Well; it’s Halloween once again, which can only mean one thing. Its another run of (at least) ’31 Movies in 31 Days’ and kicking things off I thought i’d go for a lighthearted play on ‘the classics’ AND revisit a Mel Brooks film that I havent seen in at least 3 or 4 years. 1974’s ‘Young Frankenstein’ Made around the time that Brooks was really hitting his stride with features like ‘The Producers’ and ‘Blazing Saddles’, ‘Young Frankenstein’ is a homage and parody of the Universal ‘Frankenstein’ movies. Made with absolute affection and heart.

The plot introduces us to the grandson of Victor Frankenstein, Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced Fronkensteen) A well respected biological scientist in his field currently training the next generation of doctors who just cant help but ask about his families troubling past with reanimation. Freddy dismisses them and his family as a bunch of lunatics. But when an aged friend of Freddys Great Grandfather appears at the campus, clutching with him the last will and testamony of the Baron. Freddy must travel to Transylvania, and engage head on with his families work, once and for all.

I dont honestly have a whole lot to say critically about ‘Young Frankenstein’ its a work that has more than held up against the tides of time. and frankly is pretty masterful in its execution.

Probably the most notable aspect of this production is the dedication to both the accuracy and subversion of that accuracy of the first 3 ‘Frankenstein’ films. we have faithful recreations of the eastern european villages featured in those Universal classics, we have the ACTUAL lab equipment from both ‘Frankenstein’ and ‘Bride of Frankenstein’ littering the new lab. the direction mimics transitions and stylistic choices of those early Universal monster movies to a tee, and in some cases they literally 1:1 redo scenes from those first two movies, but subvert them for comedic effect in a way that only Brooks can do (see: the hermit scene from Bride of Frankenstein getting a comedic makeover here)

The script is, to me, pretty hilarious, stacked jokes from start to finish running the full range of comedy. from Slapstick to sight gags, plays on words, to double entendres, parodies, innunendo…Its all here. the tone is a perfect balance of trying to play to those darker, more bleak moments of the original films, while contrasting them with absolutely daffy comedy, creating a multi tonal film that is genuinely indering at times and sincere in its efforts. Its not here to slam the original films, more to playfully appreciat their smaller, finer details.

The act structuring is solid, and again, very in line with the original Unioversal movies…I think my only criticism, and this is pretty much the only one I have for the whole movie, is that the pacing is a little lumbering at times. It feels in places that Brooks had a few too many ideas, and as such, the quality for what got into the film, and what was cut out seemed a little more lax here than with his other films.

The quality of the humour is consistently high, but some of the gags require a bit of setup, and that adds extra time onto the run that I feel slows things down a bit too much for me. There’s usually a point somewhere around the hour mark on this where I realise theres still a LOT more to go, and I start to wonder just HOW LONG this film ACTUALLY is. Its one of those films where, to me, they could have lost 5-10 minutes and really got this thing over the line. Deciding what to cut though…THAT is the tricky metric that I havent fully firmed up on.

Otherwise, this is a solid work, and the affection for the series is clear throughout, with the cast of Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman and Terri Garr as Freddy, I-gor and Inga are superb, hitting every single cue with absolute relish and clearly having an absolutely terrific time in doing so. I honestly cant imagine this film being half as engaging or enjoyable without them.

Thats not to forget Peter Boyle as ‘The Creature’ who is just a masterclass on physical comedy, making every 4th wall break an absolutely laugh riot. He’s perfectly cast here…Nor should we forget the supporting cast, who are equally daffy and fun. They bring with them a kind of palpable energy that shows that everyone involved knew the exact tone to hit to maximise the humour of the production.

Throw in an exquisite score from John Morris, who perfectly captures that ‘Universal’ vibe of 30s and 40s Horror seamlessly, giving the film one final Jolt to make it extra special!

I have a real soft spot for ‘Young Frankenstein’ and while it may not be my all time favourite Mel Brooks film. Its absolutley up there as a classic, and PERFECT lighthearted Halloween viewing for those who want to kick the season off with a laugh, over a scream!

source https://letterboxd.com/tytdreviews/film/young-frankenstein/1/