Young Frankenstein is so incredibly authentic to its source material that at times it doesn't feel like a parody. I think this film, more than any of Brooks' spoofs, feels so much like the real thing, it's remarkable.
I also agree that, of all his spoofs, this one really does have the most developed story. The characters feel like more than just caricatures and you come to care for them, especially Peter Boyle. Brooks also holds back on the anachronisms or breaking-the-fourth-wall that became the trademarks of his other works. While most of Brooks' other films just parody a genre, I really feel that Young Frankenstein actually works fine as story on its own. This is similar to how The Princess Bride is a good spoof of fairy tales, but works fine as a fairy tale on its own.
Whenever I think of Young Frankenstein, I don't find myself thinking of the off-the-wall, laugh-out-loud-every-minute comedy that I do for The Producers or Blazing Saddles. The humor here is a little more restrained and subtle (not always, of course. The "brain depository" is just as outrageous as anything else). All in all, I like this movie for its humor, but I think I love it much more for its atmosphere, its heart, and Brooks' growth as a director.
I also agree that, of all his spoofs, this one really does have the most developed story. The characters feel like more than just caricatures and you come to care for them, especially Peter Boyle. Brooks also holds back on the anachronisms or breaking-the-fourth-wall that became the trademarks of his other works. While most of Brooks' other films just parody a genre, I really feel that Young Frankenstein actually works fine as story on its own. This is similar to how The Princess Bride is a good spoof of fairy tales, but works fine as a fairy tale on its own.
Whenever I think of Young Frankenstein, I don't find myself thinking of the off-the-wall, laugh-out-loud-every-minute comedy that I do for The Producers or Blazing Saddles. The humor here is a little more restrained and subtle (not always, of course. The "brain depository" is just as outrageous as anything else). All in all, I like this movie for its humor, but I think I love it much more for its atmosphere, its heart, and Brooks' growth as a director.