Giant ants invade the New Mexico desert, an aggressive mutation spawned by the frequent nuclear tests of a decade prior. Our heroes (a ragtag group of trigger-happy policemen, bemused FBI agents and scolding, voice-of-reason scientists) manage to annihilate the bugs' first nest, but several escapees slip the net, take flight and hole up in the sewers beneath Los Angeles.

For all the inherent silliness of a movie about nine-foot insects, plus the technical limitations of the period, this actually isn't half bad. Late budget cuts created a few hurdles, including a shift from color to greyscale and a reduced number of prop ants, but the plot barrels along undeterred and a few wily camera tricks sufficiently cover for the relatively small number of monsters. I expected those creepy-crawlies to hold off until the third act, padding the run time (as usual) with a glut of dull talking heads, but instead we get elbows deep in enormous larvae and firebomb a series of human-sized tunnels within the first half-hour.

It's a peak example of the mid-50s creature feature, complete with an oversized premise, comical special effects and heavy-handed morals, but also a well-constructed film that speeds along at a breakneck pace and always follows through on its promises. You want big, hairy, irradiated ants versus army men with bazookas and flame throwers? You got it.

Great Classic Sci-Fi! This movie came out 7 days after I was born! Because of Nuclear testing. ( Of Course ) Everything happened in the 50's movies because of that, these tiny little creatures become as large as cars and bigger. Ravishing the countryside looking for Sugar, of perhaps a M&M factory. Of course people get in the way and are quickly dispatched in their giant pinchers. Great cast also. A Must see!

Often imitated, rarely bettered.

Weird deaths are occurring in the New Mexico desert, it is revealed to be the work of giant mutated ants born out of the A Bomb tests that took place there. Trouble escalates to the big city of Los Angeles when one of the giant queen ants escapes to L.A. and starts laying eggs that could lead to the end of mankind as we know it.

This is a cautionary tale about scientific tampering fused with a Cold War theme of destroying a threat to the country. Boasting some wonderful scenes such as the first desert encounter (cloaked in a sandstorm) and the final underground battle, Them! is a truly enjoyable viewing experience that oozes the right amount of paranoia that became ever more prominent as the nuclear age grew. The puppetry and special effects on show is of a very high standard for the time (well done Academy Award Nominee Ralph Ayres), and the direction from Gordon Douglas is one of the better efforts in the genre. The tight story vanquishes any gripes about the plausibility factor, while the acting is, perhaps given the type of piece it is, of a surprisingly good standard. With James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn, and Joan Weldon giving it a bit of oopmh. Them! went on to become Warner Brothers highest grossing film in 1954, it's really not hard to see why. Because Them! firmly stands up as one of the best films of a sadly much maligned genre. 8/10