Rating: 
Summary: Karloff's Final Stint as the Monster
Review: Though not directed by James Whale, as the first two entries in Universal's FRANKENSTEIN series were, SON OF FRANKENSTEIN is still a very good classic horror flick. Director Rowland V. Lee does create an appropriate gothic mood, and the sets are beautiful, but it is the tour-de-force performances from the excellent ensemble cast that steals the show. Basil Rathbone (in the eponymous role) and Lionel Atwill chew the scenery with over-the-top performances, yet they still manage to avoid upstaging the other actors. Of course, how could anybody upstage the legendary Lugosi and Karloff? Lugosi's portrayal of the deformed Ygor is one of his finest--better, in some ways, than his performance in DRACULA--and though Karloff, in his third and final appearance as the Monster in a Universal flick, does not evoke as much pathos or terror as in the previous installments, his is still a top-rate performance. Indeed, this film is a must-have for collectors of Karloff's better work.The second entry on the DVD, GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN, pales in comparison to the first. The fourth installment in the Universal FRANKENSTEIN series has Lon Chaney, Jr., in the role of the Monster. While an able horror actor in his own right, Chaney just isn't as adept as Karloff at evoking that ambivalent combo of pathos and terror that makes the Monster so likable yet frightening. And after seeing Lionel Atwill as the Inspector in SON OF FRANKENSTEIN, his performance in this movie is a big letdown. Still, Lugosi does a fine job reprising his role as Ygor, and the story, though familiar, is not totally inane. Definitely a must-see for die-hard fans of the FRANKENSTEIN mythos.
Rating:
Summary: Karloff's Final Stint as the Monster
Review: Though not directed by James Whale, as the first two entries in Universal's FRANKENSTEIN series were, SON OF FRANKENSTEIN is still a very good classic horror flick. Director Rowland V. Lee does create an appropriate gothic mood, and the sets are beautiful, but it is the tour-de-force performances from the excellent ensemble cast that steals the show. Basil Rathbone (in the eponymous role) and Lionel Atwill chew the scenery with over-the-top performances, yet they still manage to avoid upstaging the other actors. Of course, how could anybody upstage the legendary Lugosi and Karloff? Lugosi's portrayal of the deformed Ygor is one of his finest--better, in some ways, than his performance in DRACULA--and though Karloff, in his third and final appearance as the Monster in a Universal flick, does not evoke as much pathos or terror as in the previous installments, his is still a top-rate performance. Indeed, this film is a must-have for collectors of Karloff's better work. The second entry on the DVD, GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN, pales in comparison to the first. The fourth installment in the Universal FRANKENSTEIN series has Lon Chaney, Jr., in the role of the Monster. While an able horror actor in his own right, Chaney just isn't as adept as Karloff at evoking that ambivalent combo of pathos and terror that makes the Monster so likable yet frightening. And after seeing Lionel Atwill as the Inspector in SON OF FRANKENSTEIN, his performance in this movie is a big letdown. Still, Lugosi does a fine job reprising his role as Ygor, and the story, though familiar, is not totally inane. Definitely a must-see for die-hard fans of the FRANKENSTEIN mythos.
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