# Horror Movie Review: Frankenstein



## Sinister (Apr 18, 2004)

Arguably, this is the best Monster movie of all-time. It certainly is the best of the Universal Studio's turnout, and rightfully so.

*Frankenstein* is superior to it's companion piece *Dracula* in so many ways. While the latter is a classic in it's own right, the former has a better story, better atmosphere, better sets, better acting and the Monster himself is still one of the best make-up jobs in cinematic history. Karloff was able to pull off some of the best method acting without uttering a single line. His grunts, growls and jerky motions, made us believe in a creature though with a criminal brain, was as innocent as a newborn child, which for all the world that is exactly what his character was. The scenes that covered his (The Monsters) creation, the immortal one of the first ever quotable movie line "IT'S ALIVE!!! IT'S ALIVE!!!" the pond scene with the little girl and finally the burning of the windmill are still some of the most powerful ever filmed. You have pity for the Monster who is about to be roasted alive in the inferno, who never asked to be created in the first place.

There was better sound restoration in this than the *Dracula* DVD. In some places in the Lugosi film, I had to turn up the volume to better hear what was being said, whereas in *Frankenstein,* I didn't have this problem at all. If I had ANY complaint, it's miniscule, and it centers around why The good doctors name was changed from "Victor," to "Henry" while his best friend got the original name. Not so much a complaint, that. Just a curiousity, I suppose. Colin Clive was great as Henry Frankenstein, and Fredrick Kerr was absolutely wonderful as the crotchety old bastard, Baron Frankenstein. Dwight Frye turns out another madcap performance as the fiendish hunchback, Fritz. This movie is great monstrous fun all the way around, and definitely worthy of all the praise it has gotten over the almost three-quarters of a century that it has been around.

I can't recommend this no where near enough, and it recieves it's accolades as one of the best films I've critiqued to date. Go out and OWN IT, TODAY!

Rating: *****


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