Mimic (1997)
Evolved Insects
This was the second film from Guillermo Del Toro, a modest and quite good Alien copy with Mira Sorvino hunting evolved insects in the New York subway tunnels
Bugs
Bugs is as an all-embracing term used here to discuss the various species of insects that regularly turn up in genre cinema. We are not particularly concerned here with the taxonomic division between different species or types of bugs.
Treatments range from the giant atomic spiders and other enlarged insects of 1950s SF cinema. These also includes stories of people transforming into flies and other assorted bugs, as well as insectoid superheroes such as Spider-Man.
There are also a number of animated films talking ants, bees and the like.
Mimic 2 (2001)
Evolved Insect Monster
Sequel to Guillermo Del Toro’s intelligent insect film Mimic, although this now becomes more of a regular monster movie
Missile to the Moon (1958)
Expedition to the Moon/All-Female Lunar Society
A remake of the classic bad movie Cat-Women of the Moon in which explorers to the Moon encounter an all-women society. Things do not improve in the bad movie stakes here
Monster from Green Hell (1957)
Giant Mutated Wasps Amok
Possibly the worst film to be made out of the 1950s giant bug cycle concerning giant wasps marauding in Africa. All the dramatic scenes are composed of scenes cannibalised from other adventure films, while the effects have a shoddiness that frequently reduces you to laughter
Monster Hunter (2020)
Videogame Adaptation/Monster-Filled Other Dimension
Resident Evil series director Paul W.S. Anderson and star Milla Jovovich return with an adaptation of another popular videogame series
A Monster in Paris (2011)
Animation/Genteel Singing Monster
Charming French animated film about a genteel singing monster. Nothing profound but is beautifully animated and sweetly appealing in all the right places
Monsters vs Aliens (2009)
Animation/Friendly Monsters vs Alien Invaders
Cutley appealing DreamWorks animated film that brings together a bunch of oddball creatures clearly intended as an affectionate homage to various 1950s sf films
Mosquito (1995)
Giant Insects
A ridiculously stupid giant bug film, albeit not unentertainingly so. This is a monster movie that has been premised solely on the provision of ridiculous creature effects every few minutes and very little else that one can take seriously beyond that
The Mummy (1999)
Revived Mummy/Adventure
Nominal remake of the Boris Karloff The Mummy, which has now been inflated into a big budget Indiana Jones adventure. Stephen Sommers lets the film overspill with CGI spectacle but the exercise is deflated by a jokey, unserious attitude
The Mummy Returns (2001)
Revived Mummy/Adventure
Sequel to the 1999 The Mummy. Here Stephen Sommers amplifies everything in that film by a factor of ten where the constant bombardment by the spectacular reaches an point of absurd overkill
Mysterious Island (1961)
Desert Island Survival/Giant Animals
Amid the fad for Jules Verne adaptations of the 1950s/60s, we had this version of Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea sequel, albeit where Verne’s desert island story is pumped up with the addition of giant-size Ray Harryhausen animals and insects
Mysterious Island (2005)
Desert Island Survival/Giant Animals
Hallmark tv mini-series adaptation of Jules Verne’s desert island drama featuring no less than Patrick Stewart as Captain Nemo. This sinks badly amid incredibly shoddy giant animal digital effects
Mythica: A Quest for Heroes (2014)
Epic Fantasy Adventure
A surprisingly good effort to emerge from the arena of fan-made Kickstarter funded filmmaking. Essentially, a group of fans have brought their mutual love of playing Dungeons and Dragons to life but the film, while low-budgeted, places a great deal of care into the characters and building of the world
The Naked Jungle (1954)
Ant Takeover
Vivid, well written production from George Pal with Charlton Heston as the owner of a South American plantation who faces an unstoppable horde of marabunta ants that are devouring everything in their path
Nazi Overlord (2018)
Nazi Mad Science Experiments/The Asylum Mockbuster
The Asylum’s mockbuster answer to the J.J. Abrams’ produced Overlord concerning GIs on a mission behind enemy lines encountering Nazi mad science. Passably well made for the most part
Nightmare Cinema (2018)
Horror Anthology
Another in the recent trend of horror anthologies featuring episodes from different directors, including Joe Dante and Mick Garris. This is a well above average entry on the whole featuring at least a couple of standout entries
Phenomena (1985)
Giallo Thriller/Insect Telepathy
Another of Dario Argento’s giallo thrillers filled with all his trademark artily extravagant deaths. At the centre of the film is a teenage Jennifer Connelly who can psychically communicate with insects
Pinocchio (2019)
Living Puppet Boy
A beautifully made new live-action version of the classic story about a puppet boy. More faithful to the original story than any other screen version and with amazing creature effects. Think something that resembles Jim Henson circa The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth made with the sensibilities of a Terry Gilliam
Pinocchio (2022)
Living Puppet Boy/Disney Remake
The first of two Pinocchio adaptations of 2022, Here Back to the Future director Robert Zemeckis delivers a live-action remake of the Disney animated film
Pinocchio (1940)
Disney Animation/Living Puppet Boy
One of the great Disney animated classics from the still unsurpassed era between 1937-42. The studio were at the peak of their game artistically and the film embodies a near-perfect sense of childlike innocence
