The first U.S. spaceship to Venus crash-lands off the coast of Sicily on its return trip. A dangerous, lizard-like creature comes with it and quickly grows gigantic.
Classic creature feature is purely kids' stuff, but is enhanced by Ray Harryhausen's always enjoyable stop-motion effects and a climax in which Rome's tourist spots are gleefully destroyed.
Halliwell (no star: "Cheeseparing monster fiction which doesn't wake up till the last five minutes, and looks pretty silly even then."
Maltin***: "Intelligent script, fast pace, and exceptional special effects by Ray Harryhausen make this one of the best monster-on-the-loose movies ever."
