History Film / TheDeadlyMantis

* YourSizeMayVary: The mantis changes from hundreds of feet long, like the established size when Parkman compares it to the C-47(around 300+ feet long compared to the 95 foot wingspan of the C-47) to less than 100 when on the Washington Monument and in the Manhattan tunnel. Promotional materials even had a drawing of the mantis holding aloft the >1000 ft long ''Queen Elizabeth II'' passenger liner in its forelimbs, which would make the beast thousands of feet long and more massive than any [[Franchise/Tohoverse Toho kaiju]].

* YourSizeMayVary: The mantis changes from hundreds of feet long, like the established size when Parkman compares it to the C-47(around 300+ feet long compared to the 95 foot wingspan of the C-47) to less than 100 when on the Washington Monument and in the Manhattan tunnel.

* {{Attack Of The 50 Foot Whatever}}: Prehistoric this time, rather than [[ILoveNuclearPower atomic]].

* DirtyCoward: One of the tribesmen abandons another that's trapped when the mantis attacks.

%%* {{Kaiju}}: The giant mantis.

* {{Kaiju}}: The giant mantis.

* MonsterInTheIce: The mantis in the opening sequence.

* ArtisticLicenseBiology: "Every known species of animal has a bony skeleton." What?! [[note]]He probably meant "animal" as a synonym for "mammal", since he mentions reptiles and birds as also having bony skeletons, so he thinks they're not whatever he means by animal. He also almost immediately contradicts himself by rattling off a series of animals that ''don't'' have bony skeletons when prompted.[[/note]]
** For the record, no, deer flies can't fly as fast as a jet. [[note]]The biologist who put this forth first published this in 1927, and it was debunked by another biologist in 1938.[[/note]]

In this case, the beast is the eponymous mantis, which is freed from beneath the Arctic ice caps by a volcanic eruption in the opening sequence and proceeds to destroy many things, progressively eating more people, until ace USAF pilot Colonel Joe Parkman (Craig Stevens) accidentally rams the mantis with his jet, forcing it to the ground and killing it. Interwoven into the story is a romantic subplot involving Parkman and magazine editor Marge Blaine (Alix Talton).

In this case, the beast is the eponymous mantis, which is freed from beneath the Arctic ice caps by a volcanic eruption in the opening sequence and proceeds to destroy many things, progressively eating more people, until ace USAF pilot Colonel Joe Parkman (Craig Stevens) accidentally rams the mantis with his jet, forcing it to the ground and killing it. Interwoven into the story is a romantic subplot involving Parkman and magazine editor Marjorie Blaine (Alix Talton).

In this case, the beast is the eponymous mantis, which is freed from beneath the polar ice caps by a volcanic eruption in the opening sequence and proceeds to destroy many things, progressively eating more people, until ace USAF pilot Colonel Joe Parkman (Craig Stevens) accidentally rams the mantis with his jet, forcing it to the ground and killing it. Interwoven into the story is a romantic subplot involving Parkman and magazine editor Marjorie Blaine (Alix Talton).

[[quoteright:182:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Deadly_Mantis_5971.jpg]]

''The Deadly Mantis'' is a 1956 American film concerning the then-popular mutation and animation of a giant beast, usually prehistoric. In this case, the beast is the eponymous mantis, loosed in the opening sequence of the movie, where it proceeds to destroy many things, progressively eating more people, until an ace pilot accidentally rams the mantis with his jet, forcing it to the ground and kills it. Interwoven into this tale is a romantic subplot involving photographer Marjorie Blaine and Colonel Joe Parkman, the Ace.

''The Deadly Mantis'' is a 1956 American film concerning the then-popular mutation and animation of a giant beast, usually prehistoric. In this case, the beast is the eponymous mantis, loosed in the opening sequence of the movie, where it proceeds to destroy many things, progressively eating more people, until an ace pilot accidentally rams the mantis with his jet, forcing it to the ground and kills it. Interwoven into this tale is a romantic subplot involving the photographer Miss Blake and Colonel Joe Parkman, the Ace.

* ArtisticLicenseBiology: "Every known species of animal has a bony skeleton." What?![[note]]He probably meant "animal" as a synonym for "mammal", since he mentions reptiles and birds as also having bony skeletons, so he thinks they're not whatever he means by animal. He also almost immediately contradicts himself by rattling off a series of animals that ''don't'' have bony skeletons when prompted.[[/note]]
** For the record, no, deer flies can't fly as fast as a jet. [[note]] The biologist who put this forth first published this in 1927, and it was debunked by another biologist in 1938. [[//note]]

* ButterflyOfDoom: Mentioned in the opening spiel as the cause for the Deadly Mantis' parole on ice --- then it is shown to be a ''volcano''.

* DecoyProtagonist: [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-zagged]]; the beginning of the film follows Col. Joe as he investigates a couple of "incidents" caused by the Deadly Mantis; then the focus shifts to museum curator Nedrick Jackson, who appears to take over the lead role... right up until he, [[SatelliteLoveInterest Miss Blake]] and Col. Joe return from the Arctic to track the big bug in New York City, at which time Col. Joe hops back into the driver's seat.

* MisplacedAccent: Why does a Canadian Air Force officer have a "Tally Ho!" British accent?[[note]]There are many Brit-accented Canadians taking after the old colonial power, but this probably wasn't what they were going for.[[/note]]

* ArtisticLicenseBiology: "Every known species of animal has a bony skeleton." What?![[note]]He probably meant mammal, since he mentions reptiles and birds as also having bony skeletons, so he thinks they're not whatever he means by animal. He also almost immediately contradicts himself by rattling off a series of animals that ''don't'' have bony skeletons when prompted.[[/note]]

* DecoyProtagonist: [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-zagged]]; the beginning of the film follows Col. Joe as he investigates a couple of "incidents" caused by the Deadly Mantis; then the focus shifts to museum curator (and Insect Expert) Nedrick Jackson, who appears to take over the lead role... right up until he, [[SatelliteLoveInterest Miss Blake]] and Col. Joe return from the Arctic to track the big bug in New York City, at which time Col. Joe hops back into the driver's seat.