Review of The Most Dangerous Game (1932) by Seth S — 04 Nov 2012
What a delicious slice of a 1930's campy, action/adventure movie. The Most Dangerous Game is not overly original in its storytelling, but it is ahead of the curve when it comes to content.
An American hunter named Bob Rainsford is shipwrecked on a deserted island. Or at least he thinks it's deserted. He happens upon a Russian mansion owned by the eerie Count Zaroff. There are two other shipwreck survivors already living with the Count. Rainsford is just happy to be alive, until he finds out the secret of Count Zaroff. The Count is a hunter as well. After years of hunting, the unthinkable happend, he started to get bored with hunting. He had hunted some of the most terrifying game, like leopards and tigers. But now he hunts the most dangerous game...people. He lures people to his island and plays the most dangerous game. They have to survive a day on his island, without him killing them. If they do, they are freed. No one had ever survived the Count. Rainsford and fellow captive, Eve Trowbridge, are sent out into the island. He must use his skill as a hunter to elude Count Zaroff.
There are many pluses to this movie, but the acting isn't one of them. I never liked Joel McCrea, and he isn't very good in this. It is a functional performance, but kind of stiff. The Queen of Scream, Fay Wray, plays Eve. Most well known for her role in King Kong, Wray gives a similar performance to McCrea. Usable, but stiff. The one shining actor is Leslie Banks as Count Zaroff. He is appropriately over-the-top, but it is definitely the best performance of the movie.
This is the most violent classic movie that I've seen. By today's standards, this is pretty tame, but for back then...There are severed heads, and characters getting impaled by bamboo sticks, and our hero snapping a bad guys back. Of course it's made in the 30's, so it isn't gory, but still, you don't see stuff like this from back then.
It has a few faults, but The Most Dangerous Game is still highly entertaining. At only 63 minutes, it never drags or overstays its welcome. For classic movie fans, this is easily worth a watch.
"This world's divided into two kinds of people: the hunter and the hunted. Luckily I'm the hunter. Nothing can change that." 8.5/10.
This review of The Most Dangerous Game (1932) was written by Seth S on 04 Nov 2012.
The Most Dangerous Game has generally received positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
