The headline is a reference to writer/producer/director Sidney W. Pink (or just plain Sid Pink) who collaborated with Ib Melchior on 3 of my favorite low budget entries in the sci-fi B movie sweepstakes. They are ANGRY RED PLANET, JOURNEY TO THE SEVENTH PLANET, and this one. The fact that the last two are Danish-American collaborations is what makes them so special.
REPTILICUS is Danish to the core. Unlike JOURNEY which has John Agar, everyone in REPTILICUS is Danish. There were 2 versions of the film made, one for the Danish market and one for the international market. There are a number of differences between the two. The Danish version is 12 minutes longer which includes an extended scene with Danish comic Dirch Passer singing a song and scenes of the creature flying.
That brings us to the monster himself. Several other reviews harp on the cheesiness but they’re missing the point. Yes, it’s a marionette and/or hand puppet smashing through obvious models but REPTILICUS resembles a dragon out of a fairy tale which gives it a certain charm that other movie monsters just don’t have. He’s not scary in the least but he is mesmerizing in both good and bad ways. Once seen, he cannot be forgotten.
The rest of the movie is a mixed bag. It starts off well enough with a grisly opening featuring raw dinosaur tissue before giving way to serious scientists and the most jaw dropping performance of a military general ever captured on film. Then the monster appears after which we get a guided tour of Copenhagen (including Tivoli gardens and a song!) before he returns to wreck the city and then being destroyed (or is he?).
The performances by the all Danish cast are all basically one note as they always speak in a monotone due to phonetically speaking their lines. The one exception is Carl Ottosen (also in JOURNEY) as an American general. His monotone has range and he gets the choicest lines to deliver. It’s also a great opportunity to check out all the Danish modern furniture fresh from the source.
American International made a number of changes in Pink’s international version including re-arranging scenes, adding the green acid slime, and the most hilarious being eaten by a monster ever seen. Fortunately they left the dialogue track alone which so adds to the film’s enjoyment. There’s truly not another movie like REPTILICUS. All that’s needed is an upgraded SDH version so that all the sincere wooden dialogue can be truly appreciated.
The Capsule Critic 