Tarzan and the Lost Safari (1957)

Tarzan and the Lost Safari (1957)

[6] Gordon Scott's second outing at Tarzan is far better than his first, and it's also the first Tarzan film to be shot in color! This time around, the loinclothed lord is tasked with helping five passengers of a crashed…
Planet of the Apes (1968)

Planet of the Apes (1968)

[8] It may be tempting to dismiss Planet of the Apes as high camp, but there's provocative science-fiction under those monkey masks. Charlton Heston plays an American astronaut who's on his way back to Earth when he crashlands on a…
Mysterious Island (1961)

Mysterious Island (1961)

[6] Civil War soldiers escape capture in a hot air balloon only to become stranded on an uncharted island inhabited by mutant creatures. Mysterious Island is more than just another showcase for effects pioneer Ray Harryhausen. I enjoyed the survival…
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)

[5] This monster romp was the first solo effort by effects wizard Ray Harryhausen. All the stop-motion animation has the usual Harryhausen charm, including a famous scene where the dinosaur rages down Wall Street and chomps on a policeman. Unfortunately,…
King Kong (1933)

King Kong (1933)

[8] King Kong, the grandfather of all monster movies, is an ambitious visual effects extravaganza servicing a fast-paced adventure story. The film's action set-pieces have inspired generations, whether its Kong's clashes with prehistoric creatures on spooky Skull Island or his…
King Kong (2005)

King Kong (2005)

[8] After finishing The Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson tackled a remake of his favorite film, King Kong. Jackson's remake is largely faithful to the 1933 original, while generously expanding the storyline and embellishing some of the characters. Jackson…
Tarzan’s Hidden Jungle (1955)

Tarzan’s Hidden Jungle (1955)

[3] Gordon Scott makes his debut as Tarzan in this entry. He's a taller, beefier Tarzan -- kinda cute, but certainly the dumbest of the lot. Poachers are in the jungle (again), and a well-meaning animal doctor is accidentally leading…
The Public Enemy (1931)

The Public Enemy (1931)

[7] James Cagney makes his breakthrough performance as a Chicago street kid who becomes a successful gangster during prohibition. I don't usually like gangster movies, but director William Wellman (Wings, The Ox-Bow Incident) frames The Public Enemy as a cautionary…
Master of the World (1961)

Master of the World (1961)

[3] American International takes a break from Edgar Allen Poe pictures to slam two Jules Verne books together for a movie called Master of the World (based on the book of the same title and Robur, the Conqueror). Vincent Price…
Kong: Skull Island (2017)

Kong: Skull Island (2017)

[3] Hello, it's the 1990s. We want our big, stupid action movie back. I really, really disliked this movie. It's so devoid of emotion and tediously boring, I thought about leaving before it was over. It's like Con-Air for the 2010s…