Young Frankenstein: IT'S ALIIIIIIVE!!!

Riot’s Retros: Young Frankenstein

I should begin by apologizing for taking so long to get to this. Many thanks again to everyone who voted on Instagram. To be honest, I was secretly pulling for this one to win. Mel Brooks, being the prolific writer/director/actor/musician that he is, has so much content to his filmography that it would be quite the task to see everything he’s had his hands in. His off-the-cuff, often slapstick and juvenile humor is pretty aligned with all the comedy I grew up loving, much like anything from Adam Sandler or my longtime favorites, Monty Python. I have fond memories of Blazing Saddles, Spaceballs and Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Brook’s name has so much pull in Hollywood, his leads are some of the greatest names in comedy (Carey Elwes, John Candy, Rick Moranis, Leslie Nielsen, Madeline Kahn, and of course Gene Wilder, just to name a few). I wasn’t exactly sure how this particular parody was going to find the humor (I’ve actually never been the biggest fan of Shelly’s Frankenstein) but if anyone was going to make it happen, it would be Mel. I’ve heard my entire life that Young Frankenstein is one of the funniest films of all time, so how does it hold up to Riot’s Retros 3-point breakdown?

Did I enjoy Young Frankenstein? For the most part, I would say yes! Like the intro states, I’m a sucker for this type of comedy. There is a comfortable predictability to the jokes and how they often play out. I could see this being a detriment to other people, comedic taste is for sure a spectrum, but I think it kind of lends to the charm of Brooks’ movies. The jokes are reliably silly and sometimes repetitive but in a way that I don’t think gets old (ex: the horses screaming every time someone says “Frau Blucher’s” name). Much like my Back to the Future review, I was enthralled with the music/soundtrack and really enjoyed the classical movie flare that’s really evident in the opening credits of the film. And because it was filmed intentionally in black and white as an ode to the 1930’s Universal horror films, it had almost a double layer of nostalgia that I really enjoyed. It would be hard to pinpoint all the moments that evoked the most laughter out of me, but I will say I was particularly fond of the dramatic, “goodbye kiss” scene with Wilder and Madeline Kahn (if you want to see her really cook, watch Clue) at the train station. Her insistence that he not ruin her outfit in anyway was exactly that silly, repetitive humor that I  like so much. All that being said: no, I don’t think it was the funniest movie ever made and it had some pacing issues that became a particular problem toward the end. I laughed hard/often and enjoyed my viewing, but I wouldn’t even call this my favorite Mel Brooks movie.

Does it hold up? If I’m being perfectly honest, I don’t think so. Growing up watching a lot of this style of humor I think put me in its “target audience,” if you can even say that about a film from 1974. As I stated before, I’ve never been the biggest fan of the Frankenstein story. It’s not even that the stories’ themes (dangers of ambition, the unchecked advancement of science, humanity playing as god) are not relevant today, they might be more relevant than they ever have been to be honest. It’s more that I think people aren’t even really considering these ideas much. This is probably thinking too deeply about a parody/comedy film, but even humor often asks the audience questions that need answering. Stylistically, although it didn’t bother me in the least, I’m not certain black and white film is interesting to the general public anymore. Though I will say the quality of the cinematography was far better than I was expecting. There are the occasional out of focus sequences, but they were few and far between. As a final example, the infamous dance sequence with Frankenstein and the Monster didn’t hit me in the way I thought it would. I’m curious if new viewers would feel the same.

Is it a quality movie? No doubt. The set work and practical effects were really great, even if they weren’t necessarily the focus of the movie. As I expected going into it, Gene Wilder put on a performance that was impossible to ignore. Being another special, once in a generation type talent, he had the otherworldly ability to capture the audience’s attention and he delivered lines with such passion and ferocity at times, you forget you’re in the middle of a silly a** comedy film. His co-stars never felt overshadowed either and their performances (especially Marty Feldman as Igor) were perfectly in service to advancing the laughter of the moment. There isn’t really anything substantive by way of character development, but I wouldn’t expect all that much proper storytelling in a comedy film. Brooks and crew set out for laughs and they’re not often ashamed to get them by any means necessary. Young Frankenstein had many of the hallmarks I look for in quality films: unique set design, fantastic acting, captivating soundtracks, and creative cinematography. It’s not going to make my list as one of the greatest of all time, but I certainly enjoyed my time watching it. Gene Wilder will forever be missed.

Riot’s Rating: 8.2/10