Planet Hulk (2010)
Animation/Marvel Comics Superhero
Animated adaptation of the one of the biggest Marvel Comics event storylines of the 2000s – the same one also used in Thor Ragnarok. Essentially Spartacus recast with The Incredible Hulk
Primal: Tales of Savagery (2019)
Animation/Prehistory
A surprisingly good animated film about the relationship between a caveman and a dinosaur, all without a line of dialogue. From the director of the Hotel Transylvania films
Princess of Mars (2009)
Planetary Adventure
The Asylum conduct their own version of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter of Mars adventures three years before the Disney film and, despite one of their impoverished budgets, do an almost halfway reasonable version
Quatermass and the Pit (1967)
Alien Artefact
The third and in the opinion of many the best of Hammer’s Quatermass films in which Nigel Kneale introduces a conceptually wild array of ideas about Martians, race memory, psychic powers and The Devil
Rapture-Palooza (2013)
Biblical End Times Comedy
There is irresistible appeal to the idea of a comedy that conducts a spoof of the Biblical Rapture. Despite a script from one of the Bill and Ted writers, this emerges as a remarkably unfunny film that consists of about an hour of Craig Robinson delivering crude sexual innuendos
Rebirth of Mothra II (1997)
Japanese Monster Bash
After their successful revival of Godzilla in the 1990s, Toho revived Mothra for a series of standalone battles, albeit with a very juvenile focus made for children. This was the second and better of the three films
Return of the Fly (1959)
The Fly Sequel
The first of the sequels to the original The Fly where the scientist’s son begins his own experiments
Royal Jelly (2021)
Human Beehive
Film with a bizarre concept where a teenager girl is recruited into a human beehive
Sakuya, The Slayer of Demons (2000)
Demon Slaying Girl Samurai
Japanese film about a demon-slaying girl samurai. The creatures effects and world-building mythology gone into this is quite extraordinary
The Savage Bees (1976)
Killer Bee Attacks
There has very rarely been a good killer bee movie. This is one exception, a directorial effort from no less than the creator of Mission: Impossible that gains its effectiveness by using real rather than optical bees
Shin Kamen Rider (2023)
Japanese Superhero Reboot
A reboot of the classic Japanese tv series about a superhero who goes into action on a motorcycle using a suit to transform into a grasshopper being
Son of Godzilla (1968)
Japanese Monster Bash
The eighth Godzilla film featuring the introduction of his son Minya in a shameless pitch for juvenile audiences. The series is no longer taking itself seriously, although ends up more likeable than some of the other entries of this period
Spider in the Attic (2021)
Genetically-Engineered Spiders
From incredibly prolific B-budget British producer/director Scott Jeffrey, a film about a radio broadcaster who ventures to the home of a scientist to find it overrun by genetically engineered spiders
Spiders (2000)
Giant Spiders
In a whole bunch of ways this – plausibility being a big one of them – is a bad film. On the other hand, it does boast an entertaining array of giant spiders all emerged from a space shuttle crash
Spiders (2013)
Giant Spiders
When you approach this in terms of exactly what it promises to be – a revival of the good old B movie standard of the giant spider film – this proves absurdly entertaining and with some surprisingly good CGI spider effects
Spiders on a Plane (2024)
Spiders Amok on a Plane
From prolific producer Scott Chambers, a film that describes itself perfectly in the title. This follows the formula established by Snakes on a Plane and has regular and giant spiders amok on board a plane flight
Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation (2003)
War with Aliens/Alien Body Snatchers
Passable video-released Starship Troopers sequel the heads more in the direction of a body snatchers film. Directed by Phil Tippett
Starship Troopers (1997)
War with Aliens
Travesty of Robert Heinlein’s classic SF novel from Paul Verhoeven. Heinlein’s philosophical argument for militarism is junked in favour of blackly comic mindless violence
Starship Troopers: Invasion (2012)
War with Aliens/Anime
The importation of anime director Shinji Aramaki to helm the latest Starship Troopers film provides dazzling animation and hardware, along with some hard, furious military action that easily outstrips all the other films. On the other hand, the film never goes beyond being about soldiers shooting up bugs
Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars (2017)
War with Aliens/Anime
The fifth of the films in the series begun with Paul Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers. The best of the series was the previous entry Starship Troopers: Invasion where they turned it over to anime director Shinji Aramaki. This is a sequel to that, although the same mix fails to work again
Strange Magic (2015)
Animation/World of Fairies
George Lucas’s venture into animation was critically pilloried. It’s not bad, just no different from a formula film like Rise of the Guardians or Epic. From the man who made Star Wars, you had higher expectations
The Strange World of Planet X (1958)
Amok Scientific Experiment/Giant Insects
1950s British science-fiction entry that draws influence from the Quatermass films. While the title(s) leads you to expect an alien invasion entry, it is in actuality more of a British copy of a giant insect film. A routine effort that is eventually done in by utterly impoverished giant insect effects
Stung (2015)
