Young Frankenstein (1974)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Jeff "

  
  Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein is a fine horror comedy that remains a classic of the genre. This is one film that is very funny, with good acting and directing. The film is one of the most memorable films in the comedy horror genre. Mel Brooks delivers a great film that is very… More
  Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein is a fine horror comedy that remains a classic of the genre. This is one film that is very funny, with good acting and directing. The film is one of the most memorable films in the comedy horror genre. Mel Brooks delivers a great film that is very funny. The film obviously parodies Frankenstein, and the film does a great job at doing that. I very much enjoyed the film, and thought it was among Mel Brooks' best films. Young Frankenstein for me anyway plays out like a tribute to Frankenstein, by inducing the classic tale of horror with a good dose of comedy. The film works well, and is superbly well acted, and directed. The film boasts a memorable twist on the classic tale, and is among the best comedy horror flicks, albeit not a straight forward horror film. This film though will be appreciated by fans of horror as much as comedy film fans. This film is a near flawless comedy horror flick with great, memorable performances. Mel Brooks would later make another horror comedy with Dracula, but it wouldn't be as great a film as this. Young Frankenstein woks well as a parody and as a tribute to a classic horror monster. Overall a solidly crafted film with a great cast, and a good story. Young Frankenstein is in a class by itself.

• Alexander D

  
  Though he lacks a major screen appearance, Brooks's directorial role is iconic. He uses black-and-white cinematography and eerie music to remind us of 1930's horror movies such as the FRANKENSTEIN films and DRACULA. Likewise, Gene Wider does an outstanding performance as the… More
  Though he lacks a major screen appearance, Brooks's directorial role is iconic. He uses black-and-white cinematography and eerie music to remind us of 1930's horror movies such as the FRANKENSTEIN films and DRACULA. Likewise, Gene Wider does an outstanding performance as the titular character, transforming the muddled script into a fabulous work of art. Though he is in whole hilarious, he has a few moments when he truly stands out: the scene in which he yells, "IT'S ALIVE!"; his disastrously funny tap-dance with Peter Boyle to "Puttin' on the Ritz"; the library sequence in which he smashes his face into the revolving bookshelf.

• Melvin W

  
  Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Please! Remain in your seats, I beg you! We are not children here, we are scientists! I assure you there is nothing to fear!  "The scariest comedy of all-time!" Young Frankenstein is my second favorite Mel Brooks movie behind only Blazing… More
  Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Please! Remain in your seats, I beg you! We are not children here, we are scientists! I assure you there is nothing to fear!  "The scariest comedy of all-time!" Young Frankenstein is my second favorite Mel Brooks movie behind only Blazing Saddles. The film is a great spoof of Frankenstein and is ridiculously hilarious in ways that only a Mel Brooks movie could be. This is immature and stupid humor at its best. Nobody does genre spoofs better than Brooks. He did the westerns with Blazing Saddles, old gothic horror with Young Frankenstein and eventually the sci-fi/Star Wars with Spaceballs. The guy isn't what you'd typically think of as brilliant, but that is exactly what he is. Gene Wilder plays the grandson of the original Frankenstein creator. He is against what his grandfather did and has now changed the pronunciation of his name. He ventures to his grandfathers old estate where he begins to hear strange, ominous music that leads him to the laboratory. There he finds a book entitled, "This is How I Did It," and begins to create his own creature with the help of a beautiful mistress and a weird, misshapen Igor. Another noteworthy performance comes from Peter Boyle as the Creature. He manages to make the Creature extremely funny. The film is shot in black and white and definitely looks like an old horror film. The great gothic look of the movie clashes with the utterly goofy humor of Brooks and Wilder. Can you beat Wilder yelling "It's Alive"? The movie is extremely entertaining in a way that makes you ask yourself why you like it so much.  This is classic Brooks, classic Wilder and classic comedy at its best. Modern spoofs need to take some notes from old Brooks films. It isn't about spoofing as many things in one movie as you can. It is about choosing one subject and completely making it your own in a new signature way. That is what Brooks did here and with Blazing Saddles and that is why he is the master of the spoof.

• Albert K

  
  Don't remember much but much like many older movies, the pacing becomes very rewarding and in this case, funny. A surprising hit for me.

• Tim S

  
  Comedic gold was spun in 1974 when Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder hatched and laid the masterpiece that was Young Frankenstein. It's one of the most popular and well-respected comedy films of all time and it isn't difficult to understand why. You'd have be dead and brought… More
  Comedic gold was spun in 1974 when Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder hatched and laid the masterpiece that was Young Frankenstein. It's one of the most popular and well-respected comedy films of all time and it isn't difficult to understand why. You'd have be dead and brought back to life if you couldn't find humor in this wonderful movie. While Blazing Saddles solidified Mel Brooks as the master of the spoof film, it was Young Frankenstein that set in stone. The performances are wonderful, the look of the film is fantastic and the score is just pitch-perfect. I'd recommend this to anyone with a funny bone to tickle. For those who just can't recognize genius when they see it, DAMN YOUR EYES!!... too late.

• Michael E

  
  Out of all the spoof films, this is undoubtably one of the funniest, if not the funniest. There are so many moments where you almost can't breate from the tone, the characters, or the plot in general, its all pulled off fantastically and all that is due to Peter Boyle as the… More
  Out of all the spoof films, this is undoubtably one of the funniest, if not the funniest. There are so many moments where you almost can't breate from the tone, the characters, or the plot in general, its all pulled off fantastically and all that is due to Peter Boyle as the monster, for having no dialogue aside from GRRRRRR, he gets a lot of comedy just through his facial expressions, and that is the sign of a very funny actor.

• moon r

  
  Irreverence and homage mix joyously in this, perhaps Brooks best film. Although not for everyone this is a nonstop comic fireball aimed sort've at the heart of true admirers of Whale's original benchmarks.

• Jens S

  
  One of Mel Brooks early works is this parody of the classic Frankenstein film. What makes this so much fun is the fact that it tries to look exactly like the original and manages to. Cinematography, light, music, make-up, everything looks just like it's from the 30s. Especially… More
  One of Mel Brooks early works is this parody of the classic Frankenstein film. What makes this so much fun is the fact that it tries to look exactly like the original and manages to. Cinematography, light, music, make-up, everything looks just like it's from the 30s. Especially Gene Wilder is hilarious by taking his role entirely serious, while Marty Feldman is the obvious fun sidekick. The film may be a little slow sometimes but still pays homage to a classic as much as making fun of it. And an unbelievable cameo by Gene Hackman tops it all.

• Anthony L

  
  Young Frankenstein is one of Mel Brooks's best. He is obviously a huge fan of the original James Whale films, otherwise I don't think it would have worked, it is obvious to me that this was a spoof made from admiration and respect. I love Gene Wilder (and wish he was still… More
  Young Frankenstein is one of Mel Brooks's best. He is obviously a huge fan of the original James Whale films, otherwise I don't think it would have worked, it is obvious to me that this was a spoof made from admiration and respect. I love Gene Wilder (and wish he was still acting) and Peter Boyle's monster is brilliant, what with his knowing and quite sarcastic glances, he said so much only using his eyebrows. The 'Puttin' on the Ritz' scene is classic comedy Gold, the two actors worked so well together, that said though, it is actually Marty Feldman that steals the show.

• Lady D

  
  Hmmm, I've known a few members rate this film pretty highly, but I found it painful viewing. The humour was beyond me and I just had to play it out to see if it would get better, but it doesn't.

• AJ V

  
  My favourite Brooks film! It's a spoof of the old Frankenstein movies, and it's very hilarious. This is a must see for anyone who likes spoof movies.

• Randy T

  
  My favorite Mel Brooks comedy, with <i>The Producers</i> (1968) a close second. Brilliant, funny and a reverent homage to James Whale's original masterpiece.

• MisterYoda ?

  
  5 stars

• Chris W

  
  God, this is just one of the funniest movies ever, and I really like the fact that here are different types of humor employed, adding lots of variety and appeal for differing sensibilities. This may be a spoof, but it does a fair amount of justice (in parts) to the source material,… More
  God, this is just one of the funniest movies ever, and I really like the fact that here are different types of humor employed, adding lots of variety and appeal for differing sensibilities. This may be a spoof, but it does a fair amount of justice (in parts) to the source material, even though it makes light of it. I mean, I took a college course where we read the book then watched clips from this, and other Frankenstein films, so that's gotta tell you that this movie is doing something right. ANd speaking of that, the overall look is absolutely gorgeous. It looks like an old Universal film, thanks to the great B&W, sets, and the props which were reused from the original Frankenstein film. Even if the props weren't recycled, I have no doubt that everything would have been recreated perfectly. As far as the cast goes, I really have nothing but good things to say: everyone is hilarious, the women are gorgeous (yes, even Cloris Leachman), the sight gags involving Igor are terrific (as are all the sight gags), and the cameo by Gene hackman is just a hoot. If you haven't seen this yet, you need to go out and so so immediately!

• Jennifer D

  
  There is no better to act loud crazy than Gene Wilder. I think this is one of Brooks' best, Spaceballs always being number 1. Still, Peter Boyle was a fantastic monster, Madeline Kahn is great as always. Some of the jokes were basic, but hey, I still laughed.

• Bannan i

  
  need to watch it again!

• Conner R

  
  An incredible idea and Mel Brooks' masterpiece. It works very well as a comedy, containing a lot of great dialogue and well done physical humor. The thing that makes it truly great is the fact that it can be taken seriously as a sequel to the original Frankenstein movies. It… More
  An incredible idea and Mel Brooks' masterpiece. It works very well as a comedy, containing a lot of great dialogue and well done physical humor. The thing that makes it truly great is the fact that it can be taken seriously as a sequel to the original Frankenstein movies. It stayed true to the source material instead of just making a silly spoof.

• Daniel M

  
  Young Frankenstein is a high-water mark in the career of Mel Brooks, both as a writer and a director. With the help of co-writer and star Gene Wilder, Brooks builds on the strengths of The Producers and Blazing Saddles to deliver a hilarious and warmly affectionate parody of old… More
  Young Frankenstein is a high-water mark in the career of Mel Brooks, both as a writer and a director. With the help of co-writer and star Gene Wilder, Brooks builds on the strengths of The Producers and Blazing Saddles to deliver a hilarious and warmly affectionate parody of old horror films. The laughs are frequent, the jokes are intelligent, the script tightly written, and the characters are immensely likeable. Much of the appeal of Young Frankenstein lies in the fact that the parody is so affectionate. In his later films, like Spaceballs and Robin Hood: Men in Tights, you felt that Brooks was simply picking on what was popular for the sake of a fast buck; while the former has its moments, you never get the sense that Brooks is a Star Wars fan. Here, though, his love for old-fashioned Gothic horror is clear, both in the jokes and the sets in which they play out. Many of the props in the laboratory scenes are borrowed from the original Frankenstein movies of the 1930s, and the dark lighting both in the castle and on the streets are a clear nod to those works. Above all, the humour derives from poking fun at the conventions of a genre, rather than simply borrowing the look of a film and then layering contemporary humour on top. So many modern parodies like Meet The Spartans use their source material as mere artifice; the look of 300 is captured in the initial scenes, but nothing interesting is done with them and the film quickly degenerates into a soulless sausage machine of celebrity put-downs. To an extent, this awkward juxtaposition of old visuals and new humour is also a problem in Blazing Saddles; think of the scene of the cowboys continuously farting round the campfire. But here, all is well, as one convention is sent up after another. The jokes typically take one of the serious and unchallengeable motifs of these films ? like the secret passage to the laboratory ? and then show how they are simultaneously purposeful and ridiculous. The scene with the bookcase, in which Gene Wilder and Teri Garr discover said passageway, treads a fine line between subtle humour and slightly camp melodrama. Similarly, when Cloris Leachman plays frantic violin chords and shouts ?Yes!? as the plot revelations unfold, she is being immensely funny and yet strangely believable. The great success of Young Frankenstein is that is manages to be very funny without any of the characters ever thinking or knowing that what they are doing is funny. It manages to parody horror clichés, without seeming to realise that these clichés exist. Gene Wilder anchors the film in a brilliant central performance. It?s far superior to his turn in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, in which he was playing himself and clearly having a ball doing so. His Wonka had his angry and frightening moments, but they were cast unto the wind in a flurry of whimsy and slightly misplaced, generic charm. In this, he channels his anger into the character, making the transformation from ?Fronkensteen? to Frankenstein so much more believable. The intensity with which he delivers his lines is again simultaneously scary and funny, to the point at which the term ?horror comedy? seems strangely apt. It is hard to imagine Kenneth Branagh?s equally intense yet completely serious turn, in his own version of Frankenstein, without the existence of this performance. Surrounding Wilder is a strong cast of talented comedic actors. Teri Garr and Cloris Leachman raise many a titter as Inga and Frau Blücher (neigh); the latter is especially good when her character is in a state of frenzy. Peter Boyle brings a layer of serene menace to the Monster; he can be frightening when he needs to, but most of the time he is adorably childlike. His best scenes are the ?catching of buttleflies? sequence as Blücher plays the violin, and his scene with the blind priest played by Gene Hackman. And Madeleine Kahn comes good once again, playing Wilder?s chaste and uptight fiancée who eventually becomes the Bride of the Monster. She may have less to play with here than in Blazing Saddles, both in terms of screen time and sex appeal, but that doesn?t stop her holding her own against mot of the others on screen. The film is stolen, however, by the dual forces of Marty Feldman as Igor and Kenneth Mars as Inspector Kemp. Both are essentially playing freaks of nature ? the former a hunchback, the latter an amputee ? and so you would expect the jokes to be cheap and not-so-cheerful. But by and large Brooks resists this, relying instead on Feldman?s immense capacity for physical humour to carry the film. He?s a great foil to the nervous Wilder, while Mars is a great vocal comedian, twisting his mouth and voice into the most brilliantly ridiculous of German accents. Young Frankenstein is not flawless, at last not in the way that Monty Python and the Holy Grail is. Some of the jokes have either dated or don?t scan as well so more, and the opening fifteen minutes are creaky without real signs of this being deliberate. Nevertheless it remains Brooks? finest achievement, if nothing else because it is funnier than most of his later films put together. The film is the ideal length for both tension and comedy to thrive, and the ending is both a solid resolution and a pleasant surprise, unlike the endings to his early work. It?s a must-see for horror fans or anyone who wants to laugh solidly for 90 minutes, not a masterpiece, definitely a classic.

• Cassandra M

  
  If you love comedies, but haven't seen Young Frankenstein, you're in for a delicious treat.After three decades, it still makes people laugh to death, and it's a must-see for every spoof lover in the world. Actually, it's not a parody, but a homage by Mel Brooks to… More
  If you love comedies, but haven't seen Young Frankenstein, you're in for a delicious treat.After three decades, it still makes people laugh to death, and it's a must-see for every spoof lover in the world. Actually, it's not a parody, but a homage by Mel Brooks to James Whale's classic,shot in black and white on the same location and with the same props. The "hero" is Dr.Frederick Frankenstein(Gene Wilder), who, after a long period in which he hated it, decides to repeat his grandfather's experiment.The result is the Transylvanians want to kill him, despite the fact that the monster is the most harmless creature in the world. This sort of sequel to the original Frankenstein is hilarious from start to finish, mostly because of two actors:Peter Boyle and Martin Feldman.The former is great as the mute creature(he'll compensate that by talking too much in Everybody Loves Raymond), particularly in the scene with Gene Hackman's Blind Man.But it's Feldman's Igor that makes this film unmissable.No wonder, given he's got the best lines("Wait Master.It might be dangerous...you go first"). With no doubt Mel Brooks' masterpiece. The Scary Movie franchise wishes it was this good.

• Thomas B

  
  one of the greatest comedies of all time. absolutely brilliant.

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