The Complete Frankenstein 2: Son of Frankenstein and Ghost of Frankenstein Review

Son of Frankenstein (1939)

After 1935's Bride of Frankenstein Universal Studios decided that they wouldn't make anymore monster movies. When a couple of years later they found that their revival screenings of Dracula and Frankenstein were doing really well they decided to resume production of their iconic monster films and begin what is commonly referred to as the "second phase" of Universal Horror. There is no doubt that the majority of the films made in this phase were of a lower quality of those in the first phase. A lot of this had to do with World War 2 which took away some of the talent in front of and behind the camera. The films of this phase would eventually be mostly B films but Son of Frankenstein, which kicked things off, certainly was not.

Son tells the story of the son of Henry Frankenstein returning to his homeland and soon finding that he can't help but delve into his father's past experiments, you can imagine where it all goes from here but there is certainly a lot of fun along the way. Those familiar with the classic Mel Brooks film Young Frankenstein will be delighted to see that much of the source of that film comes from this one. Certain references that I did not get before in Young Frankenstein are now clear to me and it only makes that film even better. Son is a pretty good film in its own right and has a great cast. Basil Rathbone is perfect in the role as the son of Doctor Frankenstein and Bela Lugosi does a fine job as the assistant Ygor. It is interesting to not that Ygor did not appear as a character in the first two films. Lugosi was never really able to recapture his Dracula performance but Ygor might be the closest he came to a comeback. Karloff is fantastic in his final turn as the monster but unfortunately is not given as much time on the screen here as he was given in the previous outings. The monster is also less emotive besides one scene involving a mirror. Karloff could tell that soon the monster would be nothing more than a machine in these films and he picked the right time to exit the series. Lionel Atwill plays a police inspector in this film and he gives a great performance. Atwill is one of those character actors who pops up in every B horror and mystery film you can think of. It is notable that he eventually faced-off against Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes as professor Moriarty.

Son benefits from its great actors and fantastic sets. The sets are done in an expressionistic style which reminds one of old silent German cinema. The make up is, as always, exceptional and all the actors work well together. Unfortunately, Son of Frankenstein does not work as well as the previous two efforts. It's plot is alright but it isn't enough to justify the film's 94 minute run time, which is the longest of the three films. the film begins well and then drags a little bit in the middle. The conclusion however is one of the best parts of all three films so far. It is gripping and suspenseful and really allows Karloff to shine on the screen in what was arguably his greatest character. In the end, Son of Frankenstein is a really good Frankenstein film and it should definitely be watched and enjoyed even if it isn't as good as the first two 3.5/5

Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)

I don't have much to say about Ghost of Frankenstein. By the time it was made in 1942 Universal's monster movies were now strictly "B" pictures. The budget is lower and Karloff is no longer playing the Monster. The film shows a definite drop in quality and despite a few decent moments Ghost is an utter failure.

The story involves the "other son" of Frankenstein taking control of the monster and this time he wants to give it a better brain. This idea is a logical one when you think about the mythos the films had created, but it is not enough to hinge a plot on, even if the film is only an hour and seven minutes long. This time the cast is not as good as the previous ones. Lon Chaney Jr. plays the monster in a way that really makes you wish Karloff had continued and maybe gotten the script changed. Chaney just isn't Karloff and he sticks out like a sore thumb. Lionel Atwill gets far too little screen time in his new role as a villain and Ralph Bellamy plays a completely uninteresting romantic lead. In fact, the romantic sub plot of this film doesn't even exist really and yet the two romantic leads are shown escaping in the last shot of the film. The woman at least gets a couple scenes where she is the main one on screen but Bellamy's character is completely undeveloped. They could've at least put together a cheesy love scene to make the end of the film have ANY emotional impact. Even Lugosi seems tired as Ygor and this is only his second appearance.

As it stands there are a couple of interesting scenes involving the monster but they are mostly one's we've seen before. There is an interesting twist at the conclusion which at least keeps the whole thing from being soporific. In the end, on its own, it probably is a fun little "B" picture but when viewed in context it really demonstrates a lowering in quality 2/5

Stay tuned tomorrow for my review of the monster mash-ups Frankenstein Meets the wolf Man and House of Frankenstein!

The Complete Frankenstein 1: Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein Review

It's been far too long since I have written a review for this blog. There are several reasons why I took such a long break, mainly work and school. Now that I am on fall break I'm going to be coming out with reviews at a furious pace. My first series will be a review of every single Universal Studios Frankenstein film (Including the monster mash-ups). This is in honor of Halloween and because I have four days to kill and I can't think of a better way to do it!

