The Deadly Mantis Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Deadly Mantis Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 24, 2019

In the giant movie monster craze of the 1950s, “The Deadly Mantis” must win some type of award for longest wait for total destruction. The 1957 production isn’t one to swiftly arrange a cinematic war zone with its insect invader, with director Nathan Juran (“Attack of the 50 Foot Woman”) tasked with filling 80 minutes of screen time without overdoing interactions with the titular creature. It’s a sluggish endeavor, but “The Deadly Mantis” has a curious concentration on military procedure, with Juran perhaps understanding the absurdity of the threat, working to create a cinematic space where mayhem involving a massive praying mantis could look plausible, highlighting the latest in weaponry and surveillance techniques.

Craig Stevens, William Hopper, and Alix Talton star in “The Deadly Mantis,” tasked with creating a level of reality to pure fiction. Dramatics are secured by screenwriter Martin Berkeley, who, perhaps under studio orders, shoehorns in a brief romantic subplot to keep the creature feature suitably warm for all audiences. However, the rest of “The Deadly Mantis” stays in investigative mode, with the experts examining evidence, traveling to disaster zones, and maintaining debates in tastefully decorated offices. It’s not necessarily thrilling to watch, but the actors are gifted, working to make mundane analysis as exciting as it can be.

The Deadly Mantis Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presenting a "New 2K scan of the original film elements," Shout Factory strives to give "The Deadly Mantis" a proper presentation after some screw-ups with previous home video releases. The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation handles the look of the feature well, maintaining grain and detail, giving costumes some touchable textures and facial reactions definition. Sets are open for study, as are special effects, providing a sense of craftsmanship for the titular menace. Delineation is satisfactory and whites are calm, achieving cinematographic balance. Obviously, stock footage is in rough shape, but the source is fine overall, without much damage.

The Deadly Mantis Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix carries the limited sonic scope of "The Deadly Mantis" well. It's a comfortable listening event, without distortive highs for scenes of panic and combat, while some weight is understood for monster movement. Dialogue exchanges are acceptable, detailing performances with a few minor shifts in volume. Scoring isn't precise, but it fits in with the track, giving horror and military action some emphasis. Mild hiss is found during the mix.

The Deadly Mantis Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historians Tom Weaver and David Schecter.

• "Mystery Science Theater 3000" (92:16, SD) is a 1997 episode of the classic television show, with Mike and the Bots taking on "The Deadly Mantis."

• Still Gallery (7:56) presents publicity stills, poster art, lobby cards, and newspaper ads.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:09, SD) is included.

The Deadly Mantis Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Nearly half the film is over before "The Deadly Mantis" starts truly detailing the insect's power and fear factor, and once the movie switches over to extermination, it comes alive, creating a chance to watch primitive but fun special effects. "The Deadly Mantis" eventually finds a rhythm of disaster and character activity, but it does take a while before such goodness is unearthed.