Movie Review: Young Frankenstein

Stars: 3 out of 5
Pros: Some scenes; acting

Cons: Some scenes; one important plot point near the end

The Bottom Line:

Yes, there were some laughs

But just as many non-laughs

And one tasteless turn

Missing Something Even Before It Turned Tasteless

I've only seen a couple Mel Brooks films.  I basically enjoyed them, but I found the double entendres a turn off.  I'd been hearing so much about Young Frankenstein recently that I decided to give it a try when I found it on TV.  Many people consider it Mel Brooks' best film.  I'm not among them, although I enjoy parts.

Poor Frederick von Frankenstein (Gene Wilder).  He is trying to live down the legacy of his grandfather.  He's even gone so far as to insist that his last name is pronounced Fronkensteen.  But his career as a neurosurgeon comes to a quick stop when he is informed he has just inherited the family manor in Transylvania.

Traveling there, he meets up with new lab assistant Inga (Teri Garr) and Igor (Marty Feldman).  By the way, that last one is pronounced Eyegore, in case you were wondering.  But it's Frau Blucher (Cloris Leachman) who gives everyone a bad fright, even the horses.

Slowly, Frederick begins to discover his grandfather's secrets.  Unable to resist the pull of destiny, he creates his own Monster (Peter Boyle).  Will history repeat itself?

Now let's be clear, there were parts I enjoyed.  I found many of the running gags fun.  Several of the scenes I had heard about, including the blind man scene, were as funny as advertised.  Yep, there were lots of places where I was laughing out loud.

The performances were all spot on.  I can't point to a single member of the cast as a weak link.  That includes not only the stars but the supporting cast as well.  And they were obviously having fun together, which always helps in a comedy.

The film is shot in black and white, which is perfect for this spoof of old black and white horror movies.  It makes the proceeding have just the right atmosphere even though there is very little horror.

But it isn't all good.  Just as there were scenes that I loved, there were scenes that left me scratching my head.  They seemed random and pointless.  And there were stretches that I didn't find funny at all.  I'd say I laughed more consistently at some of Mel Brooks' later films.  Now it could be my fault.  Maybe I needed to watch the film with someone.  And maybe I needed to have seen the films that were spoofed.  But as it was, it didn't quite work.

For the most part, I was able to look past the double entendres, although those coupled with a use of the "s" word would probably earn the movie a PG-13 rating today.

Major detail revealed in a non-spoilery way in the next paragraph.

However, in the last act, there is a rape.  Even worse, it is played for laughs.  That was where I lost interest in the film completely.  The fact that such a horrid and violent act would be portrayed as a good thing was completely unacceptable to me.

I enjoyed enough of the earlier parts of Young Frankenstein to give the movie three stars.  But I certainly won't be watching it again.