The Revenge of Frankenstein

Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing), now just Victor Stein to hide from authorities after escaping the guillotine and killing a priest, cannot stop doing medical experiments, this time transferring a live brain to a corpse. But there's a side effect he may not like! T

his film features a "dull monster", says Howard Maxford, but I think he misses the point. You don't need a hulking, deformed creature to be a "monster" -- science gone wrong can be monstrous enough by itself. When Karl, the man with the transplanted brain, starts feeling the side effects he is every bit as creepy as Boris Karloff ever was.

Maybe not as good as its predecessor, but it starts with a bang and stays strong for its duration.

The second entry in the noble Frankenstein series produced by Hammer and – as always – a joy to watch. Largely thanks to the performance of Peter Cushing who became one with this protagonist for 6 entire movies. Cushing perfectly knows who to make the most out of his character. As a viewer, you don't know whether to have sympathy for him…or despise him. He's a dedicated and hardworking scientist, yet he's doesn't seem to care much about human emotions and he's ultimately cruel. The screenplay by Jimmy Sangster is well-written and rather original…the development of the ‘monster' is completely different than usual and the script contains a lot of twisted and sadistic humor. The Revenge of Frankenstein has two extraordinary good sequences. Namely the entire beginning in which the Baron is brought to the Guillotine, condemned for the crimes against humanity he did in the past (The Curse of Frankenstein – 1956). This entire opening to the movie is very atmospheric, morbid and the perfect launch for a decent horror movie. Secondly, there is the magnificent climax containing an experiment-gone-wrong that brutally interrupts a high society party. This particular scene is the start for a very suspenseful finale with a few shocking parts and a terrific end scene. Certainly a must for all Cushing-, Fisher- and Hammer-fans and a nice waste of time for everyone with a little sympathy towards the genre of horror. Recommended!

Baron Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) is sentenced to the guillotine but he succeeds to escape facilitated by the hunchback Karl Immelmann (Michael Gwynn) to Carlsbruck in Germany adopting the alias Doctor Victor Stein. Three years later, he is a successful physician in a poor hospital. Doctor Hans Kleve (Francis Matthews) recognizes Frankenstein and blackmails him to be his assistant. Dr. Stein shows a perfect body and tells to Dr. Kleve that Karl will donate his brain to a healthy body. They successfully transplant Karl's brain to the new body and Dr. Stein hides Karl in the attic. However a snoopy janitor (George Woodbridge) witnesses the transportation to the room and tells to the nurse Margaret Conrad (Eunice Gayson) that the doctors have hidden a patient in the attic. Meanwhile Dr. Kleve comments with Karl that he will become a medical sensation and Karl is afraid of the situation. When Margaret finds Karl in the attic, he convinces her to release the straps that hold him to the bed. Karl runs to Dr. Steins's laboratory but he is attacked by a man that believes that he is a burglar. When Dr. Stein and Dr. Kleve arrive in the laboratory, Karl has already gone leaving two deaths on his path. What will happen to Karl and to Dr. Frankenstein?

"The Revenge of Frankenstein" is a good sequel of "Frankenstein" despite the title since there is no revenge. This is a good movie from Hammer and that is not a surprise having director Terence Fisher and Peter Cushing in the cast. Dr. Frankenstein giving explanations to Dr. Kleve about his transplantation procedure is very funny. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

That is saying a lot, because I was underwhelmed- but did not hate- Evil of Frankenstein and Horror of Frankenstein, both of which were very well made and acted but both of which also had some lacklustre pacing, stories that took too long to set up, bad make-up for the monster and the monsters in both were lifelessly and un-menacingly acted. Evil of Frankenstein was guilty also of feeling like pre-existing plot lines(from Hammer) recycled and cobbled together and in a way that was muddled and was also contradictory, and Horror of Frankenstein being dialogue heavy and action starved and unfortunately the dialogue clumsily utilised some juvenile and misplaced humour.

The Revenge of Frankenstein however was a wonderful sequel and quite easily the best of the Hammer Frankenstein sequels. It also comes very close to outshining its predecessor The Curse of Frankenstein, which this viewer considers one of Hammer's finest hours(as well as their first) and does things different that comes off successfully with focusing more on Frankenstein than the monster and not making the monster misunderstood. Comparing the two together, I put them on the same level, something that is not achieved with most sequels. Like Curse there is very little wrong with Revenge, it's not as chillingly scary as Curse and once again(though nowhere near as fake as that of Evil and Horror) the make-up for the monster is not convincing, too normal-looking.

