In the year 1818, British novelist, Mary Shelley, penned a book called Frankenstein, about a mad scientist named Dr. Frankenstien, who collects body parts from various corpses in order to create the very first artificial creature to make scientific history on resurrection but things go awry when the creature escapes to the outside world. The book earned praise from readers and gained Shelley a bunch of fame for her work as a writer. Many years later, Universal Pictures began to produce a motion picture based on the book of the same starring Boris Karloff as the monster himself and the role propelled him to stardom.
Frankenstein was officially released in 1931, earning positive reviews from critics became a box office success. Over the years, the film continues to earn a bunch of recognition from contemporary critics and audiences. In 1998, The American Film Institute, (AFI for short) ranked the 1932 version as number 87 as one of AFI’s 100 Years Of Movies.
It doesn’t matter if SPOILERS are listed. Frankenstein’s been parodied and referenced constantly.
Alive & Dead Elements
Alive: Boris Karloff did an excellent job on his unforgettable performance as the title character.
Other Cast Members did an great job including Colin Clive for his portrayal as Dr. Henry Frankenstein.
Set Pieces were crafted by hand such as Dr. Frankenstein’s laboratory and the infamous Windmill scene.
Prosthetic Makeup was applied to change Karloff’s appearance. For a film released in 1931, it still holds up.
Cinematography felt decent without any problems with the camera.
Practical Effects were used to bring specific elements to life.
I’m gonna have to give this film an Extra Point for keeping the monster’s actor a mystery, this was way before the Internet was born. If The Internet was around in the ‘30’s, the audience would’ve never been surprised by a certain actor appearing in a movie without any confirmation. I’m not kidding, if you watch the opening credits, it shows Cast Members playing who’s who. Only one them is labeled as a question mark on who’s portraying the monster. Let’s be honest, we all know who it is ever since we’ve heard of Frankenstein in countless media.
Dead: James Whale didn’t do a solid job directing.
It took nearly half an hour for the Monster to wake up. That’s a small chunk of Act One.
Scare Factor lacks terror. I didn’t feel a sense of dread coming down my spine.
Frankenstein’s fiancée, Elizabeth is forgettable. I didn’t care about her. She’s just plain dull. Heck, even Frankenstein’s pal, Victor is forgettable too.
Similar to my review for the 1932 version of The Mummy, the running time for the film is surprisingly short for a full length feature film, which is the equivalent of a one hour episode of The Sopranos or a stop motion movie. I don’t know if movie studios in the Golden Age Of Hollywood made movies this short back then, but in today’s entertainment, it would’ve irritated the general public on why they wasted their money on something this short.
The Final Verdict: C, FOR CLUTTERED!
I can’t believe I’m saying this, the OG Frankenstein isn’t a masterpiece. I’m not a fan of classic Horror. I prefer ‘90s to modern day ones. Kenneth Branagh’s interpretation of Frankenstein is my all-time favorite. A significant improvement.
Despite nitpicks, has inspired many films, comics, and television shows for including “The Playing God” complex involving robots, synthetics, and genetic mutation, as a plot element for the Science Fiction Genre on what this trope can do by adding a variations to it without easily becoming a cliche.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 