Excellent ultra low budget 50's monster flick from a British-American viewpoint that cashes in on the Japanese and American giant monster movie industries despite it being from late in the cycle and clearly made very cheap.
'Behemoth' is slow and deliberate for it's first two acts, introducing it's characters and giving them a bit of time to interact together whilst keeping the beast off screen and operating on proceedings solely through hints and the consequences of it's rampage.
The final third uses smashing stop motion special effects for the arrival of the Behemoth in London and a cheap and convenient method to resolve it.
Overall the direction works well as the tension and jeopardy is developed gradually and the leading pair play well off each other in playing clearly defined characterisations.
The films sound effects and score are complementary and I really recommend to any vintage monster madness film fans who haven't yet seen this film.
I rate a satisfied 5/10 for a minimum production effort that packs a fair amount of punch but always, by necessity, on a minimal scale.
'Behemoth' is slow and deliberate for it's first two acts, introducing it's characters and giving them a bit of time to interact together whilst keeping the beast off screen and operating on proceedings solely through hints and the consequences of it's rampage.
The final third uses smashing stop motion special effects for the arrival of the Behemoth in London and a cheap and convenient method to resolve it.
Overall the direction works well as the tension and jeopardy is developed gradually and the leading pair play well off each other in playing clearly defined characterisations.
The films sound effects and score are complementary and I really recommend to any vintage monster madness film fans who haven't yet seen this film.
I rate a satisfied 5/10 for a minimum production effort that packs a fair amount of punch but always, by necessity, on a minimal scale.