Giant Mutated Wasps
Likeable variant on the giant bug film – concerning giant mutated wasps, no less. This is largely predicated around some accomplished creature effects and having something gooey happening every few minutes
The Swarm (1978)
Killer Bees Amok
Irwin Allen had great success in the 1970s with his disaster movies but this killer bee saga with a cast of big name stars uttering ridiculous dialogue and shabby effects proved a bomb that spelt the death knell for the genre
Swarm (2007)
Ants on a Plane
A blatant copy of Snakes on a Plane featuring mutated ants aboard a plane. Without the other film’s tongue-in-cheek approach, this collapses into absurdity
The Swarm (2020)
Woman’s Obsession with Raising Killer Locusts
Not the classic Irwin Allen bad movie but a work of disturbed psychology about a woman who develops an unhealthy obsession with feeding locusts blood and turning them into a killer swarm
Swarmed (2005)
Killer Wasps
Formula Syfy Channel killer bug film about a horde of deadly genetically tinkered wasps amok in a small town
Tail Sting (2002)
Mutant Scorpions on a Plane
Completely ridiculous film about mutant scorpions on a plane – after something this laughable, it’s hard to see why Snakes on a Plane needed to plant tongue in cheek
Tale of Tales (2015)
Anthology of Fairytales
A trio of tales from the world’s oldest fairytale collection – but quite different to anything you expect … While there is all the magic, ogres and princesses, this is a beautifully lush film made for adults and less about simple homilies that about fate and its cruel twists
Tarantula (1955)
Giant Spider
Them! had created the 1950s fad for giant atomically enlarged insects. Here Jack Arnold, one of the most celebrated genre directors of the 1950s, makes a giant spider film and much better than most of the era’s other giant bug films
Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo (1977)
Spider Takeover
A 1970s Animals Attack film as deadly tarantula spiders take over a small town
Tarzan’s Desert Mystery (1943)
Jungle Hero
The eight of the Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan films. The same formula as before but in a desire for novelty the action is relocated to North Africa
Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017)
Animation/Comic-Book Superheroes
The Teen Titans get their first solo film in the DC Universe Original Animated Movies. A reasonable adventure based on a classic comic title that works with a good story and characterisation, even if some of it has an adult flavour that makes you wonder who the audience is
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)
Animation/Comic-Book Superheroes
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were the pop culture phenomenon of the 1980s. They have not fared so well in the 2000s but this new animated film written by Seth Rogen is a promising start
Terra Formars (2016)
Mutated Insects on Mars
Takashi Miike delivers a completely madcap film about evolved cockroaches on Mars being fought by astronauts who take doses of mutagenic serum to give them insect-based super-powers
The Thaw (2009)
Prehistoric Flesh-Eating Insects
Okay borrowing from the set-up of The Thing about an outbreak of flesh-eating prehistoric insects at an Arctic research station
Them! (1954)
Giant Atomic Ants
Them! and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms created the 1950s atomic monster movie. Them’s particular spin was to create the giant bug film. Unlike the B movies that followed, it is played with realism and sober conviction
They Nest (2000)
Killer Roaches
Hordes of killer roaches overrun an island. A reasonable and not too bad run through of the formula of the bugs on the attack film that comes with the benefit of some convincing effects
The Thief of Bagdad (1940)
Arabian Nights Adventure
Arabian Nights adventure that offers up one of the purest blends of fantasy and romance of its era. Filled with stunning directorial set-pieces and sets.
Ticks (1993)
Mutant Ticks
Routine variant on the 1970s killer bug film, although the bugs here are gooey and cartoonish not meant to be taken seriously
Time Raiders (2016)
Tomb-Raiding Adventures
Not a time travel film as the title leads you to expect but a Chinese copy of Raiders of the Lost Ark where you expect they were trying to call it ‘tomb raiders’. The director is also the production designer leading to a gorgeously designed film but also one of constant action postures almost entirely lacking in substance
2 Lava 2 Lantula (2016)
Giant Fire-Breathing Spiders
Lavalantula with Steve Guttenberg facing giant fire-breathing spiders was a modestly enjoyable creature feature. This sequel feels like a Sharknado wannabe with shittier effects and an unfunny sense of humour
Warriors of Future (2022)
Action Spectacular/Plants Invasion
One of the most intensive and exciting action films of recent with humanity engaged in a furious battle with plants and killer robots
The Wasp Woman (1959)
Rejuvenation Formula/Wasp Woman
Roger Corman cheapie clearly influenced by The Fly in which a woman becomes a creature after using a beauty product derived from wasp venom
The Willies (1990)
Horror Anthology
A horror anthology that ostensibly tells a series of children’s tales but heads for an admirable grotesquerie
Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
Disney Animation/The Secret Lives of Videogame Characters
One of the best Disney animated films in ages. Has the winning concept of the secret lives of the characters inside videogames. Imagine Tron by way of Toy Story. The animators have clever fun with the idea, while the film creates a character arc that become the strength of the film