Atomic Robot: Introducing Oscar; Return Of The Mammoth - Egypts First Monster Movie

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

Introducing Oscar; Return Of The Mammoth - Egypts First Monster Movie - with a Split Personality

Written By Ken Hulsey

Most filmmakers wouldn’t dare to combine a family-friendly kids' movie with a violent monster film, yet that’s exactly what Egyptian director Hesham El-Rashidy has done with his latest creation, "Oscar: Return of the Mammoth." If you watch the trailers, you can't help but feel that the film is an odd mix of "Lilo and Stitch" and "Jurassic Park." After viewing the promo clips, it's hard not to believe that the conflicting messages about the film are completely intentional.

One trailer makes it appear to be a family-friendly movie aimed at younger audiences—definitely the kind of film my granddaughter would love. The other, however, appears to be a chaotic blend of gangsters shooting at each other and a Godzilla-like showdown between prehistoric titans in the heart of Cairo. At the center of this chaos is a mammoth named Oscar, who has been brought to life through cloning.

If the trailers already leave you feeling confused, the posters don’t provide any clarity either. There are three posters: the first has a Godzilla-inspired image of the mammoth battling another dinosaur, the second resembles a classic Jurassic Park scene with the mammoth and a burning city seen through the eye of the other monster, and the third features a sentimental, warm image of a little girl and Oscar sharing a touching moment.

This brings us to a significant issue. El-Rashidy is trying to capitalize on two popular genres that really don’t mesh well together. While it’s possible to create monster movies that appeal to younger audiences—as the '90s Gamera films show—you need to tone down the action and violence for that to work. However, I didn’t see any evidence of such toning down in the trailer.

The film was sent to me by a publicist friend who noted that it found success in Egypt, and the filmmakers are now testing the waters internationally. Honestly, if they focused on a cute, Disney-like movie about a girl and her genetically engineered mammoth friend, they could have a hit. Similarly, if they produced an all-out action film about gangsters, espionage, and prehistoric monsters battling it out, that could also be successful. However, combining both concepts is unlikely to produce a satisfying result that audiences will embrace. Families who want to take their children to see a film about a girl and her mammoth may not want their kids exposed to all the violence, while monster movie fans might find the subplot about the girl distracting from the action.

Then there’s the dubbing, which, in the English version, is laughably bad. I actually enjoyed the Egyptian trailers more. Therefore, subtitles might be the better choice, although that could limit the audience as well.

To be fair, I’m basing my opinion on just a handful of clips, so I don’t want to definitively say whether "Oscar" is a good film or not. The effects look decent, and the monster battles seem impressive. It’s just difficult to get a clear understanding of the film. If you’re a fan of foreign films, alternative cinema, or classic monster-on-monster action, this might be the movie for you. However, I wouldn’t recommend it for kids. Personally, I’m curious to see it simply because I've never watched a movie made in Egypt. If anyone has seen this film, please feel free to share your thoughts below.