Colonel Manning, the amazing 60ft colossal man from the same film, falls into the Colorado River at the end of that film from not-so-friendly military firepower. It seems now though that he survives that only to be swept down river into Mexico where he resides in the mountains and yanks trucks off the road for food. OK, the story in this one in not anything grandiose to be sure, but Bert I. Gordon's follow-up is satisfying to a point. This time around Glenn's sister still believes her brother to be alive and flies down to Mexico - soon to be followed by a military officer who didn't believe her in the first place. Well, Manning is discovered in the mountains, tricked into eating bread loaded with something that knocks him out, and then transported to Los Angelos. From there on we basically get what we got in the first film. There are some differences though. Manning is played this time by the same guy that played the giant with the bad face and eye in Gordon's The Cyclops. He has virtually no dialog. This means that it is a lot more difficult to feel for the character as one might have in the first film. This film does show some attention to the bureaucratic way in which our government works. The acting is competent and Gordon's direction fair. His special effects are again nothing so special. We have the one brief moment of color in the climax. We also get a pretty lengthy flashback taken entirely from the first film. This is a decent sequel but not as "good" as its original source material.
67 Reviews
An obvious attempt at milking dry an already successful formula.
christopouloschris-5838827 June 2019
War of the Colossal Beast is a sequel to Gordon's earlier The Amazing Colossal Man (1957), and it picks up where that one left off. However, the film features a different cast. It was distributed theatrically by American International Pictures as the top half of a double feature with Attack of the Puppet People.
This sequel has competent acting performances, fair direction and ordinary special effects. It is also an obvious attempt at milking dry an already successful formula.
Unlike the first film, the character of Manning virtually has no dialogue which makes it far more difficult to feel empathy for the character.
The special effects are pretty ordinary by any standards with great reliance made on double exposure shots. However, quite a good job was made with Manning's facial make-up and the audio of his character's grunts and groans which effectively contribute to the "horror" aspect of the film.
The film is short enough as it is but unfortunately much of it consists of flashback footage from the first film which merely serves to pad the movie.
Despite the film's title, the Colossal Beast does not really engage in much of a "war" with anyone. For much of the time we see Manning being captured, him lying on his back and some military vehicles being maneuvered into position.
The War of the Colossal Beast does serve to highlight one theme that threads itself through many aspects of life in any era. Namely, how we choose to deal with big and seemingly intractable problems which are often of our own making.
This sequel has competent acting performances, fair direction and ordinary special effects. It is also an obvious attempt at milking dry an already successful formula.
Unlike the first film, the character of Manning virtually has no dialogue which makes it far more difficult to feel empathy for the character.
The special effects are pretty ordinary by any standards with great reliance made on double exposure shots. However, quite a good job was made with Manning's facial make-up and the audio of his character's grunts and groans which effectively contribute to the "horror" aspect of the film.
The film is short enough as it is but unfortunately much of it consists of flashback footage from the first film which merely serves to pad the movie.
Despite the film's title, the Colossal Beast does not really engage in much of a "war" with anyone. For much of the time we see Manning being captured, him lying on his back and some military vehicles being maneuvered into position.
The War of the Colossal Beast does serve to highlight one theme that threads itself through many aspects of life in any era. Namely, how we choose to deal with big and seemingly intractable problems which are often of our own making.
"How do you reason with a 60 foot giant?"
bensonmum214 September 2007
Warning: Spoilers
War of the Colossal Beat continues the story of Col. Glenn Manning that began in The Amazing Colossal Man. I'm not really sure why Mr. B.I.G. felt the need to do a sequel (Who am I kidding? He saw an opportunity to make some money.) as there's really nothing new to cover. It's the same basic premise with the same low budget special effects and similar bad acting. Add a few plot details concerning Manning terrorizing the Mexican countryside and you've got War of the Colossal Beast. And that's the biggest problem I have with the movie. The whole thing has that "been there, don't that" feel to it.
Still, if you're a fan of this kind of stuff like I am, there are moments to enjoy. For example, Manning's first appearance always catches me off-guard. I jump every time I watch the movie. Second, and it may seem silly, but I get a real kick out of the scene where Manning picks up the truck to eat the bread out of the back. Too funny! Finally, I do like the ending. The added color is a very nice touch.
Still, if you're a fan of this kind of stuff like I am, there are moments to enjoy. For example, Manning's first appearance always catches me off-guard. I jump every time I watch the movie. Second, and it may seem silly, but I get a real kick out of the scene where Manning picks up the truck to eat the bread out of the back. Too funny! Finally, I do like the ending. The added color is a very nice touch.
Still good after all these years.
Clint Eastwood14 June 2004
I first saw the War of the Colossal Beast when I was about 6 or 7 years old. I enjoyed it so much that my father purchased me a 3 minute movie of it that had to be played on a movie projector. Today I own both The Amazing Colossal Man, & War of the Colossal Beast. I liked the sequel better than the first one. The special effects were better I believe. The harsh roars he made always scared me as a little kid. The movie has no real great plot. It did have quite a few errors, but I over looked them, such as Glenn Manning having no relation, then all of a sudden he has a sister. Overall I would recommend watching both movies. I am happy to own both of them, due to the fact that they are rare & not so easy movies to find today.
