Young Frankenstein

Rest In Paradise, Mr Wilder. Heaven is a funnier place with you there! God rest your soul.

Thought it’d be a good time to revisit this, following the sad news of Gene Wilder’s death.

On the face of it, Young Frankenstein is a simple parody of big old studio horror films, but as soon as the film starts rolling it immediately becomes clear that it’s more homage than satire.

The set design, the music and even the film stock used have all been carefully pored over by Brooks and Wilder, with the end result being a loving tribute to old Hollywood rather than a scathing mockery. There are no cheap shots here, and this is probably what makes this film a timeless classic compared to some of its peers.

Aside from the film-stealing cabaret sequence, the humour is surprisingly low-key. The biggest laughs come from the simplest of glances, the quick one-liners and the subtle detail. It’s all about actors reacting to each other, rather than hamming it up.

Brooks once again displays his flair for directing comedy. I particularly love the way he handles bawdy jokes, like an uncle telling you stuff you shouldn’t be hearing. Even the most ardent PC Nazis can’t help but laugh.

A one-of-a-kind masterpiece to be enjoyed for many years to come.

http://benoliver999.com/film/2016/09/01/youngfrankenstein/

This movie aged so incredibly well, the black and white fits perfectly, the humor is timeless, sets look great, just overall a fantastic movie. I come back to it every year.

Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder was such a killer combo, thank God we have movies like this and Blazing Saddles to always remember this golden comedic duo!

It's a great parody of the theme.

EVERYTHING comes wonderfully to life in this dead-on Mel Brooks horror spoof – non-stop laughs from beginning to end!

Whilst not as funny as I remembered it to be, I still enjoyed rewatching this Mel Brooks/Gene Wilder classic which perfectly replicates the look and feel of the classic Frankenstein movies from the 1930's and 40's.

A prime time collaboration between Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder that mixes two distinctive comic styles to birth something new, heartfelt and (mostly) hilarious. Though it’s primarily a loyal homage to the golden age of Universal monster movies, complete with authentic transitions, camera techniques and pre-film credit roll, _Young Frankenstein_ still finds ample opportunity to play around. Gene and Mel are taking the piss, quite obviously, but it’s done with love and admiration; a pair of talented guys who grew up with these hokey classics and proudly wear their influence in not-so-flattering ways.

As with many parodies, the story is usually secondary, connecting with laughs if not many plot points. I guess it’s assumed that we already know the jist of this tale, and in that respect it’s probably right. Still, it would’ve been nice to see how or why kooky Frederick Frankenstein (Wilder) underwent such a drastic overnight transformation, for example, from shame and disgust over the family legacy to gleefully trekking down the same path. In his introduction, Frankenstein nearly comes to blows with a mouthy medical student over the sins of his grandfather. Thumbing through an old diary is all it takes to flip that switch and send him spiraling into equal lunacy? That’s pretty shaky reasoning.

But I’m not here to just pick and bitch at the story’s shortcomings. That may not be the film’s forte, but it’s also not its purpose. With Brooks’s wacky puns and flamboyant showmanship aboard, plus an electric headline performance from Wilder, we’re here for the sizzle more than the steak. _Young Frankenstein_’s humor is better with wacky characters than punchlines, although it boasts a handful of those too. My favorites are the inexplicable throwaways, like the team of horses that shrieks every time a housekeeper’s name is mentioned, or creepy assistant Igor’s mysteriously shifting (and, in one scene, outright disappearing) hump. Most of the gags are only okay, lowbrow humor that’s more than a little forced, but I couldn’t stop cackling at the cast. Each performance is chock full of egregious one-note ideas, milked and exploited for every last laugh, but they hit me just right. Case in point: the Strangelovian German officer who wears a ratchet-operated right arm and a monocle over his eye patch. Only Brooks could breathe life into something so asinine, then leave us wishing it had more screen time.

_Young Frankenstein_ isn’t perfect. It isn’t my favorite Mel Brooks movie. It suffers long breaks between laughs, and not for lack of trying. Its plot meanders and its resolutions are hollow. But when it’s really cooking, it still approaches greatness. Maybe this would be best appreciated in curated, bite-sized nuggets. The monster’s penultimate song and dance number, especially, will live in my memory banks forever. Looking back, I don’t really care how long it took to get there.

As good as Gene Wilder is, Marty Feldmen is the best part of Young Frankenstein. Set design and aesthetic would be second best. The movie is silly but never laugh-out-loud funny, and I left wishing it was.

Mel Brooks delivers a loving homage to the classic Universal Monster Movies with the hilarious _Young Frankenstein_. Mainly drawn from the first three Frankenstein films (especially _Son of Frankenstein_), the story follows Dr. Frankenstein’s grandson Frederick, who inherits the family estate and discovers his grandfather’s private journal which contains the secret to re-animating life. Starring Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Teri Garr, and Madeline Kahn, the film has a strong cast; Wilder in particular is outstanding, really nailing the comedy. And Brooks does a brilliant job at emulating the classic look and feel of old Hollywood films. Yet the humor can be a little broad and overly slapsticky at times. Still, _Young Frankenstein_ is incredibly fun and delivers a lot of laughs.

_"My grandfather's work was doo-doo!"_

Quite possibly the most overrated comedy film in existence. I don't understand why the masses are so enamored with it. I almost gave it one less heart. I know I hardly laugh at comedy films, to begin with, but I can still grasp if I thought it/something was funny. This film didn't even accomplish that except with one scene: when Igor went feral on Elizabeth. I also let out a little chuckle on that scene. I remember seeing the blooper (possibly bloopers) for that scene; Gene Wilder was cracking up, and it was even funnier. I'd imagine that one took the most takes to do. Two other instances were good: the one where Frederick is having a nightmare (I've seen the blooper or bloopers for that, too) and the one where he's getting tossed around.

Besides that, this film was (dare I say) boring, especially when the focus was on The Monster by himself; that was mind-numbingly boring. It seems to have aged and deteriorated alarmingly quickly, to the point of defying any and every scientific basis and belief. And the crowd gasped, never having heard such blasphemy, nor had such blasphemy dared to enter what's considered most sacred of all: the organs named ears which were possessed by all.

Seriously, though. I didn't find this film engaging. I suppose, with comedy films, there isn't a need for that, a need to make it engaging: because the comedy should distract from that, keeping you entertained instead. But what about when the comedy fails to do that?

After _Blazing Saddles_, you'd think Mel Brooks is capable. You'd think that he could do no wrong, that every film of his would be similar. Wrong. You fell for the illusion. I'm baffled this film came out at the end of the same year _Blazing Saddles_ did. It didn't seem Mel Brooks-esque at all. It's like someone tried cloning him but had a dunce like Igor help with the process, resulting in a colossal failure. At least there was _Robin Hood: Men in Tights_ years later.

And despite there only being that one scene I thought was funny (and even chuckled at) and two others that were similar, Gene Wilder (who reminds me of Ryan Gosling, or rather the other way around) elevated the viewing experience tremendously. His performance added some flavor to a bland dish. It was not only good acting but also enjoyable and entertaining to watch. I suppose Madeline Kahn accomplished that, too. She should've had more screen time. Teri Garr, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, Cloris Leachman, and Kenneth Mars were all fine, although Frau and Inspector Kemp were borderline annoying because of the equally borderline-annoying accents.

So, my opinion of this film is that it's overrated. Naturally, there were some things to give credit to, but it's one of the weakest films I've watched. I'm not angry; I'm just disappointed.