The classic Universal monster films are great fun, influential and endure in popularity to this day but this being the fourth Frankenstein film it feels a little jaded and lacking in ideas. We've seen it all before where outraged villagers go on the hunt for the Monster who is misunderstood and one of the Frankenstein family arrive on the scene to conduct further scientific experiments. However things have changed, not only a change in director but the Monster is now played by Lon Chaney Jr fresh off of Universal's The Wolf Man (1941) which would turn out to be his most iconic role. Here though as Frankenstein's Monster, taking over the role from Boris Karloff, he is less convincing.
Chaney is fuller in the face and doesn't convey as much emotion or subtlety as Karloff but Jack P. Pierce's excellent make-up effects more than compensates. Bela Lugosi is back as the scheming Ygor and so is Lionel Attwill here playing a different character. Cedric Hardwicke as Frankenstein's brother Ludwig plays it all too seriously and fails to engage.
We pick up from where The Son of Frankenstein (1939) left off and discover Ygor has survived being shot by Baron Wolf von Frankenstein and the Monster has been preserved by sulphur in the pit where he fell and comes back to life. The Ghost of the Baron instructs Ludwig to remove the Monster's brain for a more intelligent one but Ygor sabotages the operation and this serves as a neat twist at the end.
Director Erle C Kenton stays true to the format but doesn't show any flair or inventiveness to offer anything new and the music score tries to compensate but is too melodramatic at times. The wry humour and attention to detail has gone and the movie feels more clunky but still one to enjoy.
Chaney is fuller in the face and doesn't convey as much emotion or subtlety as Karloff but Jack P. Pierce's excellent make-up effects more than compensates. Bela Lugosi is back as the scheming Ygor and so is Lionel Attwill here playing a different character. Cedric Hardwicke as Frankenstein's brother Ludwig plays it all too seriously and fails to engage.
We pick up from where The Son of Frankenstein (1939) left off and discover Ygor has survived being shot by Baron Wolf von Frankenstein and the Monster has been preserved by sulphur in the pit where he fell and comes back to life. The Ghost of the Baron instructs Ludwig to remove the Monster's brain for a more intelligent one but Ygor sabotages the operation and this serves as a neat twist at the end.
Director Erle C Kenton stays true to the format but doesn't show any flair or inventiveness to offer anything new and the music score tries to compensate but is too melodramatic at times. The wry humour and attention to detail has gone and the movie feels more clunky but still one to enjoy.