dbborroughs Long dead, or perhaps hibernating conquistador is revived and terrorizes some people in the wilderness.Not really a giant in what we normally think of as a giant the title character is more a really big man. Other than that there isn't much to him as he goes about causing problems for the people in the area where he was buried. You can tell from the lack of real description and enthusiasm how exciting this film is. Its a not a bad film as such but there really isn't much to it at all. Why a giant? beats me, I guess because Conquistador from the Unknown wouldn't have sold as many tickets. The real problem with the film is that this is basically a plug and play film. they took so many stock elements and mixed them together and made this film which is pretty much bereft of any emotion. As 50's horror and scifi films go this is far from the worst, however it is one of the least passionate films. Worth a look if you have nothing else to choose from, but I wouldn't search it out

ghenrikson-1 Though the premise is of course absurd, "Giant from the Unkonwn" is a cut above most B-grade horror films of its era. The difference lies in the cast. Bob Steele, veteran of over 200 films and a familiar face in Westerns, does a very good job as the local sheriff. His gestures, facial expressions and easy mastery of the material give the film its backbone. Morris Ankrum, who plays the inevitable scientist, likewise brought an impressive background to the role. He is probably best known today for his recurring role as a trial judge in Perry Mason, but like Steele he had already been in hundreds of movies when "Giant" was filmed. The supporting cast is good, and manage to approach the silly premise of a giant conquistador on the rampage with a straight face. It's a worthy effort, though it would have been nice to have a better script and a slightly less silly premise.

Vigilante-407 I can't think of any movie that has Morris Ankrum that I didn't really like...and yes, I have seen The Giant Claw (three times, in fact). That fact notwithstanding, Giant From The Unknown is a pretty good movie. The basic story has a Spanish Conquistador (who happens to be a giant and who happens to have travelled up into northern California after breaking with Cortez) waking up after five hundred years of suspended animation and going on a rampage of death and cattle mutilation.Don't let the plot turn you off. The script manages to make it all seem pretty believeable, and the acting is pretty good as well. Morris Ankrum is great. Ed Kemmer (Commander Buzz Corey on Space Patrol) is the hero. Cowboy and serial legend Bob Steele is the sheriff, and the lovely Janet Fraser is the love interest.The monster himself looks pretty good as well...for an unburied conquistador, that is. The finale at the sawmill is an excellent sequence...though don't try to adjust your VCR. That fuzziness is optically-printed snow on the sequence (it took me a couple of minutes to realize that...I thought the print had deteriorated).Giant From the Unknown is a good all-around example of fifties science fiction that is worth a look by fans of the genre.

mord39 RATING: *1/2 out of ****Director Cunha's first of four drive-in "horror classics" is merely typical, and not a big deal. It's about a trio of expeditionists unearthing an infamous 6' 6" Spanish Conquistador who promptly picks up his axe and stalks around the woods for a while.Ed Kemmer makes a likeable leading man, and Sally Fraser is the standard helpless heroine. Morris Ankrum seems hesitant to deliver his lines, and the film is sprinkled with enough silly acting to make it endurable for a single viewing.The film falls short with the title character; a helmeted tall man with dirt and mud on his face just doesn't terrify me. It's one of the last makeups done by genius artist Jack Pierce (famous for his timeless Wolf Man and Frankenstein designs for Universal), and not one of his best efforts. The giant does little during the time he's onscreen, and is disappointing.The best film director Cunha made in the genre - and required viewing for any fifties monster fan - is FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER.