The short version…it’s a modern, R-rated take on The Creature From The Black Lagoon. I loved how del Toro made the creature more credible and stuck with practical effects on him. The creature is a him as you’ll see in the story.
The long version. Shape follows the dreary, routine life of Elisa who is a third-shift janitor at an American Black Ops site circa the early Sixties. She’s a mute with no family (raised in an orphanage) beyond her neighbor, Giles, a elderly gay commercial artist and Zelda, a fellow janitor who is very protective. At least both understand ASL so they can interpret for and understand Elisa.
One day, a really cruel Mr. Strickland (a government agent) brings in something he found in the Amazon for study. Their introduction is gross because the creature cuts off two of Strickland’s fingers; Zelda and Elisa get 20 minutes to wipe up the blood.
Sensing the creature is intelligent and gentle, Elisa teaches him ASL, shares her lunches and plays records to strike up their relationship. When she learns Strickland plans to have the creature dissected (allegedly to help NASA make better spacesuits); Elisa, Giles, Zelda and Dr. Hoffstetler conspire to rescue the creature.
I’ll leave it at that. There’s many details before and after you’ll have to see. Much may surprise you. I don’t recommend this movie for Trump voters, “Christians” or the over sensitive. Horror fans will be disappointed too. Much like Star Wars these days, Shape is the story of rejected Americans: Gay, Black, Mute, Intelligent and Fish-esque; fighting back at the WASP establishment.
For me, Shape shines in finally seeing Michael Shannon have a decent villain role. He was wasted in Man of Steel as Snyder tried to make General Zod a sympathetic character. As Mr. Strickland, he’s a ruthless, sexist bastard that used to be called a patriot in the early Sixties.
Alamo Extras: Trailers for The Beach Girls and the Monster, The Creature from the Haunted Sea, Black Narcissus, All That Heaven Allows (Rock Hudson movie) and Revenge of the Creature (the lesser-known sequel to the 1955 original); the trade-show ad for The Creature from the Black Lagoon pinball machine (it’s a great game, I’ve played it many times); video for the Revillos song “She’s Fallen in Love with a Monster Man,”; scenes from some weird Spanish-speaking movie with the Creature, Frankenstein’s monster and a gorilla; commercial for monster-toy-based soap dispensers; del Toro starring in a Mexican Alka-Seltzer commercial; and a history the Creature as he or it appeared in three feature films, The Munsters, The Colgate Comedy Hour (Abbott and Costello); Monster Party, Mad Mad Mad Monsters, Jonny Quest, The Venture Brothers and Phantom from 10,000 Leagues.