A scientist makes the creature into a being that can live on the ground rather than just in water. Which means Ol’ Fish Face starts killing people on land instead.

On the surface, this last Universal Classic Monsters film plays like a solid horror movie which is pretty good but not anything to write home about.

But, under the surface, there’s a lot more going on. We get commentary regarding the origins of the creatures and man’s treatment of him. This provides a very welcome extra layer of thought and meaning. This separates it from more generic fare.

Watch out for the ending. It has more poignancy than one would expect.

3 out of 5 stars