This movie is so great mainly because of two things: The effects and Claude Rains.
To take the first thing first: Effects in modern films doesn't amaze me anymore. "Oh, they have some extremely advanced computer-stuff, how amazing!" - no. Of course it's quite amazing that these computers are so advanced, but that leaves the honour to some computer-people - not to the director and special effects crew. No, it's these oldies that really have the effects, simply because they had to be creative. In The invisible man (and several others, like King Kong (from 1931, I think), I can't do anything but letting the technical masterpiece fill me with awe.
To take the second thing secondly: Claude Rains was, or so they say, really a rather bad actor who was taken because of his voice, and a great voice it is! I can't describe it, you have to hear it. I just wonder where that voice has gone in his other films... By the way is he the only one acting really naturally in this movie, which is from a time where every actor had been taken from the stage.
Oh, I almost forgot: The humour is several places really good. I do still, months later, see a couple of dancing trousers for my inner eye, to the song "Here we go gathering nuts in May, nuts in May, nuts in May..." One of the funniest scenes I've ever seen!
Of course, it has its flaws, mainly in the acting, but considering that it is so old and so cool, it gets nine out of ten stars, something I give very, very rarely.
To take the first thing first: Effects in modern films doesn't amaze me anymore. "Oh, they have some extremely advanced computer-stuff, how amazing!" - no. Of course it's quite amazing that these computers are so advanced, but that leaves the honour to some computer-people - not to the director and special effects crew. No, it's these oldies that really have the effects, simply because they had to be creative. In The invisible man (and several others, like King Kong (from 1931, I think), I can't do anything but letting the technical masterpiece fill me with awe.
To take the second thing secondly: Claude Rains was, or so they say, really a rather bad actor who was taken because of his voice, and a great voice it is! I can't describe it, you have to hear it. I just wonder where that voice has gone in his other films... By the way is he the only one acting really naturally in this movie, which is from a time where every actor had been taken from the stage.
Oh, I almost forgot: The humour is several places really good. I do still, months later, see a couple of dancing trousers for my inner eye, to the song "Here we go gathering nuts in May, nuts in May, nuts in May..." One of the funniest scenes I've ever seen!
Of course, it has its flaws, mainly in the acting, but considering that it is so old and so cool, it gets nine out of ten stars, something I give very, very rarely.