Common Sense Note
Parents should know that kids will hear a lot of bawdy humor and sexual innuendo, including a scene at the end that suggests Madeline Kahn's character has slept with the monster. Frederick says "What great knockers" to Teri Garr's character, supposedly referring to the door's knockers.
Families who see this movie might discuss parody. Is this film seemingly patterned after old horror films? How does it differ? Beneath the obvious ridiculing of old horror films, do you detect any sort of fondness for the genre?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Scott G. Mignola
Mel Brooks fans will rejoice at the re-release of one of his funniest films, starring Gene Wilder as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein. Grandson of the famous Frankenstein, Frederick inherits his grandfather's castle as well as his enthusiasm for reanimating the dead.
After denouncing his grandfather's work as "doo doo," Dr. Frederick Frankenstein receives word that he's inherited his famous ancestor's Transylvanian castle. There, with the help of his lab assistant Inga (Teri Garr) and pop-eyed hunchback Igor (Marty Feldman), he discovers a secret library containing his grandfather Victor's notes on how to bring the dead to life.
The temptation is too great to pass up. In the renowned Frankenstein laboratory, young Frederick creates his own monster (Peter Boyle) and harnesses the power of an electrical storm to bring him to life. But something's wrong; the monster isn't the gentle creature Frederick intended him to be. Could it have something to do with Igor, who accidentally dropped the monster's good brain and exchanged it for an abnormal one?
Sure the gags are lame, and the script -- by Brooks and star Gene Wilder -- is almost infantile, but if you thought YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN was funny in 1974, you're just as likely to get a kick out of it today. There's an unembarrassed corniness about the movie that generates plenty of belly laughs. The monster's "Puttin' on the Ritz" number will even squeeze smiles out of those not inclined towards Brooks' brand of humor.
The vaguely smutty jokes and sight gags will go over well with the teen crowd, but the comic talents at work here will appeal to all ages. Marty Feldman, Teri Garr, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, and Gene Hackman comprise a comedy's dream cast. Peter Boyle brings an unexpected touch of dignity to the monster, and Gene Wilder is as charming and manic as he was in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
And here's another saving grace: The movie doesn't look dated. A parody of director James Whale's horror gems of the thirties, Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein, it's shot in stunningly lit black-and-white, in the same castle and with some of the same fantastic laboratory equipment that Whale used.
Want more laughs at Mary Shelley's expense? Try Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentBawdy humor and sexual innuendo, including a scene at the end that suggests Madeline Kahn's character has slept with the monster. Plus a few racy jokes: Frederick says "What great knockers" to Teri Garr's character, supposedly referring to the door's knockers. |
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LanguageA few comically hurled curses. |
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