I kept waiting for the cheesy, lovable monsters that make 50s era horror and sci-fi movies so great. But it never happened. As it turns out, The Incredible Petrified World is more of an adventure story than science fiction, and calling it “adventurous” would be a stretch. Despite having B movie legend John Carradine onboard, the movie has very few redeeming qualities.
A deep sea vessel somehow gets trapped beneath a series of caves in the ocean. The occupants of the vessel, two men and two women, are able to escape their doomed craft into the caves. Rather than having to battle giant cave creatures or something of the sort–and despite coming across a large claw that has to go to something–the foursome merely comes across an old man who has eyes for one of the women and makes everyone feel a bit uncomfortable. The women contribute nothing to the story; they’re constantly made to wait as the men take on whatever tasks are at hand. Which make you wonder…why are they even in the film? If they were intended to provide some pleasing visuals, it’s odd that they were always completely clothed, with full-length shirts and pants.
The only remotely exciting part of the movie is the opening scene, which includes the real clip of a shark battling an octopus. Other than that, this creatureless, adventureless, and largely plotless flick should be a pass. There are tons of better 50s era films.
But if you don’t believe me, here it is: