Featured Audience Ratings

• Devon B

  
  Even though 1931's "Frankenstein" was neatly wrapped up at the end, killing off the doctor and his monster, Universal intended to make a sequel to the monsterously successful film (Universal's policy was to use the same crew for the next film, which is why… More
  Even though 1931's "Frankenstein" was neatly wrapped up at the end, killing off the doctor and his monster, Universal intended to make a sequel to the monsterously successful film (Universal's policy was to use the same crew for the next film, which is why production was delayed four years, waiting for the director to become available again). Director James Whale wasn't crazy about making a sequel, and with "Bride of Frankenstein", he chose to have the monster speak (something Karloff was set against). The film begins with Mary Shelley and Lord Byron discussing the "complete" story of Frankenstein, the one never heard before. Of course the Doctor and the monster survived the fire at the wind mill, and as the doctor rested and recouped, the monster continued to reek havok on the villagers, exacting revenge upon them. That is, until he meets an old blind hermit who takes him in, and teaches him to speak. Doctor Frankenstein, meanwhile, is visited by a Doctor Pretorius, a scientist who, like himself, is in the business of creating life. But whereas Frankenstein does it by piecing together old bodies, Pretorius creates life from scratch (the flaw being that they're little miniature people). Pretorius wants to combine his work with Frankenstein's so that they might create a race of manmade people, and proposes that they work together to create a mate for the creature. The film is a contrivance to be sure, but the uncomfortable creepiness of the monster is still there. In Mary Shelley's book, Frankenstein's monster was literate, capable of thought and feeling but evil because it had been created not by God, but by man and therefore was without a soul. In the film version of Frankenstein, the Creature is a failure of science, an aberration of nature, a sub-human. It's horrific by nature of it's existence. We may feel pity for it, but we cannot suffer it to live. "We belong dead!" screams the monster in it's horror, it's horror of self-awareness. Every fiber of it's being screams out for death, and yet it exists in spite of mother nature and God himself. Even the brief respite bought from friendship and food and wine can't satisfy. For the creature, life is only pain. And yet, it clings to it in spite of itself. It's one of the great mysteries of the monster, of "Frankenstein", and life in general. For some, "life is pain", for the rest, we can only shield ourselves from it's inevitable conclusion.

• Spencer S

  
  A sequel to the film "Frankenstein" this film from director James Whale does a much more adequate job of showing the plight of the monster. While the original dealt more with the animation and creation of the monster, and the crazed state of his creator, Dr. Frankenstein,… More
  A sequel to the film "Frankenstein" this film from director James Whale does a much more adequate job of showing the plight of the monster. While the original dealt more with the animation and creation of the monster, and the crazed state of his creator, Dr. Frankenstein, this film deals more with what's happened in the aftermath. The original film showed the monster as a lifeless monstrosity, incapable of connecting with another person in a way that didn't ignite fear, and that was much more about the ugliness and fear brought about from the monster's rampage. This film humanized the monster, gave him the ability to speak, to yearn for another soul that understood him, and/or possibly love him. Painting the now injured and married Dr. Frankenstein as a man coming out of the fog of madness and yet not guilty for his crimes against those in the village, he isn't even prosecuted for his crimes. Instead he heals himself while locked away in his castle with his new wife Elizabeth and all his servants. Blackmailed by a Dr. Pretorius, who has Dr. Frankenstein's wife captive thanks to the muscle of the monster, Frankenstein has to animate a corpse for the monster to have a mate. The monster crawls around the countryside, finds a friend in a blind man, and is hunted by angry villagers. You feel bad for the monster in contrast to the original, mostly because he doesn't kill a little girl on accident. He still kills people, has the emotional and mental maturity of a child, but there's something so hopeless to his anguish. You wonder how he could possibly feel anything whilst being undead and all. Still, the compassion, misanthropic vantage point, and ambitious effects and cinematography make this a classic film on par with the original.

• Tim S

  
  The Bride of Frankenstein reunites James Whale, Colin Clive and Boris Karloff for a sequel that often overshadows its predecessor in popularity, especially when Halloween rolls around. The problem that I have with it is that it kind of ruins the first film in a way, which is a problem… More
  The Bride of Frankenstein reunites James Whale, Colin Clive and Boris Karloff for a sequel that often overshadows its predecessor in popularity, especially when Halloween rolls around. The problem that I have with it is that it kind of ruins the first film in a way, which is a problem most sequels seem to have. The monster being dead at the end of the first film only to be alive in the second one makes the impact of that film less satisfying. Karloff himself was also unhappy with the direction it took at times, citing that it was silly for the monster to be talking so much. The other problem that I have is that there's this enormous build-up for the final scene of seeing The Bride, only to be blown up in an explosion not long after. It's anti-climactic and doesn't give the film any real power. However, the scenes with the blind hermit, the visual effects and the overall style are very good and add to the story a bit more. It's just a shame that it puts a bit of a tarnish on the original after seeing it.

• Graham J

  
  A horror classic, though in my opinion lacks the cinematic beauty of the images in the first film.

• Melvin W

  
  Mary Shelley: It's a perfect night for mystery and horror. The air itself is filled with monsters.  "A Mate... For The Monster!" Bride of Frankenstein is known as a horror classic for good reason. I actually did like this sequel slightly more then the original… More
  Mary Shelley: It's a perfect night for mystery and horror. The air itself is filled with monsters.  "A Mate... For The Monster!" Bride of Frankenstein is known as a horror classic for good reason. I actually did like this sequel slightly more then the original Frankenstein, which I liked very much. Played today, this movie is silly at times, never scary and overall just a fun movie to watch. There's some scenes of brilliance such as Frankenstein with his blind friend or Frankenstein being bind to a log. It also has some instances where it just goes over the top in silliness. The worst of this comes from the old woman. She has to be one of the most annoying characters I've ever watched. Boris Karloff reprises his famous role of The Monster. Once again he does a really good job. He even gets to talk in this one. The movie picks up after the first with The Monster surviving a fire and going on a killing spree(although it looks to me like he just knocks some people down, but I'm told he kills them. So I guess I just have to believe he killed them).  This is a must see for horror and film fans alike. It's got everything that makes the old, old horror films great. The terrific atmosphere that the black and white color and bad sound create. An iconic actor, in this case that would be Boris Karloff. And a quick runtime that really doesn't waste anytime jumping right into plot. The start of this movie is awesome too, with a cool sequence involving the writing of the book.

• danny d

  
  although many feel that this sequel is superior to the original, i find it just slightly inferior due to some silliness in the beginning and a continuity flaw. having said that, this is still an excellent film that continues the philosophical inquiries of the first and capitalizes on… More
  although many feel that this sequel is superior to the original, i find it just slightly inferior due to some silliness in the beginning and a continuity flaw. having said that, this is still an excellent film that continues the philosophical inquiries of the first and capitalizes on more iconic imagery. the way that the monster is established as a sympathetic character, leaving the viewer to root for him while knowing that he has to be stopped, is a difficult thing to do in storytelling, but this film develops such plot lines flawlessly.

• AJ V

  
  This is a great old horror movie, great special effects, story, etc.

• David L

  
  Here we have a movie that is timeless and iconic on the level of Citizen Kane or the Godfather. A movie that is not only outstanding but is a staple of the American motion picture business. If we didn't have the prejudice toward the horror genre it would be on every critics list… More
  Here we have a movie that is timeless and iconic on the level of Citizen Kane or the Godfather. A movie that is not only outstanding but is a staple of the American motion picture business. If we didn't have the prejudice toward the horror genre it would be on every critics list of greatest achievements in film. It is one of the few movies that deserves the all too often thrown around title of masterpiece. You can't praise James Whales' Bride of Frankenstein enough. Bride of Frankenstein is a movie where everything connects together perfectly. The cast, the direction, and the set design are perfect. If there is one film that rises Karloff above your typical bogeyman and cements him as one of the all time greats it would be Bride of Frankenstein. His "monster" is one of the most tragic characters in cinema. Karloff objected to giving the monster dialogue but his objections were ill founded, his performance here is Academy Award worthy. The Monsters dialogue gives insight into a dark and desperately lonely soul. He isn't very articulate in his speech but it's more effective that he isn't. His simple speech offers glimpses into a variety of human emotions and how they can effect anyone. The monster make-up works very well with Karloff's face and his facial expressions are outstanding as well. The scene where tears sprout from the Monster's scarred face is heartbreaking. This creature is anything but a monster, he is someone who longs to be understood and loved. Ernest Thesiger is a show stealer as the villainous Pretorius. He lacks any morality whatsoever and is the personification of the devious side of ambition. Thesiger's Pretorius is the most effective deliver of the movie's dark humor. He delivers the lines in a very dry way. You can't help but let out a devilish smirk with Pretorius as he gives the iconic line "To a new world of Gods and Monsters" Colin Clive is sad to watch in this film. You can tell he is in pain both physically and mentally. He doesn't seem to be as alert in the delivery of his lines and his face shows signs of his alcoholism. That being said his performance is all the more admirable considering his hardships. Elsa Lanchester gives a brief but iconic performance as the Bride. Jack Pierce deserves credit for another job well done, she looks nothing like her attractive counterpart Mary Shelley in the film's introduction. Bride of Frankenstein has been called the essential film to look at when you want to see a director's personality. Well if this is true James Whale would have been someone I would have liked to have had a chat with. The movie is so bizarre and so different from the other pictures of the 30's. I wasn't a huge fan of the Ian McKellan bio Gods and Monsters simply because I felt it did Whale a great injustice by trying to over simplify Whale by saying he was a non-conformist homosexual in a conservative society. Whale was much more than that, he was clever, witty and one of the greatest directors of all time.