Frankenstein (1931)

After the success of Dracula, Universal Studios turned to Mary Shelley's creation for their next horror film. This one would cement the studio's legacy as one of monsters. Frankenstein was originally supposed to be played by Bela Lugosi, who played Dracula, but thankfully for us movie-goers Boris Karloff was given the role. The opening of Frankenstein is interesting because it involves a pre-credits message from Edward Van Sloan warning us that what we are about to see "may even horrify us" from then on the storyof Doctor Frankenstein and his creation keeps us glued to the screen.

Everybody knows what the plot of this film is so there is no need to summarize it. Some have criticized this film for straying from the original book so greatly. I actually believe that by stream-lining the story this version improves upon the book. The main theme is not lost in many drawn out pages of description which dilute its impact as it is in the book. Of course, having a great cast helps and Frankenstein is nearly flawless on this front. Colin Clive makes for an iconic Doctor Frankenstein and his exclamation of "It's alive!" is still memorable. Boris Karloff gives a truly incredible performance as the monster which I would argue is one of the greatest performances in the history of film. The  emotion and feeling he is able to bring to the character gives the monster incredible dimensions. This is aided by one of the most famous make-up jobs of all time.

The direction by James Whale is good, if not as experimental as his next Frankenstein film. The sets are incredible. What's truly surprising about Frankenstein is that for a movie from 1931 (generally considered part of the "talkie" period) it still holds up. It may not be as frightening today as it must have been back then but certain sequences still evoke chills to this day. Even more impressive is how much depth is able to be packed into a 1 hour and 10 minute run time. When today, a Transformers film can be 2 hours and 45 minutes it is refreshing to see a film pack so much story into less then half that time.

If there is one minor flaw with the original Frankenstein it is that there is a male character, Victor, who appears in the beginning of the film and who seems to serve no purpose but to build romantic tension. It is forgivable because he helps to provide some necessary exposition but he is still a very flat character. That flaw not withstanding this is a fantastic film and one of the jewels in Universal's crown. It's Alive and well 5/5!

The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

By 1935 Universal had produced several more horror films and was unquestionably the "house of horror". Much in the film industry had changed as well. Movies were evolving to allow for musical soundtracks during a sound film and directors as well as actors were experimenting more with the form. It was the perfect time for director James Whale and stars Colin Clive and Boris Karloff to reunite for another Frankenstein film and, boy did they make the most of  it! Setting the template for how to make a great sequel the Bride of Frankenstein not only stands up to its predecessor, it surpasses it.

The opening of Bride is brilliant. It begins on a stormy night with three of the foremost ambassadors of English literature of the 1800's, Byron, Shelley, and Mary Shelley. Byron and Shelley both tell of how thrilled they were by the first story of Frankenstein and Mary tells them there is more to the story. She then begins to narrate  this new tale of Frankenstein. This opening serves to bring the viewer right back into the action and gives the viewer the feeling of being told a legend by the fireplace on a stormy night.

The film then goes on to show how the monster got a Bride and many other adventures which you will just have to see for yourselves it you haven't before. This film is sheer genius. It continues to delve into the ideas proposed in the original while expanding upon them and developing tis characters. It even does this while also introducing new and truly memorable characters to the mix. If that weren't enough this film has every emotion from the classic scares to self-referential comedy to tragedy to pathos, even more incredibly none of these elements overpowers the others Finally, what's truly staggering is that it does all of this in 1 hour and 15 minutes. Very few films are a perfect example of their genre but Bride of Frankenstein approaches perfection.

A lot of credit for this has to go to three people, Director James Wale, Boris Karloff, and Franz Waxman. Whale uses some truly inventive directorial techniques which help to give the film even more life then its predecessor had. He utilities some incredible special effects to their maximum and the different angles of shots are superb. The lighting and composition of the film is almost a character in and of itself bringing some incredibly inventive sets to life and given that great feeling of gothic horror to other scenes. Boris Karloff gives his best performance here as the monster. He is given the chance to speak in one of the greatest scenes in film history, the scene where the monster meets the blind man. This scene was taken from the original novel and it is executed perfectly here, giving the monster true humanity. Karloff's performance is uncanny and it truly helps one ot understand why he became so sought-after for horror films. Franz Waxman is the composer of the perfect soundtrack to this film. Every cue is interesting and exciting and it really adds to the film.

There is so much more that could be discussed about this film but this review would go on for far too long. The make-up of both the monster and the Bride is iconic and exceptional. Some may watch this film after reading this review and think that I have "over-hyped" it and that is the danger of writing a review where there is almost nothing you can give but praise. Nevertheless, the Bride of Frankenstein is the best monster film Universal Studios ever released and it is one of the best of its genre. It is also a prefect companion to the original making it a truly worthy sequel. I can't recommend this one highly enough 5/5!

Stay Tuned tomorrow for my review of Karloff's last outing as the monster Son of Frankenstein and the last solo outing of the Monster in "the Ghost of Frankenstein"!