues is limited. It's worth noting that this is the only film in the trilogy that was created in 3D, so while that option is available for the other films, here a 2D presentation is all there is.

The Creature Walks Among Us Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track is largely sufficient for what it needs to do. Voices are clear and are always presented at the top of the mix and are properly centered. Sound effects, such as gunshots, breaking glass, splintering wood, and the creature's roar are all adequately rendered given the film's vintage. Music is also typically well-handled, however, on occasion, the horn-laden musical stings can come off a bit shrill and tinny. English SDH subtitles are also available.

The Creature Walks Among Us Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The following extras are included for this film:

• Theatrical Trailer - (1:01)

• Feature Length Commentary With Film Historians Tom Weaver and Bob Burns - Mr. Weaver and Mr. Burns cover a great deal of ground in this commentary with topics including, but not limited to: growing up the with Creature and the theatrical 3D experience, underwater photography, details on the original suit, the use of unused underwater shots of the Creature from the original film, information and stories about the cast members, and details on the new suit.

The Creature Walks Among Us Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Creature Walks Among Us had potential. A talented cast, a revamped costume for the Gill Man, a lovely leading lady, and a strong and moody opening suggested that this might well have been a return to form at least and potentially even, an improvement over the classic first film. But as soon as the Gill Man is captured, all such hopes quickly evaporate. Any sense of tension and atmosphere quickly vanishes. The Gill Man, out of the water and dressed in scrubs, is not nearly as menacing. It's hard for him to be scary when he's not eerily rising from the depths and vanishing without a trace. Instead, he's just mutely standing there, penned up in the yard by the dogs and other critters, while the story focuses on all the young men relentlessly hitting on the drunk Dr. Barton's young, pretty wife. It's a disappointing final chapter for an iconic movie monster.