The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

...or as refuge after the development of special effects. because it is part of a long serie of huge ants and tarantulas, Godzilla and King Kongs, monsters and ghosts and it gives the old fashion of fake realism, real useful after a contemporary blockbuster. it is a nice film and the motif is simple - it represents a travel in past. a plesant one because the flavor of fairy tale is still fresh. because the fear is not different by the fear from childhood about dark characters. and this is the most significant thing. so, for nostalgics. and not only.

...Good Special Effects for it's time (1957)....The Claw monster was just hokey enough to let us face the fears of being thrown into the "Atomic Age". A time of ever present instant annihilation... ….It helped us come to terms with an insane time & real fears ...A worthwhile movie...Audiences responded with laughter and it allowed us to view our Human-ness...

The monster is not scary but it does manage to bother me because it is one ugly piece of junk, and I am irritated throughout the film by the screech noise it makes. So, I guess in its own odd way it accomplishes its task and is effective on me as a viewer. The cast is great. Mara Corday was one of the most poised and capable actresses of the 50's in my opinion, mainly for her work in low-budget fare. She is always watchable, no matter what the budget.Edgar Barrier, immortalized in another legendary awful but much loved film (Cobra Woman '43) is good as always. And Morris Ankrum is on hand yet again to save the world and keep it safe for humanity. If Morris hadn't saved the world more than once in the 1950's, I couldn't be here today to write this review! As someone who was alive and safe in the 50's due to his brave efforts, I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to Morris.By moving along briskly and including plenty of nonsensical science, "The Giant Claw" somehow holds your interest, just as somehow the cockeyed monster manages to affect me.One reason this film was effective in 1957 is because at that time folks did scan the skies for deadly objects- namely satellites and missiles. World wide you could look up and see the Sputnik at times with the naked eye. But it was only a bright dot, not a big scraggly buzzard.

I'm a huge science fiction fan, constantly on the lookout for any film with a futuristic theme – everything from "Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe", to "Forbidden Planet", to "Pacific Rim". As a classic film buff as well, I know that, from film's earliest days, up until George Lucas redefined the box office potential with the megahit "Star Wars", science fiction movies were usually relegate to "B" status and assigned budgets accordingly. What is really amazing is just how much the special effects wizards (in the time before ILM) were able to accomplish on such skimpy budgets. Sometimes though, the budgets were so skimpy there was no possible way to make a believable monster – which brings me to "The Giant Claw". Before I ever saw the movie I had a negative impression because it seemed to top all the "worst movie ever" lists (e.g. The Golden Turkey Awards). However, when I finally got the opportunity to see the movie for myself, I was surprised how much better the script and acting were than what I had expected. I ended up enjoying "The Giant Claw" as much as more highly regarded '50s Sci-Fi such as "Them", "The Giant Mantis", or "It Came From Beneath the Sea". If "The Giant Claw" had substance as good as those movies though, where it fell flat was style. You can have the best acting, directing, cinematography, and sound; but, as the old saying goes – at some point the monster has to jump out and say "boo"; and that's where "The Giant Claw" falls flat. I mean, as one reviewed noted, the best way to describe the monster is looking like a half plucked Christmas turkey that escaped a Safeway freezer - 50 years ago. One could speculate how much better it would have seemed - even then - if an effects wizard such as Ray Harryhausen could have had the time and budget to make a more believable monster. However, it is what it is and "The Giant Claw" is great fun to watch; sometimes adding a bit of cheese make the best tasting popcorn.