Just as good as the original
Added 2/19/2009
The Invisible Man Returns is one hour and twenty-one minutes long and was released on January 12, 1940; almost six years after the sequel. Vincent Price stars as the Invisible Man. In this movie Sir Geoffrey Radcliffe (Vincent) is accused of murdering his brother and is set to hang. Dr. Frank Griffin (the brother of Dr. Jack Griffin) goes to visit Sir Geoffrey Radcliffe at his sell to give him the drug to make him invisible. Once invisible, he set offs to find the real kill; who turns out to be his cousin Richard Cobb. In the end we find out that it is new blood the restore Geoffrey back to life. There are some different in this movie. Monocan was used in the original to make Dr. Jack Griffin invisible; duocaine was used to make Sir Geoffrey Radcliffe invisible. Claude Rains gets top billing in the Invisible Man while Vincent Price gets second billing in the Invisible Man Returns. Also at the end of the movie when Vincent Price is becoming visible we see him for about three minutes. In the Invisible Man when Claude Rains is dying and becoming visible, he gets less then ten seconds of air time. This is an excellent movie to watch and own. The Invisible Man Returns gets an AAA+++.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
STRONG SEQUEL TO THE ORIGINAL CLASSIC! EARLY VINCENT PRICE HORROR ROLE!
Added 1/30/2008
I am a big fan of Universal's Invisible Man films and they are too often overlooked. The production values and acting are far superior to the later Frankenstein and Mummy features of the 40's. While those films are a lot of fun the Invisible Man series is pretty smart and the FX were way ahead of their time. This is the first sequel to Invisible Man and I think in many ways on par with the original. At the very least it's very entertaining. This is available on DVD as part of the Invisible Man Legacy Collection along with 4 other films about invisiblity. The transfers are very good and there are some interesting extras included on the set. This is not to be passed up. I rate it 4 3/4 Stars.
9 out of 9 people found this helpful.
|
Thank Vincent
Added 10/20/2005
As a sequel to the original this is an average film. Considerable money went into the look of this film but the script is weak. Vincent Price is good as usual but better roles would be in his future. Yet, Price breaths life into this role with the delivery of his lines, which is amusing at times. Without Vincent Price there is very little to recommend this film on.
1 out of 2 people found this helpful.
|
Classic H.G. Wells Story With Stunning Special Effects
Added 3/17/2005
It took Universal Studios an amazing 7 years to decide to build on their earlier (1933) movie success with the very famous H.G. Wells spine tingler "The Invisible Man". Starring Claude Rains in his film debut as the invisible man who sets out on a reign of terror against all those who had done him wrong, the movie was a great success and was remarkable for its state of the art (for the time), special effects. Universal's follow up "The Invisible Man Returns", in 1940 was intended to duplicate that success with a similiar story starring Vincent Price in only his fourth film and first true horror role, a genre he would later gain his greatest stardom in. This 1940 follow up took at times a slightly different slant on the familiar story even injecting some humour into the procedings which luckily didn't detract from the seriousness of the theme. Where this film really excelled and won its own unique praise upon release in 1940 was in the stunning special effects used to show a man supposedly invisible moving objects around, undressing, and wrestling with fully visible individuals. Even by todays standards these effects are still brilliant to witness in their smoothness and precision and really succeed in grabbing the viewers attention. Thse special effects received a deserved Special Effects Academy Award nomination in 1940 and earned this follow up effort its own unique position of worth in horror films.
