Review of Young Frankenstein (1974) by Daniel S — 24 Oct 2011

I was so thoroughly unimpressed with Robin Hood: Men in Tights that I thought by the 90's Mel Brooks had lost his touch. However, the more of his older films I see, the more I begin to wonder if he ever had it.

Young Frankenstein is a well-shot and tender parody of the original Frankenstein (and a bit of Bride) which it clearly admires, but as a comedy it fails to elicit laughs - for the most part knowing grins is all you'll get.

There are sequences and gags that I recognize as humorous. The trap door scene (put. the candle. back.), Kenneth Mars as the inspector with the robotic arm, Igor's hump and general demeanor, etc. yet the only thing that actually got a laugh out of me was the dance number at the exposition.

At times clever but more often juvenile and dull, it's actually amazing to me that a film so full of fine comic actors misses the mark so often. Maybe this was hilarious and novel when it was released, but much as Blazing Saddles has also lost its edge, the years have not been kind to Young Frankenstein.