Glen Manning performs an act of courage and what does he get. Exposure to Plutonium makes him a freak of nature, a man fifty feet tall, but the radiation affects his brain. Of course, this brings in the scientists who want to do things to him, as well as those who wish to destroy him as he goes on a rampage. These may be the worst special effects ever. At times we can see through the giant to the mountains and trees behind. This is also a love story and a story of hopelessness. He is made a freak, like the guy in "The Incredible Shrinking Man." The love of his life is willing to do what she can out of compassion and recognition of his cruel fate. The final scene is pretty good. There are some very touching scenes as well.

This film is low-tech and low-budget and that means that few modern viewers will sit through it, which is too bad. Although modest, this movie is earnest and interesting, and is reflects some of the darker realities of its time.The opening sequence shows a military officer getting caught within the radius of a nuclear explosion and taking a full hit of radioactivity. Fans of classic comic books will note that virtuoso cartoonist Jack Kirby borrowed heavily from this sequence in 1962, to create the 1st and best origin story for The Incredible Hulk, but there is a greater significance.The history of the Cold War is quickly being forgotten and re-written, but it is a fact that in the first decade of that period there were numerous documented experiments where U.S. troops were routinely used as guinea pigs in atomic tests and other experiments.In at least one spectacular incident, hundreds of troops were stationed at the border of a blast area, and then ordered to march directly toward the billowing mushroom cloud so as to gage the capacities of soldiers in an atomic war; we know of this incident because, among other documentation, it was filmed by the military.U.S. troops were also given LSD, unbeknownst to them, and there were many personnel who were either injured or killed testing the multitude of new vehicles and equipment introduced in this period.Our tragic hero, the unfortunate Col. Glen Manning is a kind of surrogate for these men.In addition, there is an interesting little scene early in the film, when Col. Manning is unconscious after getting irradiated. In a delirium, he recalls an incident in the Korean War, when he faced a surprise attack by an enemy troop, and had to resort to hand-to-hand conflict. Baby-faced actor Glen Lanaghan shows a genuine horror, as he must personally impale another man or meet this fate himself.We know now that such experiences often induce PTSD. It is my opinion that later on in the picture, when Col. Manning is running amok in Vegas, he is, partly, experiencing the symptoms of PTSD.While this film was obviously a schlock horror film of the typical variety, it also reflects the concerns of its society and creators, perhaps in ways they did not even consciously intend.Just as King Kong represents the crucifixion of the American Male Libido, the Amazing Colossal Man represents the blood sacrifice of the American Male Conscience.

I've seen my share of '50's B-movies, with Martians, insects, crab monsters and giant leeches attacking but let me tell you, this movie really isn't among the worst, even though it basically follows the same formula as any other '50's B-movie. As you would expect the movie follows a very simple story about an army colonel who slowly transforms into an amazing colossal man, after an atomic explosion of course. Still the story works out since it picks a more emotional approach rather than a spectacular one with the amazing colossal man smashing buildings and throwing cars (it happens, though not until the very end of the movie.). Instead the movie remains more humble and humane, filled with emotions involving around the main character, who is broken inside by the man who he has become. This might seem boring to some but it in fact is its original approach of the story which makes this such a fine movie to watch.The movie uses some really great non-static camera-work, which was quite surprising, especially considering the time period the movie got made in. Of course the special effects are nothing too special but it simply serves its purpose, which makes it fine and effective. Oh and yes of course the movie is also using a lot of archive footage.The acting is also better than you would normally expect from a movie such as this. It's easily B-leading man Glenn Langan's most memorable role.Much better than its title, or current rating on here would suggest it is.6/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

The best thing about B-movies from the 50s is that they are almost always entertaining, if awful. Plan 9 From Outer Space certainly has more entertainment value than, say, Armageddon, and It Conquered the World was a funny little piece of silliness with performances that were definitely better than expected. The latter movie also featured the funniest movie monster I have ever seen.But The Amazing Colossal Man, simply put, has few things going for it. It looks promising, just take a glance at the priceless tagline: "A Seventy Foot Giant Is Terrorizing Las Vegas..." Sounds like a hilarious piece of schlock, doesn't it? Well, I was wrong to think so.The movie looks awful. Everything is too dark and since it is a black and white picture (although blue-and-black would be a more proper way to describe it), it is often difficult to tell what is really going on on the screen. Our hero, Glenn Langan's Lieutenant Manning, is a dull emo martyr who I found it difficult to feel sorry for. Sorry buddy, but if you run out in front of a nuclear explosion, you have yourself to blame.The main problem I had was with the ludicrous story (man is badly burned by hydrogen bomb and starts growing) that we're supposed to take seriously. This isn't a tongue-in-cheek riot, it's a melodramatic, dragging bore. It has the entertainment value you'd expect from The Seventh Seal.It is also annoying how repetitive the scenes are. Giant-Manning will sit in his hospital bed, whining about his condition, and his girlfriend will console him and claim that the doctors are working day and night. A few scenes later, Giant-Manning will sit inside a circus tent and whine, his girlfriend will console him again and repeat that the doctors are doing all they can. It all screams "filler" and makes you long for the cheesy monster action of the Gamera movies.The only scene in which anything of interest happens occurs at the very end, where a seemingly stoned Manning goes on a very mild rampage in his city. Then he is shot down and killed. That's it. The end.The Amazing Colossal Man is a huge disappointment. While Plan 9 might not have the quality of TACM, it is certainly more fun to watch. Avoid.(r#7)