I see that there are several who see this movie and say it "sucks". They are obviously looking at this either to be a faithful representation of Shelley's book or have complaints about the fact that it's black and white or some other disdain about the technical prowess of the movie.

In 1931 special effects were still in a very infantile state. Effects artists did not have the "squibs" used today to simulate gunshots. Instead they used sharp shooters who actually shot towards the actors to get the effect needed.

Jack Pierce's makeup is a marvel for its time. Even today the full method of the makeup Karloff wore is unknown. This is the monster that people see when they think of the name Frankenstein. All others are mere "melted" faces.

But while the makeup is fabulous, it wouldn't have meant anything without the talent of Karloff behind it. This is great acting because of the limitations put upon the character. Karloff could only emote with grunts, facial expressions and body language. Yet he showed the anger, the happiness, the innocence and the tragedy that the Creature needed to show the audience. If you are one of those who saw this picture and did not like it, watch it again and REALLY watch Karloff's performance.

I don't see this as a horror movie, although there are horrific elements. Interestingly enough, I don't see horror so much in the Creature as I do in the actions of Fritz, Frankenstein's malformed assistance. Fritz, a troll of a man only finds solace in tormenting the Creature with a torch and pays for his actions with his death.

It is supsenseful when the search is on for the Creature, when Henry and company search through the house looking for the creature. Where is it? What does he want? What will he do? The creature's motives are made clear with the terrorization of Elizabeth.

And while Elizabeth doesn't die as she does in the book, you can see Karloff's portrayal anger as he looks upon her. You can see that the Creature hates Henry so much he hates the bride of Henry.

Indeed, this is a movie that has great pathos, drama, and suspense for those who would look for them. Truly, one of the greatest movies ever made.

Thomas Edison made the first Frankenstein movie and there were other silent versions before James Whale's version. But they were forgotten in the masterpiece that was given to use nearly 70 years ago.

This movie comes off as silly at times and brilliant at others, but it is probably considered to be one of the greatest monster movies of all time. The greatest thing to come out of this movie was the performance of Boris Karloff as the monster, it is just incredible how much emotion and feeling he was able to convey while under all that makeup. The direction of James Whale is spot on with a great use of sets and outdoor locations, in fact, the only real flaw in the film lies in the script, which has a few situations that make very little sense and because of which interrupts the films flow. But other than that, Frankenstein is a classic and very important movie, and it launched Karloff on to a great career, plus the sequel Bride Of Frankenstein is even better. 4 Beards Out Of 5 Check out my video review @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GomHi6vIds4

Although I have seen better prints of the film, this DVD issue of Universal Studio's famous FRANKENSTEIN is a magnificent package that is sure to delight any fan of classic horror. The film itself has been restored for content, and the Skal-hosted documentary--which traces the story from Mary Shelly's famous novel through its numerous film incarnations--is a delight, including numerous interviews with various historians, critics, and Karloff's daughter. The bonus audio track by Rudy Behlmer is also quite interesting, as are the various biographies and notes, and although the short film BOO is a spurious mix of footage from NOSFERATU, Dracula, THE CAT AND THE CANARY, and FRANKENSTEIN, it is an enjoyable little throw-away. All in all, it doesn't get much better than this.

As for the film itself, the production of FRANKENSTEIN was prompted by the incredible success of the earlier Dracula--but where Dracula is a rather problematic and significantly dated film, FRANKENSTEIN was and remains one of the most original horror films to ever emerge from Hollywood. Much of the credit for this goes to director James Whale, who by all accounts was deeply influenced by silent German film and his own traumatic experiences during World War I--and who mixed those elements with occasional flourishes of macabre humor to create a remarkably consistent vision of Mary Shelly's original novel.

Whale was extremely, extremely fortunate in his cast. Colin Clive was a difficult actor, but Whale not only managed to get him through the film but to draw from him his finest screen performance; Mae Clarke is a memorable Elizabeth; and Dwight Frye, so memorable in Dracula, tops himself as Fritz. But all eyes here are on Boris Karloff as the monster. Karloff had been kicking around Hollywood for a decade, and although he appeared in quite a few films before FRANKENSTEIN he never really registered with the public. But in this role, acting under heavy make-up, weighed down by lead weights in his shoes and struts around his legs, and without a line of intelligible dialogue he offered a performance that transcended the word "monster." This is a suffering being, dangerous mainly through innocence of his own power and the way of the world, goaded from disaster to disaster to disaster. Even some seventy-plus years later, it is difficult to imagine any other actor in the part.

Karloff would play the monster again in two later films, one of them directed by Whale, but although THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN is a remarkable film in its own right, this is the original combination of talents and the original vision. Truly a national treasure, to be enjoyed over and over again. Strongly recommended.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer