The Revenge of Frankenstein

Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing), now just Victor Stein to hide from authorities after escaping the guillotine and killing a priest, cannot stop doing medical experiments, this time transferring a live brain to a corpse. But there's a side effect he may not like! T

his film features a "dull monster", says Howard Maxford, but I think he misses the point. You don't need a hulking, deformed creature to be a "monster" -- science gone wrong can be monstrous enough by itself. When Karl, the man with the transplanted brain, starts feeling the side effects he is every bit as creepy as Boris Karloff ever was.

Maybe not as good as its predecessor, but it starts with a bang and stays strong for its duration.

Doctor Frankenstein has moved on having escaped the guillotine, set to pick up his work, he transplants a living brain into a body. The process seems to be successful, until the subject learns of his future.

I'm not quite sure they got the title right, it implies that Doctor Frankenstein is keen to take revenge on those that sent him to the guillotine, it's more a story about him picking up his work where he left off.

Frankenstein is depicted as ak almost sympathetic character, he seems to be trying to do some good, he's not trying to create a monster, he seems to be trying to bring science on a bit, it's an interesting take. Cushing is of course brilliant in the role.

I had no idea Michael Gwynn was in this movie, but he does a great job as Karl, he's damaged, he's violent, but he also manages to draw in a degree of sympathy too.

Very well made as you'd expect, and if you're watching on blu ray, the colours are incredibly vibrant. The sets are excellent, and there's the usual array of horror equipment that you'd expect.

Enjoyable.

7/10.

This is one of those horror films thats more thought provoking than scary and that was one of the best things about these films from Hammer studios. Story has Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) being saved at the guillotine and popping up in Carlsbruch as Dr. Stein. The other doctors in the area are always talking about this mysterious doctor and one young doctor named Hans Kleve (Francis Matthews) discovers who he really is and wants to help him in his future experiments. They take the brain out of a deformed dwarf named Karl and put it into a body that was built by Dr. Stein and the operation seems to go well. Karl is healing well and responding to everything okay but he doesn't want to be a medical spectacle for everyone to gawk at so he convinces a woman named Margaret (Eunice Gayson) who works there to loosen his straps and he climbs out the window. One of the side effects of the transplant is cannibalism and he has a hunger for flesh. Also, Karls brain is telling him he is deformed so the rest of his body begins to change! This is one of the few films that Cushing made for Hammer studios that didn't have Christopher Lee in the cast as well. The sets look great as they always do and it really captures the look of what this part of Europe must have looked like back then. The best thing about this film is the story. After they transfer the brain from one body to another the brain tells the new body its deformed and it reminded me that this aspect of the Frankenstein story was dwelled on only rarely. There is some horrifying moments during this film but its really a science fiction story with the emphasis on science. Great atmosphere and solid performances add to this overlooked Frankenstein entry. Also, veteran character actor Lionel Jeffries plays a grave digger! Well worth a look.

Baron Frankenstein narrowly escapes the guillotine and takes on the name Dr. Stein to continue his work creating a man piece by piece and part by part. Peter Cushing is flawless and excellent as ever. The coordination of action and creepy music makes this one of the very best Frankenstein flicks. Director Terence Fisher knows how to tangle your nerves even when you know what to expect. This is just one of the masterpieces from the Hammer Studios.

Also in the cast are Francis Matthews, Michael Gwynn, Lionel Jeffries and Eunice Gayson.

Baron Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) is sentenced to the guillotine but he succeeds to escape facilitated by the hunchback Karl Immelmann (Michael Gwynn) to Carlsbruck in Germany adopting the alias Doctor Victor Stein. Three years later, he is a successful physician in a poor hospital. Doctor Hans Kleve (Francis Matthews) recognizes Frankenstein and blackmails him to be his assistant. Dr. Stein shows a perfect body and tells to Dr. Kleve that Karl will donate his brain to a healthy body. They successfully transplant Karl's brain to the new body and Dr. Stein hides Karl in the attic. However a snoopy janitor (George Woodbridge) witnesses the transportation to the room and tells to the nurse Margaret Conrad (Eunice Gayson) that the doctors have hidden a patient in the attic. Meanwhile Dr. Kleve comments with Karl that he will become a medical sensation and Karl is afraid of the situation. When Margaret finds Karl in the attic, he convinces her to release the straps that hold him to the bed. Karl runs to Dr. Steins's laboratory but he is attacked by a man that believes that he is a burglar. When Dr. Stein and Dr. Kleve arrive in the laboratory, Karl has already gone leaving two deaths on his path. What will happen to Karl and to Dr. Frankenstein?

"The Revenge of Frankenstein" is a good sequel of "Frankenstein" despite the title since there is no revenge. This is a good movie from Hammer and that is not a surprise having director Terence Fisher and Peter Cushing in the cast. Dr. Frankenstein giving explanations to Dr. Kleve about his transplantation procedure is very funny. My vote is seven.

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