I have recently gone on a crusade to view all of the great Universal Horror films of the 30's and 40's, as they were such a part of my childhood and I hadn't seen many of them in years. Watching these films with an older, more mature adult eye, I found that many required a certain level of forgiveness and held more of a nostalgic appeal than holding a viewer's interest on a modern level. Films such as Dracula and the Mummy could easily be considered extremely slow and stagey by today's standards (which sets the mood well for Dracula but The Mummy is the most overrated of the Universal classics). But not so with The Invisible Man.
This is a well-paced, highly entertaining classic, and despite the over the top acting styles of the day, thus particular film is actually enhanced by the dramatics. Rains is absolutely outstanding and commanding in every scene, and he's thoroughly convincing as a man coming unhinged. Many reviewers have mentioned the humor aspect of the film, but the horror is equally effective. When Kent's alone in the house with the Invisible Man and hoping he's alone to make a phone call, or when efforts are made by the police to Kent after The Invisible Man has threatened to come back and take his life, the suspense is nail biting and unnerving. Kent's demise is horrific as well, replete with his dying screams. Furthermore, the extent to which the police attempt to protect Kent and trap Griffith are completely plausible, from dusting the tops of the walls with dirt to surrounding Kent with officers. After all, how would you deal with an Invisible Man?
This is one old classic that holds up extremely well.
This is a well-paced, highly entertaining classic, and despite the over the top acting styles of the day, thus particular film is actually enhanced by the dramatics. Rains is absolutely outstanding and commanding in every scene, and he's thoroughly convincing as a man coming unhinged. Many reviewers have mentioned the humor aspect of the film, but the horror is equally effective. When Kent's alone in the house with the Invisible Man and hoping he's alone to make a phone call, or when efforts are made by the police to Kent after The Invisible Man has threatened to come back and take his life, the suspense is nail biting and unnerving. Kent's demise is horrific as well, replete with his dying screams. Furthermore, the extent to which the police attempt to protect Kent and trap Griffith are completely plausible, from dusting the tops of the walls with dirt to surrounding Kent with officers. After all, how would you deal with an Invisible Man?
This is one old classic that holds up extremely well.