Director: James Whale
Year: 1933
Country: USA
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Horror/Comedy
Plot:
Attempting to work on an experiment, a scientist working on a secret serum in a remote town allows the fact that he's become invisible to be known as he slowly becomes incensed with madness and forces the authorities to deal with his condition to stop him.
Review:
This is one of the greatest horror films of all time. One of the best parts about this one is that the special effects in the film are absolutely amazing, especially when you take into consideration that they were virtually inventing methods of composite mattes in film to make the invisible man truly come alive and real. The effects are used liberally, giving scenes showing a shirt running around seemingly by itself yet obviously containing a man and not being hung by wires, and more difficult ones showing him unwrapping the bandages in a mirror. Even inanimate objects look good, as bicycles ride on their own, lines of footprints appear in the snow, cigarettes are lit and smoke puffed in mid-air, which is still a remarkable achievement to the technical prowess of the effects.
The effects are not only used to build suspense and inspire fear, but they are also used to create a few comic moments as well from a screaming woman running down a road pursued by an empty pair of pants skipping along while the invisible man sings a catchy tune or tossing an inkwell into a police inspector's face while later moments of hilarity, like a cash drawer carrying itself out of a bank, or the short rampage of pranks in the town, this provides some nice laughs along with the chills. Just as entertaining as any of the impressive visual effects are the interactions of the townsfolk's dealings with the surreal situations which are not only humorous but quite believable and do a good job of playing off of the invisible man when he isn't there, simulating the effects of physical attacks or reacting to the sound of his voice.
This is all the more enjoyable for how creative and exciting it is. The police and townspeople also stretch their wits to confront this new condition and come up with an impressive array of solutions with everything from spray paint to freshly tarred roads to fishing nets to listening for the sound of sneezes. The film teems with ideas, and these concrete details add credibility to the story and make it enjoyably complex. Coupled with a fantastic pace and outstanding action scenes in the finale where they finally manage to capture him in the house, this is a classic in every way it can be thought of.
There isn't a whole lot at all to dislike. The biggest issue here is that the romance angle between the two here doesn't work at all as there isn't much chemistry at all, and it's a hard time understanding what she saw in him even before he became invisible. There's also the fact that he seems to be remarkably immune to the cold despite the fact that it is winter, and he is buck-naked whenever he goes about invisible. It would have been better to see that angle explored a bit more as well as the issues of food, sleep, and shelter. Aside from these relatively excusable problems, this is a real classic film with a lot to like about it.
Overview: *****/5
A classic in every sense of the word, there's not much to dislike with this one as it's one of the finest entries in the genre that still retains a lot to like to this day. Those who appreciate this kind of old-school genre fare or are fans of the concept material should enjoy this one while only those who don't like the style or approach should heed caution.
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