Make no mistake, Reptilicus is a bad movie but it is one of the most enjoyable bad movies ever made. If you want substance, watch Apocalypse Now but if you want junk entertainment, watch Reptilicus. Give Ib Melchior and Syd Pink credit for at least coming up with an interesting idea of a regenerating monster. Problem is they don't use it to it's full potential and leave alot of questions unanswered. For instance, what about the tiny peice the one doctor cuts off and examines under a microscope? What happens to this peice or for that matter the original peices of skin found in the movie's opening? My best guess is that they kept them under ice a little more successfully this time. But how does one kill the creature? The filmmaker's obviously backed themselves into a corner with this one. Although Reptilicus is knocked out at the film's conclusion, he is not dead. General Grayson swears that the Proffesor can kill the creature if they get him immobilized but only a moment before the Proffesor admitted he had no idea how to kill Reptilicus. And why does Sven stick around for the whole movie? He isn't a scientist or military man and his romantic conquests of the Professor's two daughters don't go very far. It would have made far more sense if he had been the one to sacrifice himself at the end and not Grayson's second in command as Sven showed alot of guilt earlier about being the man who found the creature but this film is not about sense. Notice how the characters say the word "where" with great regularity, so much so that it becomes a running joke. And how about those effects? No men in costumes knocking over finely detailed miniature cities but an unweildy rod and string puppet that can barely knock over a cardboard representation of Coppenhagen. Although Repti's acid slime venom is a fairly plausible power (And well animated. The day glow slime is easily the film's best effect) it spews forth in a rather rude manner that makes one feel that the monster might have made good in X rated films. Speaking of the acid slime, we are told of it's effects, we never see them as acid scar makeup and burned out buildings would have taken too much money out of an already low budget.
Make sure you have a stomach distress bag ready for the sickening antics of Peterson the comedy relief handyman who likes electric eels and the "Tivoli Nights" song, sung by a woman with the tiniest waist this side of Vampira. Also remember that Reptilicus was a trailblazer in one respect. It was a pioneer in the "set up for a sequel that never happens" sweepstakes.
Grab a bag of popcorn and get ready to laugh. Reptilicus is wonderfully awful and deserves it's rank as one of the best of the bad.
