I am surprised there are no comments on this classic already. I think this is one of the best of the classic Universals, right up there with Frankenstein and Dracula. It has a great star, strong supporting cast and the pace is perfect. It would be great if Universal would re-release these films on dvd since they didn't stay out long up their 1999 release.
shareFrankly, among the best films I've ever seen.
I'd rank it in my top 5.
Superb in EVERY way.
Amazingly good SFX for the time, in fact they're a lot more convincing than many modern films.
shareI really enjoyed the film and I couldn't believe the special effects!
shareI'm surprised too that this film hasn't had much discussion.... I just caught it last night on TCM and I was really amazed. I saw it after 'Frankenstein' and found myself liking this film more. I'm not sure why.... but it has a lot to do with Claude Rains, for sure.
You know, I think I'm going to like being a Jedi.
this is a great movie! honestly though, I didn't enjoy 'Frankenstein' that much.
dont be pessimistic. it wont work anyway
Well,there are some similarities between Invisible Man and Frankenstein,the way Whale treats both films. After all Dr Griffin and Victor Frankenstein have much in common in terms of ambition and of course the "experiment gone wrong" theme. I guess that Frankestein has more historical value and is probably visually better but the Invisible Man is a breakthtough in special effects-and of course Rains is great,he probably enjoyed the evil part of his role. I will agree with the review on the main page though: Some times the acting by some members of the cast (and I mean Una O Connor and Stuart)gets annoying.But let's not forget,we re talking about 1933 here,maybe we shouldnt be so harsh..Great film.
shareWell, I also tend to find Invisible Man more entertaining than Frankenstein and certainly less creaky. Thing is, Frankenstein is more historically significant and more popular, so you don't tend to hear much about I. Man.
The only special effect that I don't think holds up here is the bike bit...you can tell there is a track that the bike is on as it moves with no rider. Some of the sequels (Invisible Agent, Invisible Man's Revenge) actually have better effects such as him putting stuff on his face to be slightly visible, being half visible and half gone, etc. Those movies aren't nearly as good though, they lack the chaotic energy Rains brought to the role.
The Invisible Man was a breakthrough in another way. It was the first horror film to identify mental illness as the cause of serial killing.
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