50s Sci-Fi Double Feature: The Jungle / King Dinosaur (1952)This is the first double feature DVD I have bought from VCI Entertainment. I don't know if they have others, but if they do, I will check them out as the quality of this one is excellent. Both of these old movies are in pristine condition here, with crystal picture clarity, good contrast levels, no speckling whatsoever, and fine sound. "King Dinosaur" is in anamorphic wide screen, and "The Jungle" is full-screen, in sepia-tint that lends an old-fashioned look. There are a few extras I haven't bothered with. In general, VCI gets 5 stars for presentation and the care with which they have released these movies. I never expected to find either of these films in such nice condition, so it's a very pleasant surprise. By the way, the package gives "King Dino" a running time of 59 minutes, but it played a full 63, so hasn't been cut as far as I can see.
Now the bad news...
Both these movies are clunkers. "King Dinosaur" follows four scientists as they explore a wandering planet, Nova, which has entered our solar system. The first eleven minutes are stock footage. Then the expedition gets to Nova, which looks a lot like California, but with more animals. The women scream a lot while the men shoot everything in sight. Some scientists! In the end they decide guns are inadequate and haul out the heavier weapons. The effects, which are mainly recycled from 1940's "One Million BC," consist of enlarged iguanas, gila monsters, armadillos and so forth. "King Dinosaur" has neither kings nor dinosaurs. It does, however, have an abundance od corny dialogue and incomprehensible activity, which make it worthwhile for "so bad it's good" aficianados.
"The Jungle" has Cesar Romero, an exotic locale (rural India), song and dance numbers, plenty of wildlife... and a lot of walking through the jungle. Then there's more. And more. It is, needless to say, a bit slow. It's redeemed somewhat by the unusual setting, but for the monsters in a monster movie to be outweighed ten-to-one by singin' and dancin', well, that's a problem. There are, in fact, monsters, of a very unusual type too, but they show up in the last 5 minutes of the movie and probably occupy about 60 seconds of screen time. This is quickly followed by a climax that makes no sense and it's over. Shades of "Monster From Green Hell" or "Two Lost Worlds," this is a monster movie that really isn't.
So there you go. If you're a 1950s monster-movie completist, like me, you might want these films. "The Jungle," especially, has been out of circulation for a while. But if you're looking for hokey fun, you might be better off with "Missile to the Moon" or even "Teenagers From Outer Space."
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50s Sci-Fi Double Feature: The Jungle/King Dinosaur
