Review – The Creature from the Black Lagoon

Of all the classic Universal movie monsters, the Creature from the Black Lagoon is fins-down the most innovative, at least when it comes to the basic concept. After all, mummies, vampires and werewolves have all been around for centuries. But a scaly hominid with a coelacanth head, now that’s something new. Sadly, that’s about as far as the innovation goes. The monster gets a lot of cool-looking underwater scenes, but when push comes to shove he’s just another horny critter with a taste for a scientist’s girlfriend. This classic spawned a couple of sequels and more than a couple of imitators, but other than that the sexism, racism and general silliness of the work make what once must have been a real thriller seem more quaint than terrifying. Mildly amusing