Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Despite some slow passages of philosophical humbug and pseudo scientific ear-wash, plus some none too absorbing passages of romantic dalliance with the lovely Leigh Snowden, this is an engrossing little thriller from director John Sherwood, an extremely busy (63 credits) assistant director from 1936 though 1959, who made only three movies (the others Raw Edge and Monolith Monsters). It's quite a worthy successor to The Creature from the Black Lagoon and Revenge of the Creature. Sherwood's direction is especially deft in the action sequences. The long sequences under water are kept interesting by using a large variety of camera set-ups with imaginative cross-cutting. The following sequence in which the Creature is stalked at night is also quite absorbing, with its long tracking shots following the launch through the turns of a shallow, branch-overhanging waterway. This sequence is capped by some solid thrills and there is yet more exciting footage to come, capped by a destructive climax that will have cinema audiences on the edges of their seats. Production values including atmospheric photography, lavish sets and some outstanding location footage, are first-class.

THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US is the third and final of the trilogy that began with CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON and followed with REVENGE OF THE CREATURE. While I appreciate that the writers of this third instalment wanted to do something a bit different to what had come previously, there's no denying that THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US is a low budget effort that disappoints slightly.The problem with this film is its predictability. It starts off on a usual footing with the main characters going on a creature hunt. One of them is played by B-movie regular Jeff Morrow, who you may or may not have seen in THE GIANT CLAW. The usual murky underwater photography follows, and then the film's highlight comes, an outstanding moment in which the Creature attacks. From this point in the film becomes something of a re-run of MIGHTY JOE YOUNG, with the Creature reinvented as a tragic antihero.There's a fair amount of padding in what is already a rather short film, and a lot of scenes of characters standing around and yapping. The characters aren't very interesting and the Creature himself is a bit of an oddball, looking like a hulking Michael Myers clone in a fish head mask rather than the lithe and graceful figure of the past two films. It only starts picking up again at the climax. It's not a bad film per se, but it could have been so much better...

I went into this with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised The only thing that makes this movie is the gill man himself. The way he moves and conveys emotions make you very interested. A decent movie if you have the time. Is it the best of the Universal monster movies? No. Is it the best of the creature trilogy? No. But in my opinion much better than the second and does not deserve the flack it receives. I believe the director took it in a new direction rather than a repeat which was risky but needed and not at all stupid. Not the best acting but again the fun part is watching the creature adapt to his new world. I do appreciate them not making a fourth movie and just making it a good trilogy. I'm also glad it was made in black and white rather than color it gives you than good monster movie feel.

Reading through the user reviews for this Universal sequel, I am legitimately surprised at how many raves I'm seeing and comments that it's the best of the series. To each their own, but I just cannot agree.The original CREATURE film is an absolute classic and one of the best horror films of the black-and-white era. This movie improves, slightly, from the subpar second movie REVENGE OF THE CREATURE, but still comes up sorely lacking.Once again, we begin with some scientists who just can't leave the poor Gill Man alone. I mentioned in my review of REVENGE how sympathetic I think this creature is and it continues here as the monster really just wants to be left alone, but man just refuses to let that happen. The first half of the movie takes place in the Everglades as the expedition attempts to track down the monster to capture it for study. There is nothing new to offer here. We meet a new group of scientists and a new leading lady, only this time around there isn't a likable character in the entire bunch. You spend most of the movie wishing the monster would kill these jerks and put us all out of our misery. We get the requisite underwater scenes and again there is nothing new offered, as most of the monster footage is recycled from the original movie.They track the monster up a stream at which point we do get one of the better scenes from the Creature trilogy, as he attacks the scientists on their boat. The tension is short-lived however, as the monster is shot twice and set ablaze, leading to his capture.At this point, the movie really grinds to a halt. Let's start with the cardinal sin committed here. This is the one of the greatest monster makeups ever created in horror history. Why, in the Black Lagoon, would you change that makeup? Why would take this magnificent monster and turn it into a fish-like wrestler? It's inexcusable to me. The movie explains these changes with some of the worst science you'll ever hear as the monster is capable of evolving instantly into something new? I might be willing to buy the lungs theory, but to have a second skin underneath the scales that's just waiting to come out? I know these 50s sci-fi movies require some suspension of belief, but they're really pushing it here.To further slow things down, most of the second half revolves around everyone on the boat trying to sleep with the only woman present and the jealousy it cases in her lunatic husband. None of it is interesting and it's made even worse by melodramatic overacting.We finally get to the lead doctor's home, where the creature is put into a pen with some goats (for no other explainable reason than they will be needed to further the plot in a minute). He kills a mountain lion threatening the goats and, for some reason, this is not seen as protective, but as proof that the creature will always be a violent menace. The climax comes when the lunatic, jealous doctor finally kills one of the men who have tried to nail his wife. For some reason, this enrages the creature (yes, suddenly the monster who has killed men for 3 movies is now upset at violence), who goes on a rampage, leading to a depressing ending.To me, what makes the original work so well is an exotic jungle setting, great underwater photography, a magnificent creature design and a female lead with a brain. All of these could have been explored in much more depth with the sequels, particularly where did this creature come from and are there others. Instead, by now, he's removed from the jungle, no longer underwater, the creature design is stripped down to generic proportions and our female lead is completely unlikable. It's a good thing Universal let it die with this one.