It's rather surprising that more giant creature films don't feature giant squids. We've had all sorts of radioactive monstrosities over the years, yet the giant squid is real. Logic dictates that something real is far more frightening than something that isn't. Though not a giant squid (it’s an octopus), It Came From Beneath the Sea does a fantastic job at making the experience seem real thanks to Ray Harryhausen's effects and placing it high in the ranks of 50's monster movies.
Any decent science fiction fan knows Ray Harryhausen's work. This was his first film with producer Charles H. Schneer, who would join him on countless other classics for the rest of his career. Harryhausen's creation here remains spectacular to this day and the rest of the effects work is still believable. The final assault on the shores of San Francisco is a combination of amazing miniatures and detailed animation.
This is a somewhat disjointed film, however, as the two lead characters lead a generic romance that goes nowhere in the second half. Stock footage is used extensively and the narrator used in the first half-hour is grating (and speaks only once in the second half). It's obvious that the focus is put squarely where it should be for the final chapters and it comes out just fine in the end, but it almost makes the first 40 minutes seem meaningless. Even so, It Came From Beneath the Sea is one of the best of the 50's creature features and a must-see for any fan of this quirky genre. 
Now in colorized form, the remastered video is a step above the prior DVD release. The largest issue here in both black and white and color versions is grain. It eliminates many of the colors (or shades), giving the film a static, sometimes lifeless look. The original black and white is sharper overall, with better detail. Rich blacks are dominant regardless of which version you choose. Also, regardless of youR feelings on colorization, the latest process brings this film to life. 
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