Review of Young Frankenstein (1974) by Johnny T — 10 Apr 2014

Director Mel Brooks and a perfect cast find the right balance between winking at the screen and losing themselves in faux theatrical melodrama to great comic effect. Young Frankenstein is a marvellously crafted, beautifully shot comedic homage to James Whale's 1931 classic, with the sheer craft of the production and performances contrasting brilliantly with the low-down and dirty obviousness of many of the gags (screenwriter Wilder even exhumes the "walk this way" joke). The direction achieves a seemingly impossible task, balancing Brooks's off-the-wall humor within the framework of the style of a classic Universal Frankenstein film. Made with obvious affection for the original, Young Frankenstein is a riotously silly spoof featuring a fantastic performance by Gene Wilder. Wilder's hysteria seems perfectly natural. You never question what's driving him to it; his fits are lucid and total. Brooks's most accomplished work, combining his well-known brand of comedy with stylish direction and a uniformly excellent cast. Young Frankenstein manages to be one of Mel Brooks' most brilliant and immortal cinematic works to date, it's a wonderful laugh a minute twist on the classic Mary Shelly novel, and one that promises laughter no matter how many times you watch it.

VERDICT: "High-Quality Stuff" - [Positive Reaction] This is a rating to a movie I view as very entertaining and well made, and definitely worth paying the full price at a theatre to see or own on DVD. It is not perfect, but it is definitely excellent. (Films that are rated 3.5 or 4 stars).