IMDb plot summary: A scientist finds a way of becoming invisible, but in doing so, he becomes murderously insane.
Directed by James Whale. Starring Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart, William Harrigan, and Henry Travers.
The original versions of Dracula and Frankenstein left me pretty cold, but this is a delightful picture. Claude Rains is deliciously campy as the experimental scientist who has lost his sanity along with his visibility, and the movie moves along at a wonderfully brisk pace without too many slow expository scenes, just as a movie like this should be. There are some wonderfully striking cinematic moments. The Invisible Man's first appearance in the inn is an instant attention-grabber, as is the scene where he first takes off the bandages and goggles to reveal that he is invisible -- the effects are really impressive for such an early film. And how can you not love his snarky remarks as he joyously runs naked through the town wreaking havoc for no reason whatsoever? The movie is everything I hoped it would be and is easily my favorite Universal Monsters picture.
4 stars.
How it entered my Flickchart:
The Invisible Man > A Little Night Music
The Invisible Man > Argo
The Invisible Man < In the Bedroom
The Invisible Man < Punchline
The Invisible Man > Good Will Hunting
The Invisible Man > Rise of the Planet of the Apes
The Invisible Man < Ghost Town
The Invisible Man > Hoodwinked!
The Invisible Man > Network
The Invisible Man > Hard Candy
The Invisible Man < Road to Perdition
Final spot: #478 out of 2440.
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