Young Frankenstein - A Movie Review

Did you say that you got this brain from Abby Normal?

Young Frankenstein is a 1974 film. The grandson of the infamous scientist is adamant about verifying that his grandfather was not a madman. Traveling to Transylvania, he discovers the process of bringing the dead back to life.

Young Frankenstein never gets old. I was introduced to this film when I was a kid. As my dad’s favorite film of all time, I will never forget the first time I watched it. This is one of Mel Brooke’s best films. Young Frankenstein is a comedy like no other, impacting the film world.

The late Gene Wilder proclaimed Young Frankenstein was his favorite film of his entire career. Wilder is fantastic. He counterbalances the proper manic behavior. He tends to shout most of his lines which can get annoying. Frederick Frankenstein learns to accept his past.

Nobody could keep a straight face in scenes with the late Marty Feldman. As the bug-eyed hunchback, Igor, Feldman improvised a majority of his lines. As a joke, he switched the sides his hump went on.

Teri Garr instantly won the part as Inga when she did a German accent right on the spot. The chemistry between this trio is out of this world. It’s amazing how they were able to get through some scenes with a straight face.

Young Frankenstein would not be the masterpiece it is without the talents of Madaline Khan, Cloris Leachman, and the unforgettable Peter Boyal as the monster. And let’s not forget the ensemble. Young Frankenstein is an ensemble-driven film. No matter how small your part is, everyone sticks out.

Uncredited at the time, Gene Hackman is memorable as the blind man. His final line caused the entire crew to break out into fits of laughter. In fact, there were several ad-libbed moments. Comedy is all about taking a risk.

Every day on the set of Young Frankenstein was a fun time. In fact, nobody wanted filming to end. So, Mel Brooke added more scenes. Brooks handled the source material of a classic with respective care. The comedy works. None of the jokes felt forced.

Remember, the ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’ musical number in the film? Wilder fought with Brooks to put the scene in the film. It was only ten minutes later, Brooks phoned Wilder allowing the scene in the film.

I highly recommend that you watch the bloopers. The crew didn’t think they were going to get through one scene without everyone breaking into laughter. So he wouldn’t ruin the scene, Brooks acted like a cat when Frederick Frankenstein is playing darts with the policeman.

Did you know that most of the sets and props used in Frankenstein (1931) were used for the laboratory scenes in Young Frankenstein? It was a good idea to make Young Frankenstein a black-and-white film like its predecessor. The gothic ambiance successfully dismounts the film in the right setting. Real skulls were used in the castle’s dungeon.

Makeup also deserves a shout-out. Like the original Frankenstein, Ed Butterworth used greenish face makeup for the monster.

Young Frankenstein changed comedy. This film is important to my family. I remember the first time we watched it together, we couldn’t stop laughing. It’s one of those films where you’re sad to see it end. Movies build memories. That’s my favorite part about the film. It brings people together.

Put Young Frankenstein on your watch list if you have not seen it. Do not skip out on this film. Young Frankenstein is the best film to have a laugh at and just enjoy.