• Chris W

  
  This was director James Whale's last horror film. It was horror then, but not really the case now. It's more funny and moving than scary. It's one of the few sequels to actually be better than the original. The narrative structure and overall direction are different,… More
  This was director James Whale's last horror film. It was horror then, but not really the case now. It's more funny and moving than scary. It's one of the few sequels to actually be better than the original. The narrative structure and overall direction are different, and contain more stuff from the novel. The way Karloff looks here isn't as iconic as in the first film, but he still does a great job. As the titular character, Lanchester is quite striking and memorable, but unfortunately her screen time could be longer, as could the whole movie. I really liked this-it's lots of fun, and, like the first one, the art direction and set design are phenomenal.

• Conner R

  
  While it is nowhere close to the level of perfection that the first, it is a great addition the series. I could have done without some of the cheesy elements, tiny people, it is still enjoyable and intelligent. My big complaint was the retconning of events and characters/actors from… More
  While it is nowhere close to the level of perfection that the first, it is a great addition the series. I could have done without some of the cheesy elements, tiny people, it is still enjoyable and intelligent. My big complaint was the retconning of events and characters/actors from the first. It was both confusing and highly unnecessary. Colin Clive and Boris Karloff are the heart and soul of the film, they make it a classic.

• Stella D

  
  a rare sequel better than the original. dr. pretorious steals the show

• Chris G

  
  One of the first true sequels and the first sequel that is superior to the original film, The Bride of Frankenstein picks up right where the original film leaves off. The monster (again played by Boris Karloff) is not dead and is still terrorizing the village as Dr. Frankenstein… More
  One of the first true sequels and the first sequel that is superior to the original film, The Bride of Frankenstein picks up right where the original film leaves off. The monster (again played by Boris Karloff) is not dead and is still terrorizing the village as Dr. Frankenstein (Colin Clive returning) recovers from his fall from the windmill. His rest is short lived as Dr. Pretorious (played with relish by Ernest Thesiger) approaches Frankenstein about merging his creation experiments with his own and creating a mate for his monster. James Whale returns to direct and once again gives us an amazing array of sights to behold (including Pretorius's experiments). Karloff gets to speak in this one and gives us one of the best lines in film history as his monster becomes even more sympathetic than in the last film. A great achievement with a story that not only builds on the original, but expands it into new territory. A classic horror picture.

• Veronique K

  
  "bride of frankenstein" is one of the rare cases in cinema that the sequel indisputedly surpasses the original. naturally lots have been remarked upon the brilliance of james whale. unawared by most, "bride of frankenstein" also extends the homoeroticism from… More
  "bride of frankenstein" is one of the rare cases in cinema that the sequel indisputedly surpasses the original. naturally lots have been remarked upon the brilliance of james whale. unawared by most, "bride of frankenstein" also extends the homoeroticism from its precessor on the character dr. pretorius who utters the legendary line "to the new world of gods and monsters" while he flaunts his little men in the jars (strangely it provoked the japanese ban then due to its mockery toward the royalty.) the mostly apparent scene would be dr. pretorius intrudes dr. frankenstein's bedroom in spite of the maid's warning in his fiancee's presence, discussing the course of "creating life" with insistence on excluding her. (an "intercourse" with discrimination toward the woman) it's a impudent poise on the caricature of elder anemic homosexual, admitted by whale himself. and the most heterosexual character with masculinity would probably be the monster who is eager to have a female mate (compared with the deviant pretorius and the wimpish frankenstein), demonstrating his enormous interests toward the creature called "woman". but the monster's friendly lovemaking is rebuffed abruptly as whale's ruthless disdain for heterosexuality as well as the pride of his own orientation. but wouldn't be it another suggestive tone of homosexual identification with woman since frankenstein and pretorius are ardent to create a female being (a pursuit of feminity?). they might be my crude speculations. un-noticed by most, the actress who plays frankenstein's fiancee is substituted with valerie hobson instead of mae clarke in the original since mae clarke is forgotten or dismissed as the grapefruit lady in "public enemy". and it is wonderful opportunity for una o'connor to showcase her comic flair as the screaming maid whose neurotic nerves borders on annoyance.

