Rating: **
Review Date: 11/1/24
Special Effects: Ray Harryhausen
Cast: James Franciscus, Gila Golan, Richard Carlson
This cowboys and dinosaurs adventure film was originally conceived by Willis O'Brien as a sequel to "King Kong" (1933), but he never got around to making it. Ray Harryhausen obtained the script later and repurposed it into "The Valley Of Gwangi," which involves a struggling traveling circus in Mexico, and a slippery con artist named Tuck Kirby (James Franciscus). He's got his eye on the circus's leading lady TJ (Gila Golan), and wants to buy her out. They had a prior relationship and the broken-hearted TJ wants nothing to do with the conniving rascal. Things change when the circus acquires a miniature horse from the Forbidden Valley Of Gwangi, and greed inspires Tuck, a paleontologist, and the owner of the circus (Richard Carlson) to search for more fantastic creatures. They get more than they bargained for when they're attacked by dinosaurs, but they somehow manage to capture an Allosaurus and bring it back to civilization. Naturally, it breaks loose and mayhem ensues.
While the setting is clever, the characters are unlikable, the attitudes are outdated and distasteful, and the film was a commercial flop because it couldn't find an audience. It also feels like a blatant rip-off of "King Kong," and you feel more sympathy for the dinosaurs than you do for the deplorable humans that raid their territory. Speaking of which, the dinosaurs are the real stars of the show, and stop-motion master Ray Harryhausen does a fantastic job animating them and bringing them to life. While the Allosaurus (named "Gwangi") dominates the last third of the film, the pacing is drawn out to the point of tedium and I found myself just wanting it to end.
For the most part, the film looks great and the location shooting in Spain is breathtaking. Unfortunately, the Dynamation process actually ruins some of that beauty when the dinosaurs show up, which is a disappointing trade-off. James Franciscus does a fine job portraying his despicable character, but his bright white teeth are a constant distraction. A pretty, but poorly dubbed Gila Golan plays the requisite hot-tempered and high-spirited love interest, while Richard Carlson just looks old and tired. It's definitely a must-see for dinosaur fans and visual effects enthusiasts, but it doesn't fare as well as Harryhausen's other fantasy pictures, and the ridiculous behavior of the humans made my eyes roll throughout the film.