Not really THAT bad, come on!
zetes10 October 2011
The sequel to The Amazing Colossal Man, which has never been on DVD due to rights issues. I saw that one on TNT's Monster Vision years ago. I think I may have seen this one, too. If not on TNT, I may have seen it on MST3K. I may have also seen Earth vs. the Spider and Village of the Giants on MST3K, too - they loved Bert I. Gordon. It's funny that all three of these films have such low ratings (none are above 3.0), because, while they aren't good films, they are nowhere near that bad. They're pretty typical B movies. War of the Colossal Beast actually has a pretty emotional core, and the film's final moments are quite touching. It also has a fantastic opening sequence (Gordon really seems to know how to open his movies - all three of these start off beautifully). We don't see the Colossal Beast, just a truck driver driving full speed, frequently looking behind him and screaming. Dean Parkin is quite good as the title character, who has become a near-mindless monster, half his face torn off, after being nearly killed and falling off Hoover Damn in the first film. Like most B movies, the plot is pretty lean, and there are long stretches when nothing's really happening. There's also a nearly ten minute stretch which I think is just footage from the previous film.
Get the picture?
lastliberal-853-25370811 August 2012
This is the perfect drive-in movie. You can take a short break in your activity and look up at the colossal man, and then go back to what you were doing secure in the knowledge that you didn't miss a thing.
The most amazing thing about seeing colossal man for the first time is the fact that he managed to find something to wrap around his waist. He is supposed to be brain damaged, but he has enough presence of mind to keep us from seeing what I suspect was a colossal wang.
In a twist, the end of the movie is in color. First time I have seen that used.
If you are looking for a war, it doesn't happen
The most amazing thing about seeing colossal man for the first time is the fact that he managed to find something to wrap around his waist. He is supposed to be brain damaged, but he has enough presence of mind to keep us from seeing what I suspect was a colossal wang.
In a twist, the end of the movie is in color. First time I have seen that used.
If you are looking for a war, it doesn't happen
Poor Glen
Hitchcoc24 June 2015
This is the sad case of the Colossal man, Glen Manning, who through no fault of his own was doomed to suffer a horrible fate. In the first movie, he appeared to die as he fell off Hoover Dam. Now, he has resurfaced, with huge facial deformities and damage to his brain. The problem this time is that he doesn't seem to have the ability to communicate with others. His sister goes to bat for him when the military wants nothing more that to destroy him. It's interesting where he fits on the definition of humanness. That's why the sister is working so hard to get him some help, but he doesn't seem to be able to interpret his world. He does show his compassion one more time at the close of this film. The big guy never had a chance.
Acceptable hokum.
gridoon10 October 2001
This movie may have a strange after-effect on you; it's so short in length (only 68 minutes) and so trivial, that two or three hours after you've seen it, you may have forgotten everything about it. As a sequel....well, it's about on a par with the original. There is no attempt at character development this time around, but the special effects are SLIGHTLY better. Painless hokum. (**)
I actually thought it was slightly better than the original.
poolandrews3 May 2012
Warning: Spoilers
War of the Colossal Beast starts in Los Angeles as Joyce Mannning (Sally Fraser) hears about a strange incident in Mexico in which a man's truck mysterious disappears without leaving any tracks. The sister of 60 foot giant Col. Glenn Manning (Dean Parkin) who was apparently shot dead by the US military but whose body was never found Joyce suspects that her brother might be responsible for the vanishing truck & travels to Mexico to investigate, Major Mark Baird (Roger Pace) joins her & together they discover Glenn hiding in a mountain range & stealing trucks for food supplies. A trap is set & Glenn is rendered unconscious & flown to Los Angeles airport & chained to the floor of a huge hangar. More monster than man Glenn manages to escape & starts to terrorise Los Angeles, it's up to the authorities to try & prevent any harm coming to anyone & find a peaceful solution...
Produced & directed by Mr. BIG himself Bert I. Gordon this direct sequel to his earlier The Amazing Colossal Man (1957) was made only a couple of years later & having seen the original as recently as a couple of days ago I have to say while neither are exactly masterpieces I actually thought The War of the Colossal Beast was the slightly better film although most claim the opposite. The very questionable scientific nonsense from the original is absent here with no mention of Glenn's heart problems, at just under 70 minutes it moves along at a decent pace although the first twenty odd minutes is set-up as a mystery where we know what's happening to the missing truck's but it takes a while for the character's to catch up. The script is fairly basic, there's not a lot to the film & it's just a case of Manning being captured by the military, escaping, being captured again & escaping again although how he can just disappear is a mystery to me as a 60 foot tall giant isn't exactly inconspicuous is he? I mean he's hardly a set of car key's... The ending is a bit of a mystery too, after a unexpected twist in which Manning tries to commit suicide he just disappears into thin air which just looks totally bizarre & never explained. I also feel that the script does a better job of making you sympathise with Manning compared to the first which just paints him as an unlikable moaner although there is no mention of the plan to return Manning to his normal size that featured prominently in the original. The War of the Colossal Beast is a competently written & made low budget sci-fi horror that isn't brilliant but isn't that bad either, at only 70 odd minutes long at least it's short too.
The film doesn't really live up to it's dramatic sounding title, I would hardly describe anything that happens as even approaching a War & gone is the description of a mere Colossal Man to be replaced with the more terrifying sounding Colossal Beast! You may, or indeed may not, know that the 'thrilling' climax of The War of the Colossal Beast was shot in colour, don't get your hopes up though as while the ending does change from black and white to colour the colour footage lasts for all of thirty seconds. There are numerous flashbacks to the original film where footage is edited into this which helps explain the origins of Manning if you haven't seen the original. The special effects are alright & a slight step-up from the original, the matte work isn't quite as bad & Manning interacts with his surrounds more although the model work isn't that convincing. Originally released as a double package with Mr BIG's Attack of the Puppet People (1958).