• Pierluigi P

  
  Although more funny than scary, this has to be one of the best sequels ever done. James Whale's narration is lyrical and stylish, the settings evoke gothic mystique and Boris Karloff perfectly embodies the tall walking corpse, who embarks on a murderous rampage after the events… More
  Although more funny than scary, this has to be one of the best sequels ever done. James Whale's narration is lyrical and stylish, the settings evoke gothic mystique and Boris Karloff perfectly embodies the tall walking corpse, who embarks on a murderous rampage after the events of the first film, only to find at the end that even he has a heart. excellent horror/black comedy universal classic.

• Emily A

  
  This one lacked the freshness of its predecessor, but it is in all other ways competant. Everyone who made the original great are back, but I think this one suffers a little in its attempt to up the ante. Otherwise this one is really beautiful and entertaining.

• Cassandra M

  
  Forget 'The Godfather II'. Forget 'The Empire Strikes Back'. This is THE greatest example of a sequel surpassing the original. Coming four years after the original 'frankenstein' in 1931, James Whale was originally reluctant to make a sequal but changed… More
  Forget 'The Godfather II'. Forget 'The Empire Strikes Back'. This is THE greatest example of a sequel surpassing the original. Coming four years after the original 'frankenstein' in 1931, James Whale was originally reluctant to make a sequal but changed his mind after being allowed to make the film more on his own terms. No other director has ever managed to blend horror, comedy and pathos as successfully Whale. The film features some of the most memorable scenes in cinema history notably the monster's encounter with a lonely hermit and the introduction of 'The Bride'. The film has it all: superb casting, tremendous sets and make up, memorable dialogue ("To a new world of Gods and monsters") and a brilliant score by Franz Waxman. Boris Karloff must surely be one of the greatest actors to ever appear on film. He manages to improve on his characterisation of the Monster, due mainly to the addition of dialogue ("Friends, good!"), and, unlike in the first movie, actually makes us feel sorry for the Monster. Colin Clive returns as the reluctant Doctor F, Una O'Connor makes a wonderful addition as the twittering and hysterical Minnie, but it is Ernest Thesiger who steals the film with his hillarious performance ("Have a cigar. They are my only weakness") as the sinister Dr. Pretorious. Although Elsa Lanchester appears as the Bride for only about 2 minutes at the film's finale, it will be the role for which she is forever associated. The film is regarded as the high point of the Universal horror series and stands as a testament to the genius of James Whale

• Universal D

  
  maybe better than the first one, eh?

• Dr Blood  

  
  This is an absolute classic of Universal Horror filmaking. Everything is done right. The acting is typical of the time but if you are a fan of the genre, as most of us are, it doesn't detract at all from the emotions raised by the story.

• Drew S

  
  A movie that's over 70 years old and still manages to make itself known must be truly great on some level. The Bride of Frankenstein is one of those films - though it indubitably has its failings, it is an aesthetic masterpiece and a thought-provoking human parable. My problem… More
  A movie that's over 70 years old and still manages to make itself known must be truly great on some level. The Bride of Frankenstein is one of those films - though it indubitably has its failings, it is an aesthetic masterpiece and a thought-provoking human parable. My problem is that nearly every film made before the 1960s is so melodramatic that it's hard to take them seriously. The Bride of Frankenstein is a good example; overacting is the name of the game here. I would hesitate to call The Bride of Frankenstein a masterpiece, because for what it's worth it's just a 70-year-old potboiler...but it's really great at what it does.

• Michael G

  
  Better than the original Frankenstein, but also paved the way for the crappy monster movie.

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