JLRVancouver "20 Million Miles to Earth" opens with a terrible voice-over leading ominously to the lacklustre title, then cuts to a bunch of painful-to-watch Italian stereotypes fishing near Sicily. An adequately rendered spaceship is seen, which then crashes in the ocean. The following scenes, in which the fisherman approach the wreck are outstanding (for the era). The movie then toggles back and forth between Harryhausen's masterful stop-motion monster (posthumously referred to as an Ymir) and some awful filler (especially Pepe and his hat, and other cringe-worthy Italianoids who, for example, describe a trailer as "a house that follows the car like a goat"). There is also the obligatory 'meet cute' romantic subplot, which is even more clichéd and tedious than usual for the genre. The final scenes of the Ymir, standing on top of the Colosseum, weakening by a barrage of bullets, catching itself before falling, then toppling dead to the ground below is clearly a homage to Harryhausen's mentor, Willis O'Brien's masterpiece, King Kong (1933). Like all of Harryhausen's canon, "20 Million Miles to Earth" is worth watching, but it's unfortunate that the same imagination and effort that went into the special effects were not applied to the rest of the film (but then again, who really cares about the frame when the picture is a masterpiece).

Hitchcoc This is a nice example of the fifties monster movie. Like "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" and "The Giant Behemoth," we have a lizard like thing that hatches and launches and attack on Rome. William Hopper (Hedda's boy and Perry Mason's investigator) is the central figure here. While the plot is pedestrian, Ray Harreyhausen's monster is a sight to behold. With stop action animation, it squirms and writhes as it tries to dominate its new habitat. You have to feel sorry for these guys. They are merely acting like wild animals (although the propensity for knocking down buildings seems to be a problem). Anyway, as the creature gets bigger and bigger, we watch it to its climax atop the Rome Coliseum.

utgard14 A rocketship crashes in the sea off the coast of a Sicilian village and two survivors are rescued. The ship was also carrying an alien specimen in the form of a pod with a creature inside it. The pod is found by a boy named Pepe, who sells it to a scientist. Soon the alien hatches from the pod and, growing rapidly, begins to terrorize the countryside.Early Ray Harryhausen film is one of his best. The monster, known as the Ymir but never called that on screen, is an impressive creation. It's great fun to watch the Ymir fight people and animals before ultimately facing the military...on top of the Colosseum no less! The actors in the film are nothing special. The Italians are all walking stereotypes, especially Pepe, but are amusing nonetheless. The square-jawed hero of the film is William Hopper. Hopper was the son of famous gossip columnist Hedda Hopper but is perhaps best known to modern audiences for his role as Paul Drake in the Perry Mason TV series. Joan Taylor is an attractive but bland female lead. The chemistry between these two is sparkless and stale. Really though nobody is watching this movie for the humans. They're watching for the awesome Harryhausen special effects and some simple fun entertainment. And on that front, the film delivers and then some. It's a truly fun sci-fi monster flick from the 1950s, the defining decade for science fiction films.

LeonLouisRicci This Movie has one of Ray Harryhausen's most Beloved and remembered Creatures. The Ymir. Not only is it a Marvel of Design and Personality, we get to see its Birth and that alone can Endear on a Subconscious level. Also, it is a "Chemivore" only Feasting on Sulfur.So when Our Friend from Venus is Attacked and viciously Pursued We are Truly on His Side and We have more Empathy than any "Monster on the Loose" character except King Kong (1933).There are many Highlights. The Elephant Battle and the Barn Scene Stand Out among other Delightfully Visual confrontations in and among Rome's background. There is a Fine Musical Score and some Brutal Violence, and along with the Popular "Monster", make this one of Harryhausen's Best. Even before the Birth of the "Ymir" there are some Impressive Spaceship Shots that set Everything in "stop" motion. This is an unforgettable Movie forever locked in its time frame and is an example of an Artist reaching excellence and about to attain greatness, because this one is the precursor to the following year's 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) Ray Harryhausen's Masterpiece.