Filmed in Los Angeles in California the production values are decent enough & it's competently made for what it is. The acting isn't great but it's not terrible, the original Colossal Man has been replaced with Dean Pickering who only gets to say one word throughout the entire film & has some fairly effective disfigured face make-up although his constant loud moaning type noises that makes irritated me.
The War of the Colossal Beast is a pretty good late 50's sci-fi monster film, it's fairly basic & not that much happens but at only 70 odd minutes it's fun while it last's. Not too bad at all & I actually prefer it to the original.
Produced & directed by Mr. BIG himself Bert I. Gordon this direct sequel to his earlier The Amazing Colossal Man (1957) was made only a couple of years later & having seen the original as recently as a couple of days ago I have to say while neither are exactly masterpieces I actually thought The War of the Colossal Beast was the slightly better film although most claim the opposite. The very questionable scientific nonsense from the original is absent here with no mention of Glenn's heart problems, at just under 70 minutes it moves along at a decent pace although the first twenty odd minutes is set-up as a mystery where we know what's happening to the missing truck's but it takes a while for the character's to catch up. The script is fairly basic, there's not a lot to the film & it's just a case of Manning being captured by the military, escaping, being captured again & escaping again although how he can just disappear is a mystery to me as a 60 foot tall giant isn't exactly inconspicuous is he? I mean he's hardly a set of car key's... The ending is a bit of a mystery too, after a unexpected twist in which Manning tries to commit suicide he just disappears into thin air which just looks totally bizarre & never explained. I also feel that the script does a better job of making you sympathise with Manning compared to the first which just paints him as an unlikable moaner although there is no mention of the plan to return Manning to his normal size that featured prominently in the original. The War of the Colossal Beast is a competently written & made low budget sci-fi horror that isn't brilliant but isn't that bad either, at only 70 odd minutes long at least it's short too.
The film doesn't really live up to it's dramatic sounding title, I would hardly describe anything that happens as even approaching a War & gone is the description of a mere Colossal Man to be replaced with the more terrifying sounding Colossal Beast! You may, or indeed may not, know that the 'thrilling' climax of The War of the Colossal Beast was shot in colour, don't get your hopes up though as while the ending does change from black and white to colour the colour footage lasts for all of thirty seconds. There are numerous flashbacks to the original film where footage is edited into this which helps explain the origins of Manning if you haven't seen the original. The special effects are alright & a slight step-up from the original, the matte work isn't quite as bad & Manning interacts with his surrounds more although the model work isn't that convincing. Originally released as a double package with Mr BIG's Attack of the Puppet People (1958).
Filmed in Los Angeles in California the production values are decent enough & it's competently made for what it is. The acting isn't great but it's not terrible, the original Colossal Man has been replaced with Dean Pickering who only gets to say one word throughout the entire film & has some fairly effective disfigured face make-up although his constant loud moaning type noises that makes irritated me.
The War of the Colossal Beast is a pretty good late 50's sci-fi monster film, it's fairly basic & not that much happens but at only 70 odd minutes it's fun while it last's. Not too bad at all & I actually prefer it to the original.
Another amazing trash!!!
elo-equipamentos20 November 2017
I really love this kind of sci-fi movie, exploring such weird idea where a man was exposed from nuclear bomb's radiation and became gradually giant, the first movie was so successfully that got this sequel, now the beast arise in Mexico rural area, curiously the final scene when the giant monster died electrified the movie turns black and white in color until the end, here in Brazil the DVD came out in double feature with both movies, amazing trash movie from the fifties!!
Resume:
First watch: 2017 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 5
Resume:
First watch: 2017 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 5
Nothing Colossal Here!
zardoz-1319 July 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Director Bert I. Gordon's "War of the Colossal Beast" is a sequel to his 1957 opus "The Amazing Colossal Man." The original depicted the tragic circumstances surrounding the exposure of U.S. Army officer Lieutenant Colonel Glen Manning to plutonium radiation from a bomb blast. Manning experiences a growth spurt and towers 60 feet in height. Of course, growing so quickly takes a toll on his body and he goes insane. He stomps off for Las Vegas and winds up atop Hoover Dam where he falls apparently to his death.
"War of the Colossal Beast" picks up after Manning disappeared from his fall at Hoover Dam. Miraculously, although his body was never found, the eponymous monster survived the plunge and is alive and well in Mexico when the sequel starts! He is hiding in the mountains and he preys on vehicles delivering any kind of food. The film opens with a terrified youth, Miguel (Robert Hernandez of "Cavalcade of America"), careening hell-bent for leather to escape whatever he saw that has severely traumatized him. As a matter of fact, Miguel is fleeing from the "Colossal Man," but we aren't shown his foe. Gordon leaves it up to our imagination. John Swanson (George Becwar of "Bride of the Monster") owned the truck that Miguel was driving and he sets out to collect insurance on it. Unfortunately, he cannot find his truck. Eventually, he questions Sgt. Luis Murillo of local police and Murillo takes Swanson to the lad. Poor Miguel is supine in the hospital undergoing treatment for shock.