Like all of the Hammer Frankenstein and most of Hammer's filmography, Revenge looks absolutely great with typically outstanding Gothic set design, some of the richest uses of colour for any Hammer film, strikingly shadowy lighting and photography that is both handsome and atmosphere. Revenge also boasts a haunting score that compliments the atmosphere adeptly and is terrifically directed by Terence Fisher(who directed Curse as well), the only director of all four films to be fully up to the job; Freddie Francis for Evil and Jimmy Sangster for Horror have strengths elsewhere(Francis as cinematographer and Sangster as script-writer) but being out of their comfort zone. The script is on the same level in quality than that of Curse, there are no contradictory elements, it's not too talky and the humour is better used and of better quality. The script here is intriguing, witty and one of the most nuanced of any Hammer film and the humour is thankfully the very opposite of juvenile, instead it is of the darkly macabre and ironic kind and some of Frankenstein's lines were a real treat.

Revenge also has a completely engrossing story, it feels swiftly paced, has a lot of suspense and excitement, is filled with surprises and unexpected twists without being convoluted and gets to the point quicker than the sequels after it. While the film is never scary, it manages to be creepy. Like Curse(and Evil and Horror) it does focus more on Frankenstein than the monster, but that came off wonders because Frankenstein is a well-written and interesting character and the monster has more screen-time than the other three and is written in a more sympathetic way than the others as well. Not only is it compelling and atmosphere, but it also has heart and an emotional core, which Curse had but Evil and Horror didn't. The ending is brilliant and certainly not the anti-climax that was in Horror. And there is some excellent acting, with a once-again remarkable Peter Cushing in the definitive interpretation of Frankenstein. Francis Matthews is loyally impressionable and Michael Gwynn is astonishingly good as a poignant but subtly menacing monster, not as imposing of that of Christopher Lee in Curse but he brings more nuances and brings much more feeling and personality than Kiwi Kingston and David Prowse did for Evil and Horror.

Overall, a wonderful and almost superior sequel to one of Hammer Horror's best films, also ranking in the better half of their filmography. 9/10 Bethany Cox

OK so maybe not. Even though this movie is called "The Revenge of Frankenstein" and the baron himself, who escaped the guillotine, also tells that he is planning on taking revenge, he never does so in this movie. Sloppy perhaps and also a missed opportunity. Nevertheless "The Revenge of Frankenstein" remains one of the best put together and most atmospheric Hammer movie. Esecially for late '50's standards, this movie is a surprising good and effective one that more than serves its purpose and has plenty enough to offer the viewer.

The story is well written and told, which is the main reason why this movie works out great. It also helps to make this movie one of the better ones out of the long line of Hammer Frankenstein movies. It's an interesting movie to watch with a great perfect horror atmosphere, all combined with the typical Hammer studio's style. The movie also features some morbid humor which suits the style of the movie even better and makes it an even more pleasant and entertaining one to watch.

Unlike other Frankenstein movies this movie relies on original and self developed and written elements. The Hammer studios throughout this way, practically recreated the entire character of baron Frankenstein, with its long line of Hammer Frankenstein movies. When I now think of baron Frankenstein, I automatically think of Peter Cushing portraying him, thanks to the Hammer movies.

The movie doesn't waste any time on things like character development, which is also the reason why the movie is only 89 minutes short. It makes the story flow well, without any drags or unnecessary moments but one of the consequences also is that some of the characters don't quite work out because of this, such as the Eunice Gayson character, who doesn't seem to serve a purpose in the movie. The movie also doesn't have enough emotional depth because of this. Even though the movie does some attempts to give the movie some depth, mainly in its sequences with the monster, the movie is too short and distant to really care about any of it. But at least they did a worthy attempt, which makes this movie an improvement over the first Hammer Frankenstein movie "The Curse of Frankenstein".

Peter Cushing is really great as the baron who has taken the name Dr. Stein, after escaping from the guillotine, to conceal his true identity. Cushing really seem at ease with his role and he draws all of the attention of the movie toward him. Unlike most other Frankenstein movies the Hammer Frankenstein movies aren't really about the creature but more about baron Frankenstein and his eternal morbid search for cheating the death and creating life. It's a good thing that this movie is about the baron and not really about the monster, for the actor who plays the monster in this movie (Michael Gwynn) is exactly convincing or a good enough actor. Further more the movie does feature some good British actors for the smaller parts of the movie, who all seem to fit their parts very well.

Through its atmosphere the movie does manages to create an overall overly present creepy atmosphere which does provide the movie with some good horror moments as well. Of course nothing too scary, since obviously all Hammer movies are obviously more entertaining than scary or serious. The movie also does feature some nice looking sets, costumes and effects which help to set up the mood.

A must-see for the Hammer fans, mainly thanks to its well written and told story.

8/10

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