Young Frankenstein (1974)

Strong and Moving!

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Young Frankenstein was one of those 1930's films that seems to grasp the type of comedy that only that of Gene Wilder can create...except it was made in 1974! Originally filmed for black and white the cinematographer Gerald Hirschfeld, wanted to give the audience the feel of being in the 1930's. The film captured this by not only originally coming out in black and white but also doing full black fade outs in between scenes and1930's style of opening credits, a rarity for the 1970's. It was amazing to watch a "talkie" comedy filmed as if 30 years older. I believe that in todays Hollywood, filmmakers rely too heavily on special effects and less on the magic of what the film could be.

...and it most certainly does work. Rightfully hailed as Mel Brooks' greatest work, this film is a master class in both comedic story-telling and cinematography. There isn't much that hasn't been said about this film already. Every aspect of this film, from the acting to the set design works so well. The comedic timing is spot-on. The insistence on filming in Black & White was a master stroke as well. I think in order to really appreciate this film, you have to go back and watch the original Frankenstein films from the 1930's. Particularly the first three films starring Boris Karloff as the creature. Once you compare the scenes in those films to Young Frankenstein, you see that this film is not merely a farce, but a Valentine to the old classic films. I saw Young Frankenstein first, long before i got to see and appreciate the original films. I was very surprised how much of YF was a take on the previous films. I didn't know about the "brain dropping" scene or the artificial arm of the Police Inspector. After comparing the two films, it becomes evident that the best satire comes from somebody who truly admires the source material. I've read some poor reviews on this site regarding this film, and can only conclude they come from younger viewers who have never seen or compared the source material. It is a shame that most classics like this are lost on younger generations, but, thankfully, these generations have little say in what is truly a classic. Highly recommended. To get the best experience, I recommend Blu-Ray. Enjoy!

It is clear that everyone had great fun making this film and that it has to be Marty Feldman's finest performance. Gene Wilder, of course, works very hard and has some marvellous moments, particularly in close-up. Some of the broader humour seems less funny to me now than it did originally but there is no denying the splendour of Peter Boyle as 'the creature' or the zoning performance from Madeline kahn, who really seems to make her role out of almost nothing. Biggest problem for me this time around was lack of continuity to the point that some parts of the film appeared little more than a series of sketches. For some reason i was particularly bothered by Wilder's sudden transition from wanting nothing to do with his grandfather to being all enthusiastic. The extras on the Blu-ray disc reveal all. The film was clearly cut down, presumably because considered over long and almost arbitrarily scenes were chopped. I assume it was decided to keep 'the funny bits' in and leave out the exposition, like the crucial reading of the will and its conditions. Personally I would have reduced the police inspector role, which can become somewhat tiresome. Still, I am being ungenerous and even if the film could have been better, it is still good and there is surely something in here for all to enjoy.

After "Blazin' Saddles", Mel Brooks has taken parody to a whole new meaning. In "Young Frankenstein", Gene Wilder plays the decedent of the infamous mad scientist who lives in America, and doesn't want to have anything to do with him. After being haggled by a student, a visitor from the old country gives him information left by his uncle. When he goes to Transylvania, the hilarity ensures. He meets Igor(Marty Ingles), along with some other weird characters. I was laughing non- stop. I also liked when after they built the monster(Peter Boyle), the scene with the blind hermit(Gene Hackman) was classic. I laughed the hardest when it came to the lighting of the cigar. The monster got his thumb of fire. In the story, fire is the monster's weakness. With all the characters from the Shelley's novel, this movie is more funny than scary. Mel Brooks topped himself off with this. And it's a keeper. 4.5 out of 5 stars.