A television station, WTLA broadcasts word of the accident and it arouses the suspicion of Manning's sister, Joyce (Sally Fraser of "Giant from the Unknown"), and she goes to Mexico to see if she can learn anything about her brother. This is odd and interesting because in "The Amazing Colossal Man" we were told that Manning had no relatives. U.S. Army officer Major Mark Baird (Roger Pace of "Jump into Hell") and scientist Dr. Carmichael (Russ Bender of "Maryjane")who heads up the military's "radiation exposure department," accompany Joyce. Twenty minutes into the action as the heroine and company discover a graveyard of abandoned trucks snatched by the titular character, "The Colossal Man" makes his appearance. Clearly, all Gordon did was mask off part of the screen conveniently using he contours of the mountain and rely on rear-screen projection so the big fellow can stride into view. Baird and Carmichael prepare the "Colossal Beast" loaves of bread spiked with enough Chloral hydrate to knock him out for eight hours. Talk about fast-acting stuff! Not long after the "Beast" gnaws the bread, he collapses. Baird loads Manning's tied down body aboard a military transport and flies him back to America. Initially, he cannot obtain clearance to land the "Beast," but his relentless harassment of Los Angeles' mayor gets him a reprieve to land his cargo plane and lock up Colonel Manning in a nearby hanger. Naturally, the "Beast" escapes from the hangar and stomps up to Griffith Park Observatory where he picks up a bus packed with junior high school students and hoists it over his head like a barbell. Joyce seizes a jeep and drives up to where her misshapen brother is and persuades him to put the bus down. A dejected Manning utters his one comprehensible word "Joyce" and then commits suicide by electrocuting himself on a power line.
Movies like the two "Colossal" epics were standard fare during the paranoid 1950s when Hollywood loved to use atomic energy to mutate either man or beast or both for sensational consequences. Clearly, in one sense, these movie served as cautionary tales about the unknown dangers associated with nuclear power. One of the earliest examples of this genre was "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" (1953) where an atomic bomb blast in the Arctic Circle melted the ice that had kept a million year old giant rhedosaurus confined. The following year saw the release of "Them!" (1954) about gargantuan ants irradiated by a nuclear explosion. "Tarantula" (1955) tweaked the narrative when researchers created chemical from atomic science to grow a gigantic spider. The Japanese appropriated only on the paranoia over nuclear energy but also the genre for more spectacular results with "Godzilla" (1956) and launched a franchise.
Not long after the monster is brought back to the States, it relives the part of its life when he was stricken with radiation, so if you missed the first movie, you know what happened. There is an amusing scene after word of Manning's survival when a legislator is asked what part of the government will rule about the mutant. Everybody in Washington gives the press the bureaucratic run-a-round about jurisdiction in the case. Gordon made movies for American International Pictures. What is interesting about "War of the Colossal Beast" is its finale when the monster seizes the high power lines. Everything turns into full color. This movie is entertaining for a laugh and is representative of Hollywood's obsession with nuclear power during the 1950s. Clearly, the title is all hype because there isn't much of a war in this 69-minute film.
"War of the Colossal Beast" picks up after Manning disappeared from his fall at Hoover Dam. Miraculously, although his body was never found, the eponymous monster survived the plunge and is alive and well in Mexico when the sequel starts! He is hiding in the mountains and he preys on vehicles delivering any kind of food. The film opens with a terrified youth, Miguel (Robert Hernandez of "Cavalcade of America"), careening hell-bent for leather to escape whatever he saw that has severely traumatized him. As a matter of fact, Miguel is fleeing from the "Colossal Man," but we aren't shown his foe. Gordon leaves it up to our imagination. John Swanson (George Becwar of "Bride of the Monster") owned the truck that Miguel was driving and he sets out to collect insurance on it. Unfortunately, he cannot find his truck. Eventually, he questions Sgt. Luis Murillo of local police and Murillo takes Swanson to the lad. Poor Miguel is supine in the hospital undergoing treatment for shock.
A television station, WTLA broadcasts word of the accident and it arouses the suspicion of Manning's sister, Joyce (Sally Fraser of "Giant from the Unknown"), and she goes to Mexico to see if she can learn anything about her brother. This is odd and interesting because in "The Amazing Colossal Man" we were told that Manning had no relatives. U.S. Army officer Major Mark Baird (Roger Pace of "Jump into Hell") and scientist Dr. Carmichael (Russ Bender of "Maryjane")who heads up the military's "radiation exposure department," accompany Joyce. Twenty minutes into the action as the heroine and company discover a graveyard of abandoned trucks snatched by the titular character, "The Colossal Man" makes his appearance. Clearly, all Gordon did was mask off part of the screen conveniently using he contours of the mountain and rely on rear-screen projection so the big fellow can stride into view. Baird and Carmichael prepare the "Colossal Beast" loaves of bread spiked with enough Chloral hydrate to knock him out for eight hours. Talk about fast-acting stuff! Not long after the "Beast" gnaws the bread, he collapses. Baird loads Manning's tied down body aboard a military transport and flies him back to America. Initially, he cannot obtain clearance to land the "Beast," but his relentless harassment of Los Angeles' mayor gets him a reprieve to land his cargo plane and lock up Colonel Manning in a nearby hanger. Naturally, the "Beast" escapes from the hangar and stomps up to Griffith Park Observatory where he picks up a bus packed with junior high school students and hoists it over his head like a barbell. Joyce seizes a jeep and drives up to where her misshapen brother is and persuades him to put the bus down. A dejected Manning utters his one comprehensible word "Joyce" and then commits suicide by electrocuting himself on a power line.
