A volcanic explosion on the island of Dot upends an iceberg on the other side of the world. Embedded within the ice is The Deadly Mantis, a gigantic flesh eating insect which has been in a cryogenic sleep since the Jurassic period or so. The ice melts, the Mantis awakens and embarks on a deadly reign of terror around the North Pole. It munches on some Air Force personnel who have set up radar stations in the remote wasteland, and then eats a couple of Inuits before anyone catches on. Dr. Ned Jackson, a renowned expert in the field of entomology, arrives on the scene with his friend and photographer Marge to confirm what Ned has already guessed: that a giant Praying Mantis is on the loose. Marge and Col. Joe Parkman fall instantly in love and the Mantis decides to head for a warmer climate, namely Washington DC!!!

This really isn't as bad as it sounds. True, "Tarantula" and "Them!" were much better, but at least this isn't as excruciating as "The Beginning of the End." As far as films about giant insects go, this one is pretty good, and it's interesting to note that the mantis did not become a huge monster due to radioactive mutation: it's just a dinosaur! And Ned is right there with an ant trapped in a globe of amber to explain it all, some 40+ years before Richard Attenborough spared no expense on Jurassic Park.

Decent fun.

A huge prehistoric praying mantis gets unleashed from an iceberg in the Artic and embarks on the expected destructive spree. Shrewd and helpful paleontologist Dr. Nedrick "Ned" Jackson (a lively and engaging performance by William Hopper) joins forces with the military to find a way to stop the pesky critter. Director Nathan Juran, working from a tight and straightforward script by Martin Berkeley, relates the entertaining story at a steady pace, does a nice job of creating a spooky and mysterious atmosphere in the opening third, maintains a serious tone throughout, and stages the monster attack scenes with real aplomb. This film further benefits from solid acting by an able cast, with especially praiseworthy work by Alix Tilton as perky journalist Marge Blaine, Craig Stevens as the stalwart Col. Joe Parkman, Florenz Ames as the wise Prof. Anton Gunther, and Donald Randolph as the no-nonsense General Mark Ford. The big bug looks pretty gnarly and the climax with the wounded over-sized insect trapped in the Holland Tunnel is both tense and exciting. Ellis W. Carter's sharp cinematography makes neat occasional use of artful fades and dissolves. The robust score by Irving Getz and William Lava does the rousing trick. Best of all, this movie has an earnest quality to it that's impossible to either dislike or resist. A very enjoyable creature feature.

A giant praying mantis is awakened from its sleep in the artic region and heads south causing havoc. Boats, planes and trains meet their match with the flying creature. Before unleashing its full wrath on NYC, the mantis meets its doom at the hands of the armed forces in a New York tunnel. The special effects are of course crude by todays standards, but for a ten year old boy in 1957 this was very memorable.

Starring are William Hopper, Craig Stevens, Alix Talton and Pat Conway.