These are two Fifties science fiction features are classics of the genre, well worth seeing. The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms wasn't the first film to feature a prehistoric creature rampaging through a modern city (that would be The Lost World, 1925) but it is the direct ancestor of the Godzilla series. In fact, the much-maligned 1998 Godzilla film might have fared better had it billed itself a remake of this movie. The arrival in New York scenes are very similar. Beast features good acting, a steadily increasing pace, and an excellent creature thanks to the animation of Ray Harryhausen. Them!, likewise, is the great-granddaddy of all the giant bug movies of the Fifties and Sixties and is one of the best. Tight suspense is maintained throughout, and the action scenes are brisk and frequent. Both movies are an excellent introduction to big-critter sci-fi films of the era.