Movies like the two "Colossal" epics were standard fare during the paranoid 1950s when Hollywood loved to use atomic energy to mutate either man or beast or both for sensational consequences. Clearly, in one sense, these movie served as cautionary tales about the unknown dangers associated with nuclear power. One of the earliest examples of this genre was "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" (1953) where an atomic bomb blast in the Arctic Circle melted the ice that had kept a million year old giant rhedosaurus confined. The following year saw the release of "Them!" (1954) about gargantuan ants irradiated by a nuclear explosion. "Tarantula" (1955) tweaked the narrative when researchers created chemical from atomic science to grow a gigantic spider. The Japanese appropriated only on the paranoia over nuclear energy but also the genre for more spectacular results with "Godzilla" (1956) and launched a franchise.
Not long after the monster is brought back to the States, it relives the part of its life when he was stricken with radiation, so if you missed the first movie, you know what happened. There is an amusing scene after word of Manning's survival when a legislator is asked what part of the government will rule about the mutant. Everybody in Washington gives the press the bureaucratic run-a-round about jurisdiction in the case. Gordon made movies for American International Pictures. What is interesting about "War of the Colossal Beast" is its finale when the monster seizes the high power lines. Everything turns into full color. This movie is entertaining for a laugh and is representative of Hollywood's obsession with nuclear power during the 1950s. Clearly, the title is all hype because there isn't much of a war in this 69-minute film.
GRADE B MOVIE CLASSIC
bbrasher12 November 2002
I first got to see this one on SCI-FI CINEMA about 30 odd years ago, and never got tired of it to this day. A sequel to THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN, WTCB picks up where that one left off. Col. Glenn Manning, having survived the fall from Boulder Dam is disfigured and hopelessly insane,(he somehow manages to hold on to his loin cloth),the U.S. military tries to contain him while his sister (Sally Fraser) tries to communicate with him. He manages to escape and wreak havoc (we wouldn't have much of a movie if he stayed put, now would we?)
What I found intriguing about this movie was how far down a once normal human being can descend without the hope of ever returning to normal. (This was one of the factors that made NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD one of the classic horror movies of its time).
For all of its faults, WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST, as well as its predecessor is fun to watch and I never get tired of playing the videos every now and then.
Rating: **** out of *****
What I found intriguing about this movie was how far down a once normal human being can descend without the hope of ever returning to normal. (This was one of the factors that made NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD one of the classic horror movies of its time).
For all of its faults, WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST, as well as its predecessor is fun to watch and I never get tired of playing the videos every now and then.
Rating: **** out of *****
Glenn Manning is back
chris_gaskin12316 February 2005
War Of the Colossal Beast followed a year after The Amazing Colossal Man and was directed by Bert I Gorden or Mr BIG.
In Mexico, truck loads of food are going missing and they turn out to be the responsibility of Glann Manning the giant. He is now mutated with one eye and a disfigured face and growls instead of talks. He is captured and taken to LA, but escapes into a nearby park and picks up a bus full of children and puts it down when his sister (replacing his fiancé in this movie) tells him to. He then electrocutes himself to death by touching some high voltage power lines.
The end bit is where the movie explodes into full colour.
The cast includes Dean Parkin as Manning and 50's sci-fi regulars Sally Fraser (Earth vs. the Spider) as his sister and Russ Bender,who also appeared in The Amazing Colossel Man but is playing a different role in this one.
Thoush not as good as the Colossel Man,I quite enjoyed watching this sequel.
Rating: 2 and a half stars out of 5.
In Mexico, truck loads of food are going missing and they turn out to be the responsibility of Glann Manning the giant. He is now mutated with one eye and a disfigured face and growls instead of talks. He is captured and taken to LA, but escapes into a nearby park and picks up a bus full of children and puts it down when his sister (replacing his fiancé in this movie) tells him to. He then electrocutes himself to death by touching some high voltage power lines.
The end bit is where the movie explodes into full colour.
The cast includes Dean Parkin as Manning and 50's sci-fi regulars Sally Fraser (Earth vs. the Spider) as his sister and Russ Bender,who also appeared in The Amazing Colossel Man but is playing a different role in this one.
Thoush not as good as the Colossel Man,I quite enjoyed watching this sequel.
Rating: 2 and a half stars out of 5.
Colossal blunder
scsu19757 November 2022
Sequel to "The Amazing Colossal Man" has no members from the original cast. I can understand why they couldn't bring back the scientist who had the giant syringe stuck to him, but even the title character is played by a new actor. This time, it's Dean Parkin as the giant, replacing Glenn Langan. The only thing they have in common is that they are both bald. Half of Parkin's face is caved in, so apparently the filmmakers figured this would fool the audience - kind of like Ed Wood thought he would fool the audience when he replaced the dead Bela Lugosi with the live chiropractor in "Plan 9 from Outer Space."
Parkin brings plenty of height (but no depth) to his role. He basically reprises his character from The Cyclops, including his trademark "bwaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh" sound (which now sounds like my lawnmower). Get this guy some Pepto Bismol. He has upgraded from Huggies to Depends, and apparently has done some ab work.
Meanwhile, Sally Fraser, as his sister, hears about trucks disappearing in Mexico and figures her oversized sibling has something to do with it. Odd, since in the first film, The Man had no relatives. He did have a fiancée (played by Cathy Downs), but she is nowhere to be found in this film, except in a few flashbacks - which only serve to remind us that Parkin does not look like Langan.
The Army manages to capture the giant after he is drugged with loaves of bread. They transport him to L. A. and tie him up in a hangar. Gee, what could go wrong here?
After performing a few mental experiments on him, the authorities are pretty much convinced he is beyond help. They decide they will transport him to a deserted island, but the Big Boy has other ideas, and breaks loose.
Now using the alias "The Notorious B. I. G," the giant heads for Griffith Park, where he picks up a busload of kids on a field trip to the observatory. Wait until you see the expressions on the faces of James Dean, Sal Mineo, and Natalie Wood.
This film starts off promising, but falls apart. There is almost no action. The giant accidentally falls on one guy, and kills another guy off-screen. If you're going to make a film about a giant, then for Pete's sake, at least have him stomp on the populace.
Parkin brings plenty of height (but no depth) to his role. He basically reprises his character from The Cyclops, including his trademark "bwaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh" sound (which now sounds like my lawnmower). Get this guy some Pepto Bismol. He has upgraded from Huggies to Depends, and apparently has done some ab work.
Meanwhile, Sally Fraser, as his sister, hears about trucks disappearing in Mexico and figures her oversized sibling has something to do with it. Odd, since in the first film, The Man had no relatives. He did have a fiancée (played by Cathy Downs), but she is nowhere to be found in this film, except in a few flashbacks - which only serve to remind us that Parkin does not look like Langan.
The Army manages to capture the giant after he is drugged with loaves of bread. They transport him to L. A. and tie him up in a hangar. Gee, what could go wrong here?
After performing a few mental experiments on him, the authorities are pretty much convinced he is beyond help. They decide they will transport him to a deserted island, but the Big Boy has other ideas, and breaks loose.
Now using the alias "The Notorious B. I. G," the giant heads for Griffith Park, where he picks up a busload of kids on a field trip to the observatory. Wait until you see the expressions on the faces of James Dean, Sal Mineo, and Natalie Wood.
This film starts off promising, but falls apart. There is almost no action. The giant accidentally falls on one guy, and kills another guy off-screen. If you're going to make a film about a giant, then for Pete's sake, at least have him stomp on the populace.
"Look..look at the giant"
yenlo11 November 1999
The sequel to The Amazing Colossal Man continues with the further adventures of the unfortunate Colonel Glen Manning now having lost an eye and most of the flesh around the right side of his jaw. He finds his way to Mexico after obviously surviving his plunge off Hoover Dam and raids trucks for food. It's along the same level as the original and even though it's cheesy it's still fun to watch.
More colossal man
BandSAboutMovies20 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
A spiritual sequel to The Amazing Colossal Man - with a different cast - this movie starts with Joyce Manning believing that her gigantic brother Lt. Colonel Glenn Manning survived his fall from Hoover Dam in the last movie.
He does live, except that his face is disfigured and he's lost his mind as it tries to deal with the traumatic fall that he took. This facial damage was because there was a new star - and also a stagehand on the film - Dean Parkin and this would disguise the fact that they changed up who would play the lead. Stranger still, the dream sequence in the movie shows original actor Glenn Lanagan.
War of the Colossal Beast was produced, directed and written by Bert I. Gordon - the king of these kinds of movies - and co-produced by Samuel Z. Arkoff. The last scene of the movie was shot in color and then made into black and white to match the rest of the film.
He does live, except that his face is disfigured and he's lost his mind as it tries to deal with the traumatic fall that he took. This facial damage was because there was a new star - and also a stagehand on the film - Dean Parkin and this would disguise the fact that they changed up who would play the lead. Stranger still, the dream sequence in the movie shows original actor Glenn Lanagan.
War of the Colossal Beast was produced, directed and written by Bert I. Gordon - the king of these kinds of movies - and co-produced by Samuel Z. Arkoff. The last scene of the movie was shot in color and then made into black and white to match the rest of the film.
There wasn't a lot of reason to make or watch this one...
planktonrules12 August 2010
I love 1950s sci-fi and horror films. Sure, many of them are quite cheesy but they are also quite fun. And this is the biggest reason NOT to see this film--it simply isn't any fun.
Although you would think that the enormous man died at the end of "The Amazing Colossal Man", somehow Colonel Manning somehow ends up in Mexico. This, despite two bazooka blasts and a 700 foot fall at the end of the last movie. The only think I liked about this angle was the great makeup job--with the Colonel's partially exposed skull. The other problem with the man now is that he's obviously brain damaged and just growled and grunted throughout the film! Not surprisingly, when the Air Force brings him back to America, bad things ensue.
In addition to a rather unnecessary plot, the film also suffers from 'flashback-itis'. In other words, much of the film consists of film footage from the first film in a cynical attempt to pad the movie--which is sad because even with this recycled footage it's only a little over an hour long.
So here's the negative: the script is dull, filled with rehashed material and the leading man growls and grunts throughout the entire movie. On the positive side: cool skull makeup. All in all, the skull makeup pales in comparison to the rest of the movie! My advice is only see this is you are very, very bored...and not particularly choosy.
Although you would think that the enormous man died at the end of "The Amazing Colossal Man", somehow Colonel Manning somehow ends up in Mexico. This, despite two bazooka blasts and a 700 foot fall at the end of the last movie. The only think I liked about this angle was the great makeup job--with the Colonel's partially exposed skull. The other problem with the man now is that he's obviously brain damaged and just growled and grunted throughout the film! Not surprisingly, when the Air Force brings him back to America, bad things ensue.
