Hitting at the peak of the giant monster craze of the 1950s, 20 Million Miles to Earth is definitive classic. It’s one of the core reasons these films have the following they have today, and it’s hardly for their campy or kitsch value. It’s 20 Million’s overwhelming level of quality that stand out in era where cheap exploitation of the genre was enough to get by.

If you’ve never understood what separates one ‘50s giant monster epic from another, it’s the care and talent from those involved. In this case, it’s the unparalleled work of Ray Harryhausen. No one, either then or now, had the uncanny ability to bring a small model to life with such personality and detail, and the Ymir featured here is amongst his best work.

Take for instance the hatching sequence, in which the monster is born after being brought to Earth on a botched space mission from Venus. A light is turned on in the room, and the baby Ymir is stunned, rubbing is eyes and shaking his head. As the scientist looks at the creature (in perfect sync with the animated model), the Ymir investigates, looking up and down at this unfamiliar sight that is a human being. He’s confused and scared, yet still inquisitive. It’s personality, animated one frame at a time.

Harryhausen also builds sympathy by letting the monster develop a demeanor of being friendly. Only after being attacked by a dog, shot at, poked at, and stabbed by a pitchfork does it turn mean. By the Ymir’s actions, you can physically see the turn in emotion. It’s stunning work on every level.

William Hopper leads the cast in the typical military role, and Joan Taylor takes the leading lady spot. The human story is relatively mundane, hitting many of the general clichés the genre is known for. For a film with a meager budget though, this one moves fast, with the creature on screen for a staggering amount of time once past the half hour point. It never drags or runs long.

The highlight of this new DVD release is the first colorization of this film. The process has been radically changed since the botched efforts of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. It’s still far from perfect, as skin tends to look bronzed and somewhat creepy. However, it really brings this film to life. At times, it looks as if it was shot in color originally.

With the approval of Harryhausen himself, this is an acceptable excuse to run through the film again. The black and white version has also undergone a restoration, so if you’re still against the process, it has led to an aftereffect that has benefited the original colorless version as well.

Regardless of how you choose to view it, this is an absolute classic. It may not receive the full attention as other films from the era, yet it should. It’s a standout special effects romp, almost flawless from the start to the creatures extended and emotional demise.

This is an amazing transfer, and differences between this double dip and the first DVD release are noticeable. It’s far cleaner, sharper, and crisper. Details are more apparent, and all moments of edge enhancement have been fixed. Grain and dirt varies depending on the shot. It’s still clean and sharp - amazingly so, given the age. The color and black and white versions are on equal terms.

A small update to the audio seems to be present, coming through in dual speaker stereo as opposed to the mono presentation in the first. It sounds roughly the same, if slightly higher in terms of overall volume. It has no issues with pops or cracking.

A crowded commentary begins the features set on disc one with Dennis Muren, Phil Tippett, Arnold Kunert, and of course Ray Harryhausen. Harryhausen speaks most of the time, as the others ask questions as to how things were done. It’s highly informative in terms of the industry at the time and how the effects were done on a shot by shot basis.
Remembering 20 Million Miles to Earth begins the second disc. It runs close to a half hour, with interviews and comments from people around the film industry. Harryhausen is featured extensively. The Colorization Process is a great look at how the new version came to be, though it feels like an extended infomercial. It also addresses why it was done, and how Harryhausen feels about this new edition.