Review of The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) by Tans D — 08 Aug 2009

Hammer Studios' retelling of the Frankenstein story at the hands of director Terence Fisher has traces of the Universal 1931 classic, but it certainly stands apart as its own film. Its implications and ambiguities, especially in the film's final scene, are quite thought provoking.

Peter Cushing gives a particularly strong performance, while Christopher Lee's version of the monster is criminally underused despite being no less memorable than Boris Karloff's. The film's shock value and set pieces are limited due to its small budget, but director Fisher makes up for the lack of gore and action by focusing on the character of Frankenstein, as well as the madness that drives him.

An interesting and entertaining film, but nowhere near the quality of the Karloff original.