In addition to a rather unnecessary plot, the film also suffers from 'flashback-itis'. In other words, much of the film consists of film footage from the first film in a cynical attempt to pad the movie--which is sad because even with this recycled footage it's only a little over an hour long.
So here's the negative: the script is dull, filled with rehashed material and the leading man growls and grunts throughout the entire movie. On the positive side: cool skull makeup. All in all, the skull makeup pales in comparison to the rest of the movie! My advice is only see this is you are very, very bored...and not particularly choosy.
RUN AWAAAAAYYY!!!!!!!! Amazing Colossal Giant's Turd
verbusen11 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers
When you read comments here that say it's not as good as The Amazing Colossal Man you know you should stay away. But since you wouldn't listen, here are my two cents. It's bad, it's so bad that it's not even good. Well OK it's not that bad, one scene that I got a chuckle out of was a private running with a pretty obvious skip in his step, that was funny. So here is a critique of this as a serious monster flick. It ranks on a very low scale. The Giant doesn't eat anyone, it eats some bread and thats about it. He picks up some trucks in the beginning and goes rampaging around an airport later but there is only one death in the whole flick and it's the doctor dude like in the first one. There is a cheap armored car with a couple of guns and some stock footage of jets taking off. Yeah looking back I'm really really happy the only reason why I watched this was because it was an MST3K episode. They put some musical instrument info-mercial before it that was a whole lot better material to work with, otherwise even the MST3K treatment would not have been enough for this AMAZING COLOSSAL GIANT'S TURD. 2 of 10 (5 of 10 with MST3K commentary).
War of the Colossal Beast
Scarecrow-888 October 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Good ole Bert I Gordon helms this huge slice of Velveeta, a straight- faced sequel to his "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman" clone, The Amazing Colossal Man. Colonel Manning didn't die as thought, roaming the countryside of Guavos, Mexico, lifting food trucks off roads, his face and brain damaged. His sister in Los Angeles urges the military and doctors to help him. Government brass want nothing to do with him, and psyche tests show Manning is a head case of enormous size. A hanger holds him for a while but eventually Manning frees himself, nearly tossing a bus of kids at the soldiers oddly blinding him with spotlights... because that is what you do to a giant hoisting up a bus full of students! Despite being a man of great size, power lines are his downfall. Growling, with some rather poor makeup imitating revealed skull, this Manning speaks only his sister's name and nothing else. The giant effects opposite regular size folks and landscapes reveal all too well the limits Gordon's budget had. Being loose in LA, the film is too low budget to capitalize on any recognizable locations, ending at night with neighborhood onlookers marveling. For Gordon fans, this will be fun, but others, not so much. Lots of talking minds debating what to do about Manning as his sis appeals to in her brother's favor.
South of the border, down Mexico way
utgard1428 October 2014
...that's where the Amazing Colossal Man came out to play. Well, that's how the song lyrics would go if they were written for this movie, Bert I. Gordon's sequel to The Amazing Colossal Man. It's cheaply made with excessive footage from the first movie used as flashbacks to pad the runtime. Even with this it barely clocks in at an hour. It takes awhile before we even see the Colossal Man and, even then, he doesn't do much. If your movie's one selling point is a giant bald guy throwing cars around and junk, you'd better deliver. The sad fact is it's a remarkably dull movie where very little happens. I don't mind a low budget and lots of cheese as long as it's a fun movie. This isn't much fun, sadly. Cool "partially exposed skull" makeup on the giant, though.
WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST (Bert I. Gordon, 1958) *1/2
Bunuel197615 October 2013
Bert I. Gordon was known to milk a successful formula dry, but his efforts perhaps never felt more mercenary than here – for he not only revived the unfortunate protagonist of THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN but, to show his degeneration to an essentially subhuman level, he was given the chief attribute (an annoyingly loud growl) of THE CYCLOPS (both these films emanated from the previous year)! A sure sign of the quick cash-in status of this one is the fact that the film-makers did not even bother to re-read the original's script, where it is mentioned that Glenn Langan had no surviving relatives
but a sister somehow pops up here!; incidentally, one cannot blame the actor for presumably declining to reprise his by-now unenviable role, but neither were any of the other characters retained (which is odd, to say the least)! While the lack of heartburn this time around can be explained by the scientists in the first film having succeeded in stalling his growth, he acquires a physical and almost skeletal makeover – which, along with the title (despite its obvious exaggeration, since his acts of aggression basically revolve around pillaging food-trucks for sustenance and, at the climax, threatening to throw a school-bus filled with children at the inquisitive crowds and assorted military figures below!) and a surprising switch to colour for the monster's literally electrifying come-uppance, virtually constitute its sole points of interest.
...And he swam, and he swam, all over the damn, landing Down Mexico Way...
mark.waltz3 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Daniel Boone may have been a man, a big man, but he has nothing on Glenn Manning, the Army Lt. Colonel made a giant by a nuclear explosion. Requiring some anger management, the Amazing Colossal Man has survived the encounter at the Hoover Dam, and much to the army's dismay, ends up very much alive, even angrier than ever. In one of the most unnecessary sequels ever made, American International brought the character, if not the original actor, back, and it is a colossal mistake. Gone is original actor Glenn Langan (smart man) and in is Duncan 'Dean' Parkin, in one of his only two films. The fiancée has been cut out of the script and replaced by Glenn's sister (Sally Fraser) who was conspicuously missing in the first film. At 60 feet tall (10 feet taller than the angry female giant played by Allison Hayes the very same year), he leaves behind some huge footprints, and this is very disconcerting for the locales.
