FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Adeel Hail Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

Lachlan Coulson This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

Roxie The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

classicsoncall Say, have you noticed this? In practically every dinosaur movie I've ever seen, there's always a point where a Tyrannosaurus-like dino, in this case an allosaurus, matches up against a Triceratops-like animal. In this picture it was a Styracosaurus. It's probably because they were the largest of their kind and seemed like natural enemies, although I don't even know if they lived during the same paleontological age. Is that even a word? Well this flick is entertaining enough on a number of levels. For one, I don't think I've seen dinosaurs as colorful as this before. Usually they're a dark, grayish color but someone, maybe Harryhausen himself, felt they should be various shades of purple and blue. Or was that a function of the Technicolor format? If you noticed Professor Bromley (Laurence Naismith) running around out in the desert, his face and hands were red as a lobster; I've never seen a sunburn that bright.While watching, I was reminded of the 1949 movie "Mighty Joe Young" when the Mexican cowboys brought out their lassos and tried to hogtie the allosaurus. I'm sitting there thinking, what would possess someone to believe they could actually do that with a real live dinosaur? Sure it looks cool, but what self respecting dinosaur wouldn't just bite through the ropes and knock the pesky cowboys off of him, just like Gwangi did here.Say, here's another thought. I've probably seen and reviewed close to a thousand Westerns by now, and you might loosely call this a Western, but I've never seen a horse dive into an oversized pool before. So there's another reason to catch this flick. Seeing Gina Golan all wet is a bonus.So all in all, this is a fun movie if you're up for it. James Franciscus and Ms. Golan make for an attractive on screen couple, and the dynamation styled monsters looked and moved fairly realistically given the limitations of the technology back then. And who wouldn't love to see some dinosaurs at a Wild West Show?

bryn-middleton-BM Okay, okay. I know. Cowboys and dinosaurs, right? Absolutely. I love this movie as much now as I did when I watched it thirty years ago as a child desperate for dinosaurs...any dinosaurs...to be depicted in films. Believe me, I watched so many creature features and let's be honest, most of them were pretty dull. The best one's were always with effects courtesy of the great Harryhausen, of course. 'Gwangi' is head and shoulders my favourite. Is that because of the acting talent in the movie? Er, 'fraid not. James Franciscus looks unnervingly like Dick Van Dyke and is just as annoying. Gila Golan, despite being dubbed through the whole movie, really struggles to convince as the owner of a Wild West show, or indeed a human being. But you don't watch a film like this for the actors, do you? So here's why this film is amazing. The tiny horse. The pterodactyl. The elephant slam down. The big lizards. And of course, Gwangi the Allosaurus. Fighting cowboys in Mexico. But really, for me, it's the tiny horse. Best bit of stop-motion this side of a tauntaun. The film cracks along, you can enjoy the slightly hokey dialogue, marvel at the performance of Laurence Naismith as the professor (I don't think he has tenure) and wish you too could find a tiny horse. Splendid.

durham40 Like many of the reviewers, I remember this film from one of the late night "Creature Feature" movie marathons. It left quite a mark on me and I could never forget it. So, as I aged, I bought it on VHS, and will soon get it on DVD.Just a few couple of points: 1. I love it when "reviewers" slam a classic movie like this. They say intelligent things like "nothing happened the first 50 minutes" or "the special effects don't compare to today" or "it looks corny". I have just one thing to say to these folks: "Please take a film class." Let me back up a bit for them...in the old days, directors recognized the value of "CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT". That's why they introduced characters early in the film, so you could emotionally connect to them. Those same directors also understood the value of "SUSPENSE". They knew that sometimes, it's more tense or scary to NOT see that thing that is after you, especially at the beginning of the movie. Also, since there was no CGI then, they had to get creative when it came to how they finally DID show the monster. They would use lighting, shadows, fog, and other props to slowly reveal the beast. It was truly amazing that they were able do so much with the technology they had. Let me say this about CGI: It is OVERUSED in movies today. I don't want to know it is there. I want more character development. I want more suspense. I don't want unbelievability to the point of ludicrous. The best CGI is unnoticed by the viewer.2. Dinosaurs in the Wild West. Are you kidding me? What an original concept! It is so unlikely. How could primitive cowboys stand a chance? Well, a) Cowboys are tough and crafty, and b) real dinosaurs aren't like Godzilla. They were simply animals. Though formidable, they could be roped and trapped. Again, part of the genius of the movie. It is strangely believable.3. To this day I am impressed with how Harryhausen used both Stop Motion Animation and life-size models together. The scene where Lupe is taken by the pterodactyl illustrates this point. When the beast is in the air, it is stop motion (how the heck did they used stop motion suspended in the air?). When it is on the ground, it's a life-size, moving puppet. (BTW: Spielburg wanted pterodactyl's in JP, but could't figure how to pull it off, that is until the very good JP III.) 4. In my book, there are only two great "humans vs. dinosaurs" movies: The Valley of Gwangi and Jurassic Park. They stand alone at the top.

BaronBl00d Certainly and probably not Ray Harryhausen's greatest film, but for me one of his most enjoyable. Why? It probably was the first of his films that I saw and have the earliest recollections. From the wondrous eohippus parading around a miniature pen to the forbidden valley and the secret cave entrance to the dottering professor lost in thought amidst the prospect of becoming a dinosaur lunch to the huge dinosaur being destroyed in a massive church. I remember all of this the first time I saw The Valley of the Gwangi. It had that kind of effect on me. I have seen it several times since and have always enjoyed each subsequent viewing. The film is, as you undoubtedly know, about a hidden lost, forbidden valley somewhere in Mexico where a group of gringo side-show types pierce its sacredness in search of a tiny prehistoric horse. Once in the valley they decide to capture a giant dinosaur(responsible for having one death on its conscience), subduing it, and, what else, bringing it back to the city for entertainment, gawking, and death to many poor people that had nothing to do with the crazy venture in the first place. More than anything else, The Valley of the Gwangi is fun. It is one of the most fun Harryhausen films. Lots of absurdist action as cowboys battle prehistoric critters. Harryhausen's magic in undeniable and in fine form here. Every creature is exquisitely brought to life. The cast is good with James Franciscus playing the anti-hero type lead and lovely, beautiful Gila Golan as the owner of the sideshow. She may not be much of an actress(and she is not) but she is, to repeat a phrase, "mighty fine." Richard Carlson, about a decade removed from traveling down the Amazon to the Black Lagoon is here too. My favorite actor is Laurence Naismith, who also appeared in Harryhausen's Jason and the Argonauts. He is droll and very well-cast as the beleaguered professor in search of scientific fame. All in all, The Valley of the Gwangi is top-notch and FUN entertainment: good, solid action, outstanding stop-motion special effects, a great musical score by Jerome Moross, solid acting, and, even though I have a general indifference to it, the obligatory poor Mexican child that helps the Gringos get into trouble. Most of all it has the work of one Ray Harryhausen. Does it need any other reason really?