The master of stop-motion and visual effects, Ray Harryhausen's work has stood the test of time. Responsible for creating some of the most iconic monsters and gigantic creatures in cinema history, his work is still enjoyed and celebrated to this very day.
But with over 30 years' worth of movies and monsters to choose from, just which ones are deemed the best among his portfolio? From giant sea creatures of the deep to dinosaurs chomping on unsuspecting people, there are plenty that are deserving to be mentioned on this list.
Giant Octopus - It Came From Beneath The Sea
Released in 1955, It Came From Beneath The Sea was another giant monster flick from George Worthing Yates, who previously wrote the script for Them!, a movie about giant ants attacking people. Following on from that movie's success, this one focuses on a giant octopus attacking the Pacific Coast of northwest America after the sea creature was exposed to nuclear testing.
The octopus, which was also known as "It", was Ray Harryhausen's 3rd movie after his work on The Beast of 20,000 Fathoms. And while he would go on to work with iconic legendary beasts and mythical creatures, this was one of his few attempts at animating an animal from the ocean. It Came From Beneath The Sea may not be included as the best sea monster movie, but it should still be seen by fans of monster movies.
Cyclops - The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad
The first of what would eventually become a trilogy, Columbia Picture's The 7th Voyage of Sinbad told the story of Sinbad and his crew as they attempt to retrieve a lost lamp by the sorcerer named Sokurah. But when they arrive on the island where the lamp is held, they encounter many gigantic and dangerous monsters.
One of these was the Cyclops who attacks Sinbad and his crew. While there were plenty of monsters to choose from on the list, Harryhausen was able to give expression to the creature that would go on into his work for future productions.
Kali - The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad
The second Sinbad feature of Columbia Picture's trilogy, American audiences got to enjoy this next sea-faring adventure in 1974. The Golden Voyage of Sinbad saw the hero take his crew to Lemuria, a lost land where he must stop a wicked magician from obtaining the Fountain of Destiny.
While the movie featured an epic duel between a centaur and a griffin and an enchanted figurehead from Sinbad's ship, the six-armed statue of Kali was just a marvel to behold for the time. Animating six arms while choreographing around the actors' swords would have been no easy task, and yet Harryhausen was able to deliver as one of the movie's highlights.
Troglodyte - Sinbad And The Eye Of The Tiger
The 3rd and final movie of Columbia Picture's Sinbad trilogy, Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger saw the sea-faring adventurer try to restore Prince Kassim to his human form and save the port town where he resides. But with an evil witch and her monsters in the way, Sinbad and his crew must overcome these menacing foes.
While many of Harryhausen's monsters usually play the antagonists, the Troglodyte was one of the rare exceptions and aids Sinbad on more than one occasion. This trilogy was also where Ray Harryhausen invented and used Dynamation, his animation technique that made so many of his movie monsters iconic and memorable after all these years.
Allosaurus - One Million Years B.C.
A remake of One Million B.C., this movie retold the story of Tumak as he finds himself banished from his own tribe of cave people and tries to find a new life for himself. While not historically accurate, he encounters many dinosaurs and giant animals along his journey to find a new home for himself.
After finding himself waking up in a tribe near the beach and befriending a cavewoman named Loana, an Allosaurus attacks them. While many dinosaurs show off Harryhausen's work, this one demonstrates how menacing and realistic it could be at the time, especially as it interacted with the props and sets during one of the movie's iconic scenes.
Medusa - Clash Of The Titans
Some may be more familiar with the movie's remake in the 2010s, but the original Clash of the Titans was not also where Harryhausen made some of his best monsters throughout his career, but it was also the last movie he ever worked on as an animator. The story focuses on Perseus as he must find a way to rescue Andromeda from her fate with the Kraken.
With a wide variety of creatures and animals to animate for this movie, one of the best and most suspenseful was Medusa. The snake-human hybrid monster would be terrifying for a lot of children in 1981, especially with how the acclaimed visual-effects wizard put so much detail into her movements and body language.
Gwangi - The Valley Of The Gwangi
Not many movies would have seen cowboys and dinosaurs appear in the same movie, but Warner Bros.-Seven Arts back then did just that with The Valley of Gwangi. In the oddball storyline, a bunch of cowboys hunts for a rare horse in the Forbidden Valley, only to discover that dinosaurs roam this land.
And among them was Gwangi, a giant Allosaurus who the cowboys try to capture for their struggling rodeo. The last dinosaur that Harryhausen would ever work with, Gwangi is simply one of his best pieces of work in cinema history that was also one of IMDb's best dinosaur movies too.
Mighty Joe Young - Mighty Joe Young
While many might think of the remake of Mighty Joe Young in 1998, it was actually a remake of the 1949 movie of the same name. The story focuses on Jill as she struggles to pay for her ranch in Africa and agrees to let her giant gorilla perform in Hollywood in order to pay off her debts.
This movie would play a pivotal role for the famed special effects wizard and other animators who came onboard as it was his first movie. Bringing the gorilla to life was probably no easy task back in 1949, but his career would slowly blossom because of his efforts.
The Children Of Hydra's Teeth - Jason And The Argonauts
Released in 1963, Jason and the Argonauts was a retelling of the Ancient Greek myth about the Golden Fleece as Jason and the Argonauts were sent by the king to retrieve it. But the movie's version of the story also includes the dreaded Hydra, dangerous Harpies, and a colossal Talos to stop them from reaching their goal that some saw as the best cinematic adaptation of Greek mythology.
But amongst the movie's highlights were the skeleton warriors that Jason and the Argonauts must battle in order to escape with the Golden Fleece. It must not have been an easy task for anyone to animate one of these foes, but the fact that Harryhausen animated 7 of them while matching the choreography of the actors must have been no easy task.
Kraken - Clash Of The Titans
Clash of the Titans may have already been included on the list, but with so many monsters to choose from the movie, another iconic creature from it deserves to be mentioned. Pegasus and Bubo the mechanical owl were highlights for many fans of this story, but arguably the best was probably the titan of the sea.
While there were several movie monsters that could have taken the top spot, non are as iconic as the reveal of the Kraken in Clash of the Titans. The creature has remained one of the most iconic towering behemoths in cinema and has been referenced in countless movies and television shows since its debut.