Knowing that the teenagers who frequent the drive-ins during the late 1950's weren't really looking to the plot of a movie, but for infrequent breaks to get some oxygen back in their lungs after their own private activities, American International tossed these films out like beads at Mardis Gras. Some are guilty pleasures, some pretty good in spite of ridiculous plots, and some just pure garbage. This falls into the later category, and if you know the history of American International, you don't need to ask why. The bucks were guaranteed. However, if you're not in a drive-in, and looking at a film for either entertainment value or artistic quality, you will just simply shake your head. I'm surprised the army trying to find a way to trap him didn't shake their head when one person in authority told them, "We don't have facilities for a giant here!" And that is after they get the run-around from pretty every government agency, telling them to look for assistance elsewhere.
I'll give AIP one credit here, however; The make-up for the Colossal beast reminded me of Vincent Price in the "Dr. Philbes" movies they made well over a decade later. Still, while those films were gory yet somewhat funny, this film is just lame in almost every category. The beast's voice sounds like the Aflack duck in a microphone, and the special effects are beyond cheesy. Even if the producers had taken more time in making a more intelligent script, it would still be a needless follow-up. "Even if giants don't run very fast, they still have very long legs" is one of the more intelligent comments which one of the supporting characters makes. Somehow, the beast makes it back across the border, terrifying pretty much all of California before he thankfully gets his final reward. The viewer's reward is the fact that this is only an hour which is still one hour wasted from one's life.
Knowing that the teenagers who frequent the drive-ins during the late 1950's weren't really looking to the plot of a movie, but for infrequent breaks to get some oxygen back in their lungs after their own private activities, American International tossed these films out like beads at Mardis Gras. Some are guilty pleasures, some pretty good in spite of ridiculous plots, and some just pure garbage. This falls into the later category, and if you know the history of American International, you don't need to ask why. The bucks were guaranteed. However, if you're not in a drive-in, and looking at a film for either entertainment value or artistic quality, you will just simply shake your head. I'm surprised the army trying to find a way to trap him didn't shake their head when one person in authority told them, "We don't have facilities for a giant here!" And that is after they get the run-around from pretty every government agency, telling them to look for assistance elsewhere.
I'll give AIP one credit here, however; The make-up for the Colossal beast reminded me of Vincent Price in the "Dr. Philbes" movies they made well over a decade later. Still, while those films were gory yet somewhat funny, this film is just lame in almost every category. The beast's voice sounds like the Aflack duck in a microphone, and the special effects are beyond cheesy. Even if the producers had taken more time in making a more intelligent script, it would still be a needless follow-up. "Even if giants don't run very fast, they still have very long legs" is one of the more intelligent comments which one of the supporting characters makes. Somehow, the beast makes it back across the border, terrifying pretty much all of California before he thankfully gets his final reward. The viewer's reward is the fact that this is only an hour which is still one hour wasted from one's life.
I loved it
stevewri28 October 2001
I saw this movie when I was a kid, and then again last year, 2000, on AMC's MonsterFest Halloween week. A sequel to The Amazing Colossal Man has the giant alive and well. His face, being disfigured by his being attacked and the fall off of Hoover Dam in the original, scared the crap outta me when I was a kid. The sounds he made were scary for kids too. It may not be the special effects extravaganza that we see in todays movies but hey, I really enjoyed this movie. If you're a fan of the old monster flicks, watch this one.
A 60 foot monster in a Huggies!
evilskip20 July 1999
Okay this isn't a great film. But it is slightly above average. Here we have a guy who survived a fall off of the Hoover Dam after getting a couple of missles in the eyeball in Amazing Colossal Man.So he is running loose in Mexico looking for 3 square meals a day by swiping food trucks off the road.Yes, that is a mighty big diaper he's wearing too.But we sure don't want to go there !!
The effects are good for their time.The growls of the monster scared me as a kid (although now I wonder if it is intestinal distress due to his knocking back all of those spicy tacos. Still kind of creepy as is the monsters' hideous face.
The army captures him and takes him to L.A. where they stash him at LAX. Naturally he breaks loose and heads out to see the sights. But like all giant monsters he is treated rudely by the locals and suffers a tragic end.Sniff,honk.Not a classic but a decent way to spend 68 minutes.
The effects are good for their time.The growls of the monster scared me as a kid (although now I wonder if it is intestinal distress due to his knocking back all of those spicy tacos. Still kind of creepy as is the monsters' hideous face.
The army captures him and takes him to L.A. where they stash him at LAX. Naturally he breaks loose and heads out to see the sights. But like all giant monsters he is treated rudely by the locals and suffers a tragic end.Sniff,honk.Not a classic but a decent way to spend 68 minutes.
Amazingly bad.
Cicerosaurus17 April 2001
A film that has to be seen to realise how bad it is. Cheesy make up, cardboard characters, and a "beast" that appears far larger than his 60 feet. The colossal man doesn't talk, he grunts, and hides behind make up in an attempt to disguise that he is a different colossal man to the actor in the original. This movie is a must for those who love really bad movies.
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