Son of Frankenstein

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Christian M @chriss17eu May 9 'Son of Frankenstein' leaves me with mixed feelings. It is neither bad nor boring, yet it completely fails to emotionally engage me. The pacing, the story, and especially the treatment of the creature create a constant sense of disconnection. Boris Karloff no longer fascinates me here; his nervous gestures and endless grunts feel exhausting rather than unsettling. Still, the film’s gothic atmosphere is outstanding. The cinematography, shadows, and oppressive set design make this the visually strongest entry of the trilogy. Basil Rathbone is easily the highlight, bringing charisma and depth that the monster lacks. The premise—a mix of police thriller and family drama—is genuinely interesting, but the execution wastes its potential. Most of the film feels unnecessary, though the final thirty minutes finally bring some life and tension to the story. See more Robson C @RT82519826 Dec 20 O barão Wolf von Frankenstein retorna ao castelo da família para restaurar sua honra e acaba encontrando o Monstro desativado. Incentivado por Igor, decide reviver a criatura, mas logo percebe que Igor a usa para executar sua vingança. Preso entre a ameaça representada pela dupla e a chance de redimir o legado do pai, Wolf enfrenta um dilema moral. Encerrando a trilogia do Monstro na Universal, o filme marca a última interpretação de Karloff no papel que se tornaria referência definitiva. Aqui, porém, o Monstro surge como coadjuvante, manipulado por Igor em uma atuação marcante de Lugosi. Rathbone e Lionel Atwill também se destacam. O design expressionista do castelo, inspirado em obras como O Gabinete do Dr. Caligari, é um dos grandes atrativos. Embora não tenha a força dos filmes anteriores, permanece um clássico que influenciaria muitas produções posteriores See more Isaiah Y @zayman2 Oct 27 Not as much action as the previous films, but still worth a watch See more Johnathon W @Hoppynsc Oct 5 Solid entry in the franchise, thanks to an excellent cast and direction, though not as atmospheric as James Whale. The cast is excellent, with Basil Rathbone superb as Frankenstein's son while Karloff delivers another standout performance as the Monster. The scene-stealer, though, is Bela Lugosi as Ygor, unrecognizable as Frankenstein's former assistant with sinister motives of his own. Behind the camera, director Rowland V. Lee crafts a solid sequel, with some great make-up effects, though doesn't quite match the atmosphere of the previous films. Overall, a nice entry in the franchise, if not perfect. See more Kalissa H @kali_416 Oct 2 Basil Rathbone is great in this, of course. Hard to believe Bela Lugosi is Ygor because his transformation is significant. See more Alex K @RT47646388 01/24/2025 Universal ushered in a new era of horror when this film went into production. After their 1935 horror film The Raven was deemed so grotesque that it almost killed the genre entirely horror made a comeback. Universal quickly put this sequel into production under the direction of Rowland V. Lee. In fact it was out into production so quickly there wasn't even a fully finished script just a brief draft by Wyllis Cooper, that was added to by Lee. The third in Universal's Frankenstein series this film picks up many years after 1935's Bride, and concerns the Baron Wolf von Frankenstein who returns to his father's ancestral home and discovers the monster is still very much alive. In an attempt to restore his father's legacy Wolf decides to restore the monster to its full power however, the hunchback Ygor has plans of his own for the monster. There's a lot good to be said about this film, it's heavily atmospheric and features excellent Expressionist production design. Frank Skinner's iconic score would also later be used in Universal horror films throughout the following decade. Lee's direction is solid, he's not the artist that James Whale was, but I think he still manages to create a good deal of tension even if the film is too long. The driving force behind this film isn't so much the story as it does occasionally drag but the characters and their dynamics. Basil Rathbone, who was a 2 time Oscar nominee at this point plays his role with a level of entitlement and narciscissm of the gentry class of the times that adds layers to his role and to his characters motivations. He feels like he's entitled to do what he's doing because of the knock his father's reputation did to his own personal social station. This leads to many tense encounters with Ygor, played with delicious malevolence by Bela Lugosi in one of his finest portrayals. Ygor is on the opposite end as the Baron in terms of social standing, but he's highly intelligent and cunning, but because of his station the Baron underestimates him at almost every turn. In the middle of all this is Inspector Krogh played by Lionel Atwill one of his few heroic roles in horror films, the one armed Inspector who suspects that the Baron is up to his father's old tricks. Krogh represents the working class in this tale. Each of these three characters is portrayed intelligently but possessing a different kind of intellect and when they face off it's when the movie is at its best. This is also the final time Boris Karloff would play the monster, while it's not as sympathetic a turn as his previous appearances were Karloff had a knack for this creation and his screen presence always captured subtle nuances of movement that would be lost in later portrayals. The makeup by maestro Jack Pierce is of course excellent. It's not as solid a sequel as Bride but it was the last time the franchise would attempt to really be about something before becoming just monster movie fun (which is totally fine I actually like the following film better) but Son of Frankenstein still draws on some deeper themes that are worthy of being explored. See more Read all reviews

Son of Frankenstein

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