Of all classic movie monsters, The Creature from the Black Lagoon is the greatest metaphor for a rebellious teenage boy. King Kong comes close, but this film’s amphibious fish man from the Amazon is more human. All he wants is a girl and to be left alone. He’s sex-crazed and down-and-out. He’s a juvenile delinquent with gills. Life would be great if everyone else would just disappear and he could spend all day exploring every curve on beautiful Julia Adams. 
The secret weapon of old monster movies is that kids related to the monsters. The protagonists of these films are typically (and intentionally, I think) one-dimensional bores. Every one of them could die and your heart wouldn’t break. The monster, meanwhile, is misunderstood and intriguing. He just does what comes naturally (as with Dracula) or is an aberration created by the same people who are now trying to destroy him (like in Frankenstein). The monster is a rebel. He stands out. He usually even has bad skin.
The story here is almost exactly the same as King Kong. A group that includes an unlikable profiteer, a pretty woman, the sensible man who loves her, and a crew of grunts venture to an exotic locale where they find a rare and amazing creature. At first the creature is merely annoyed by the invasion, but he eventually becomes spellbound by the woman. His goal: Kill all of the men and take the girl home.
Director Jack Arnold spent the whole 1950s making gems and he turns in another classic here. Under Arnold’s sure hand, the story zips by like a rocket and has the most exciting underwater action sequences of its time. Its greatest moment though is the weirdly sexy scene where Julia Adams goes out for a swim and the creature quietly follows her and swims beneath her, almost touching her, fascinated by her swimsuit-clad shape… but he’s not nervy enough to make a real move. Just like an insecure teenager.