Stometer Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Aubrey Hackett While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Tayyab Torres Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Hattie I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Artur Machado Somehow the monster and Ygor survive the events of the last film and go in search of the second son of Dr. Frankenstein, who is also, of course, a medical surgeon. The doctor tries to clean the name of his family through a brain transplant that will make the monster more docile, but... will it work?This is the fourth film of the Frankenstein saga, sequel to "The Son of Frankenstein". Actor Boris Karloff did not accept to reprise the role of Monster and Lon Chaney Jr does not convey the same effect and this is very notorious, unfortunately.The truth is that from this point on all the magic of the previous films has already been lost, as we have already seen everything in the previous ones and in this is just repetition of several elements in a (new) story that brings nothing new or original. The scenarios are good, the actors too, it has its ambiance and good soundtrack and sound design, but the magic and impact stayed in the three previous titles, if not only in the first two. The movie is not bad either, but it seems 'a bit too much already', so I cannot score it more than 4/10.

O2D The fourth Frankenstein movie starts with us finding out that the monster has survived his jump into the boiling sulfur pit and Ygor has survived the multiple bullets that Wolf Frankenstein lodged in his body. Not surprising, even if you didn't know there were more movies coming. Somehow they also manage to escape the exploding Frankenstein castle. They go to see the other Frankenstein son(yeppers there's another one), to force him to make the monster stronger. Even though this other brother lives within walking distance, no one in his town knows anything about his family or the monster. Once they get there, Ludwig Frankenstein decides he wants to give the monster a new brain and he wants Ygor to it explain it to him. That doesn't make any sense. The monster was unconscious. Why wait until he wakes up and make him mad? All that aside, it's not a terrible movie, though it might be better if you haven't seen the first three.

Spikeopath Of course the problem with the Frankenstein sequels, of the Universal Studios kind, was that they had to follow the genre firework that was Frankenstein (1931) and the monolithic titan that followed that one in 1935, The Bride of Frankenstein. These are tough acts to follow; still are actually!Son of Frankenstein (1939) managed very well, it had Basil Rathbone in it and Bela Lugosi giving great horror oomph as Ygor. Boris Karloff bowed out as the monster after that one, leaving an iconic legacy and an insistence that the monster didn't speak. The result of Karloff's (ahem) request has proved divisive amongst Frankenstein fans, does it need a voice for personality, or is it better off as a lumbering rage machine only? Point being that in this one, he gets a voice, courtesy of Lon Chaney Junior's stint in the role, and it's not exactly a success.Ghost of Frankenstein represents the start of the decline of the franchise, a noticeable drop in quality across the board. It's like Universal caught the cash cow disease and decided that quantity and not quality was what mattered. They would eventually team up the bolted necked one with Abbott and Costello, with fun results, but the horror aspects began to wane here in 1942. Lugosi is on hand for some more Ygor mischief, Cedric Hardwicke and Lionel Atwill as scientists with opposite ideals are reassuring presences, while Evelyn Ankers is sexy and costumed with a great eye for detail.At just 67 minutes in length the film thankfully doesn't have time to be boring, though action is in short supply, so hooray for castle destruction and fire unbound! While Woody Bredell and Milton R. Krasner, via their photographic lenses ensure Gothic atmosphere is consistently ripe. Right, it's time for Universal Monster Tag Teams next... 5/10

boscopa-1 "Ghost of Frankenstein" is easily the best of the 40's films dealing with the adventures of cinema's most famous monster. It is also the first film to feature someone other than Boris Karloff as the Frankenstein Monster. By this point Universal began churning out horror flicks as programmers with shorter running times and an emphasis on making a quick buck. As a result you hear the same music over and over, view the same sets repeatedly, and witness stock footage from previous films to pad the running time. And I can never get enough of it!Having grown up on these fright films I enjoy the nostalgia every time I re-watch one. This particular film was sort of a Holy Grail because it was the least seen of the Frankenstein series so I suppose I have a particular fondness for it. It was made immediately after "The Wolf Man" and contains many of the cast members from that film: Bela Lugosi, Ralph Bellamy, Evelyn Ankers, and of course Lon Chaney, Jr. The story is nutty and really fools with the continuity of the series. Two town officials who were murdered in the previous film, played by Lionel Belmore and Michael Mark, appear in virtually the same roles. Castle Frankenstein looks completely different and apparently the sulfur pit, which was in a separate building in the previous film, is now in the basement. I could go on but why bother; this is part of the charm these films have. As directed by Erle Kenton the film has many impressive moments. Particularly solid are the shots of the Monster emphasizing his size: towering over the little girl, ducking through doorways, and casting his shadow everywhere. Also interesting are many instances of characters playing to the camera as if the movie were in 3D. Plus you get two Frankenstein torch-bearing mobs instead of the usual one.The acting is always the aspect that interests me most. The two top-billed actors, Sir Cedric Hardwicke and Ralph Bellamy, are very uninteresting to say the least. Bellamy is just plain dull; Patric Knowles would have been a better choice. Hardwicke seems bored throughout. He is monotonous and just plain miserable; never cracks a smile and is completely unconvincing as a driven scientist. Luckily everyone else on hand contributes to the fun. Lionel Atwill, although given little to do, is the real mad scientist here. He underplays and doesn't go off the deep end like in "Man Made Monster." As always he commands attention and gives a top performance. Miss Ankers is a joy as she is in any of these genre films. Beautiful and with an ear-piercing scream she adds a touch of class to the proceedings. Lugosi gives one of his best performances as Ygor, somehow surviving being shot in the previous film. He also seems to be missing his gnarled teeth and has a new outfit. Lugosi underplays for the most part and is a brilliant manipulator. And the scene where he blackmails Hardwicke is masterful; he completely wipes the floor with that accomplished actor and owns that sequence. Of course the performance everyone wants to analyze is Chaney as the Monster. He is a mixed bag for sure. His monster doesn't make a sound and doesn't possess any of the pathos Karloff brought to the role. Instead he is just a frighteningly large creature with minimal humanity. The scene with him bursting into Frankenstein's home, stalking, and then murdering Dr. Kettering is truly frightening. But we never feel sorry for him as a misunderstood "person." However it is fun to watch Chaney the actor come to life in all the physical scenes; he clearly enjoys mixing it up with the stunt men. Unfortunately for the Frankenstein series this would be the high point in the forties; the subsequent films would go steadily downhill as the Monster gets pushed further into the background. Chaney is easily the best of the post-Karloff monsters. If anyone wishes to pass an entertaining 67 minutes then "Ghost of Frankenstein" is your ticket.