Customer Reviews

Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman" finds Daryl Hannah in the titular role of this HBO remake of the 1958 exploitation cult classic. Director Christopher Guest goes whole heartedly for a retro Fifties look in this 1993 which tries to take the best parts (so to speak) of the original and enlarge the rest into a feminist allegory. Once again the story is about poor little heiress Nancy Archer (Hannah), who has been abused all of her life by men from her father, Hamilton Cobb (William Windom) to her swarmy husband, Harry (Daniel Baldwin), who is devoting his limited attention to local bad girl, Honey Parker (Cristi Conaway). Out driving around in the desert to relieve her sexual frustration, Nancy encounters a flying saucer that zaps her, thereby starting the growth process that will level off at the 50 ft. level (note: the original is "Foot" but the remake is "Ft."). The teleplay by Joseph Dougherty (who did his first script for "thirtysomething") borrows as much from "The Feminist Manifesto" as it does from "King Kong." What becomes important is that not even the U.S. military is going to stop Nancy from getting some much needed attention from hubby Harry. Sure, she could do a lot better than Harry, but that is not suppose to be the final payoff of this little feminine fantasy.

This remake does not have the same sort of tacky charm that makes the original so compelling. But there is still the great unanswered question from both of these films as to how the giant woman's underwear manages to keep up with her growth spurt. Daryl Hannah is a lot angrier than Allison Hayes was in the original, and it was the latter's decided sense of disinterest during the final rampage (along with the cloth bikini) that made it one of the enduring images of Fifties science fiction. Ultimately, this is more Guest's film as director, because the entire art direction and visual style of the film is as much a homage to the genre in the Fifties as the original storyline. The remake does not stand alone because there is too much that works off of the original to allow that to happen, so you have to have seen the 1958 version to fully appreciation this one. The main thing is that "Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman" does not take itself seriously, and that makes up for a lot of the film's shortcomings.

Nancy Archer (Darryl Hannah) is a rich but troubled young woman, who is married to a cheating lowlife who only stays with her for her money. One night, she is driving home by herself, when an alien spaceship lands on the road. She is irradiated by the ship and over the next few days, starts to grow taller and taller, until she reaches a height of 50 feet. She uses her newfound height (and power) to take revenge on those who have wronged her - especially her sleazy husband Harry (Daniel Baldwin) and the trashy, gold-digging bimbo (Christi Conaway) he has taken up with.

This HBO made-for-cable remake of the 1957 cult classic of the same name is updated with an even more feminist slant and has a more thoughtful (and clever) script. The effects and acting are still every bit as cheesy though.

This is an HBO remake of the original 50's 50 footer. Naturally there had to be some adjustments for the new era. However it still captures the thrills and chills. You may also marvel at the spandex clothing that stretches for ever (rats.)

Nancy, the little woman, (Daryl Hannah) does not have quite the devoted husband (Daniel Baldwin.) Here life is not quite ideal. Soon a chance encounter with aliens (the space type) leaves her feeling bigger about the situation. 50 foot bigger. Now it is Nancy's turn for a little revenge. The ending is a little unnerving.

Be sure to see Daryl in just as serious of a role in "High spirits" (1998)


High Spirits

Not as good as the original but at least it is in color! This was not one of Daryl Hannah's finest moment. Some of the special effects were laughable especially the miniaturization of the city. Over all, the cast wasn't that good. However, if remakes of old classics are your bag this might be for you. Now we wait for the Wasp Woman to be remade!

This version of the 50 foot woman, in my opinion,
has a better story line and superior special effects.
It is a "B" movie however this version is more entertaining.

I've always cringe when I hear about remakes of Sci-Fi classics, even only fair ones like "Attack of the 50 ft. Woman", but it did have Darryl Hannah in it, so I decided to buy it. I thought it wasn't too bad at all. I liked this update, even though the desert was clearly in a studeo, The continuity of the special effects were quite good, I felt. I also like how she became more assertive as she got taller.

The Attack of 50 Ft. Woman is one hour and thirty minutes long and was release on HBO in 1993. This movie basically has the same story (more or less) then the original did. Main differences are: this is color (original is black and white) it is longer by twenty-four minutes, there is the demanding father, and there is a therapist in this one. Gone is the butler. Nancy is driving home and a flying saucer zaps her with a beam of light. When she tries to tell the sheriff, he does not believe her. When Nancy goes back with the sheriff, she cannot convince him that there was an UFO. Later Nancy takes Harry to go out looking for the flying saucer and it re-appears; she is beamed up into the craft. Nancy is finally home and Harry and Nancy's father start to argue; that makes Nancy angry and she begins to grow. It is found out when ever she is angry she grows. In the end, Nancy is rescued by the spaceship that made her big and she is joined by two other tall women. Harry is put in a container with two other men (who are trying to help Harry). Looks like Harry is not to be released until he is more kind to Nancy. The special affects are better then the original; even though it is a low budget movie. It is still a good movie to rent or own. The Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman gets a C+.

This is a interesting movie. It has a feminist message, and it can make you think a little bit. I do not liked the end of the movie however; If Harry does not love her (the 50ft woman), there is no reason to kidnap him. He does not deserve a 'happy end', but to force him to do something that he does not want to do... well I think that it is not the right thing to do.

Nancy Archer is zapped by aliens and begins to grow to a 50ft giantess. She is much sexier than in the original. There are some good special effects and the story line is better than the original.

This remake of the Allison Hayes classic is a delightful rendition. The special effects are superior (tho this genre is fueled by imagination so technical effects are secondary to story) but the theme is the same. A few new twists, and very credible acting make this movie a joy for those familiar with this genre (GTS).