Vincent Price stars as Geoffrey Radcliffe a man wrongly accused of murdering his own brother Michael and who awaits the hangman's rope on death row. Geoffrey however has a friend Dr. Frank Griffin (John Sutton), who was the younger brother of the earlier famous "Invisible Man". Like his brother he is a scientist and has been working on perfecting his late brothers discovery of an invisibility serum. Frank visits Geoffrey in prison and by giving him the serum enables Geoffrey to simply walk out of the prison giving him time to hunt down his brothers real murderer. The invisibility formula however is still not perfected and after a couple of days induces madness and then death on anyone who takes it. While Frank frantically works on an antidote for Geoffrey his fiancee Helen (Nan Grey), hides him out in a remote farm house to evade the police. Helen has a hard time becoming used to Geoffrey's invisible state and his often violent mood swings and things are not helped by the fact that a nationwide man hunt is put in place headed by Inspector Sampson of Scotland Yard (Cecil Kellaway), to track Geoffrey down. Leaving the farm house Geoffrey begins his hunt for the real murderer however his mind begins to suffer from the effects of the serum and with frank still unable to complete the antidote Geoffrey actually becomes dangerous even to his friends. Through the ravings of a terrified factory foreman Willie Spears (Alan Napier), Geoffrey realises that Richard Cobb (Cedric Hardwicke), is the real culprit and he begins to pursue him. At first Richard refuses to believe that Geoffrey is invisible until Geoffrey beats him up and starts to force him to write a letter at gun point admitting his guilt. Meanwhile Inspector Sampson surrounds Richard's house in an effort to trap Geoffrey who manages to allude capture yet again. In the climatic escape scene Geoffrey pursues Richard to the factory site where the murder took place and in a savage fight in a mining wagon dumping rock into a pit Richard is thrown down the shaft and Geoffrey is hit by a police bullet. Richard on the point of death admits his guilt in the murder to Helen and Frank and when Geoffrey staggers into Frank's lab dressed in some old rags having lost a lot of blood from the gun shot a simple blood transfusion turns out to be the much needed antidote for Geoffrey's invisibility that returns him to normal. Now proven to be completely innocent Geoffrey is happily reunited with his Fiancee Helen at th ehappy finale.
In his first true starring role Vincent Price does admirably in portraying a character that has to rely solely on his voice and its various inflections to get across to the audience what he is feeling and experiencing. He fulfills much the same role as Claude Raines did in the original film and Vincent Price's rich and highly dramatic voice lends itself perfectly for this part as we hear his character develop through the stage of being a wrongly accused man seeking justice into a crazed fiend seeking to dominate others and gain world power by any murderous means if necessary. It is a tour de force for Vincent Price and despite some at times rather flat direction by Joe May, he is aided by some great work by gifted characters actor Cedric Hardwicke who is wonderful as the real villian of the piece, mixing a veneer of respectability above that of a calaculating murderer, and by Cecil Kellaway in a nice change of direction playing the clever cigar smoking head of Scotland Yard sent to track this mysterious invisible man down. Nan Green also does well in what could have ordinarily been a rather thankless role as the tormented love interest and her scenes reacting to the first sight of Geoffrey's invisible state are especially note worty. Of course the real star of this film is the excellent special effects courtesy of John P. Fulton that are still staggering in their originality and presentation, the scenes of Geoffrey unwinding bandages from around his invisible head or undressing himself are still amazing after all these years and long stay in the mind. For a Universal film alot of money seems to have be used on the film's general look and the wonderful factory town which is the main setting for the story was erected on the Universal Backlot especially for this film.
Universal had a way with these great horror stories during the 1940's and "The Invisible Man Returns", is one of their better efforts from this period. Good performances combined with the excellent special effects make it a film that stands on its own unique merits even in the light of its classic predecessor from 1933. Vincent Price really set the course for his future illustrious horror film career in this early effort which is well worth any horror film buff including in their personal collection. Enjoy!
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
Vincent Price is Good in Inconsistent Film
Added 4/8/2003
As a follow up to 1933's THE INVISIBLE MAN, this 1940 film seems lackluster and very much lacking in charm. Joe May's direction is incredibly static. He really never exploits the talents of Vincent Price, Cedric Hardwicke or Cecil Kellaway. The innocent Vincent Price gains invisibility, with the aid of John Sutton, while awaiting execution for his brother's murder. Cedric Hardwicke is the real culprit whom Price must expose while Scotland Yard inspector Cecil Kellaway closes in. The voice of Vincent Price serves the invisible man very well, Cedric Hardwicke is his usual competent self and Cecil Kellaway is well cast as the jovial inspector. It all sounds good on paper but director Joe May never explores the characters beyond these thumbnail sketches. Even excellent production values are present. Universal created a British coal-mining factory complete with an operating railway coal car elevator system and an adjacent work town in great detail on their back-lot. This aspect demonstrates the great dichotomy present in this film. When the camera roles indoors the film remains dreadfully uninteresting. Once director Joe May gets the camera outdoors the film comes to life and becomes dynamic. Other elements in this film's favor are the brilliant special effects by John P. Fulton, which he managed to keep innovative and fresh. These elements along with Vincent Price's gleeful and energetic approach to his character save this film. However, this should have been a much better film than what was finally released.
4 out of 5 people found this helpful.
|
Great Set
Added 11/17/2009
I grew up on the old films and loved them then and still do! In this day and age anything can be done; Buildings falling, Dinosaurs, someone flying, etc... but back then they had to use their minds to achieve what can be done today. They found how to do something in the first film and then make it even better in the sequel. its all corny and sometimes you can see the wires, but I just love to look at how they made it come to life. This is a GREAT DVD pack and I enjoy seeing it time after time...
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
HIGHLY ENTERTAINING MOVIE COLLECTION
Added 8/6/2009
GOT TO GET THIS DVD COLLECTION OF VERY ENTERTAINING INVISIBLE MAN MOVIES. THERE'S A SHORT DOCUMENTRY ABOUT THE DIRECTOR JAMES WHALE, WHO DIRECTED FRANKENSTEIN, BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN AND THE INVISIBLE MAN AS WELL.
THERE'S A GREAT INTERVIEW WITH THE LATE GREAT CLAUDE RAINS DAUGHTER, WHO TELLS OF AN ENCHANTING TIME WHEN HER FAMOUS DAD TOOK HER TO SEE THE INVISIBLE MAN WHEN SHE WAS TEN YEARS OLD AND THE MOVIE THEATER OWNER WAS SO EXCITED THAT CLAUDE WAS THERE, HE REFUSED TO ALLOW CLAUDE TO PAY FOR THE MOVIE TICKETS.
EACH OF THESE FILMS WAS ENTERTAINING IN THEIR OWN UNIQUE WAY. VINCENT PRICE MADE THE SEQUEL WHICH WAS A DECENT FILM. THE OTHER FILMS COMBINED THE INVISIBLE MAN IDEA WITH FIGHTING NAZIS, INJUSTICE AND SOCIAL ILLS AND THE INVISIBLE WOMAN WAS AN ENGAGING FILM WITH COMEDY BUT WORTH WATCHING. I WAITED THREE YEARS IN GETTING THIS SERIES, SORRY I WAITED SO LONG.
BY THE WAY, THE FIRST INVISIBLE MAN FILM WAS MADE IN 1933 AND THE GREAT THEN UNKNOWN ACTOR, WALTER BRENNEN, MADE A CAMEO APPEARENCE AS AN ENGLISHMAN INSIDE THE LION'S HEAD BAR DURING A POLICE INVESTIGATION. I HAVE SEEN THIS FILM DOZENS OF TIMES BUT JUST REALIZED NOW THAT BRENNEN WAS ONE OF THE MINOR BACKGROUND CHARACTERS, WHO MAY NOT HAVE BEEN CREDITED AT THE END OF THE FILM IN THE CREDITS.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Inspired me to read the book
Added 7/23/2009
When it comes to The Invisible Man, I definitely prefer the book. However, it was the film, and the documentary on this DVD about the film, that made me decide to read the book. When comparing the two, I feel that H.G. Wells created a very developed story, including an extended background on Griffin. I can't recall anywhere where there was any dialogue used from the book, after having read it. They might have used a few exact words, but in general, they basically summarized the story and gave Dr. Griffin a girlfriend. A lot of what I feel James Whale did, as is shown in the documentary on the DVD, is that he partially tried to redo Frankenstein, except better.
The special features are major. It includes all of the sequel films and a half-hour documentary about the original film. I personally watch the documentary a lot more than I watch the actual movie, but part of that is due to the fact that it's also shorter. It includes a history of James Whale's life and Claude Rains, including a moment where he took his daughter to see the film. It comments on several of the different screenplays that had been written before it was remembered that H.G. Wells would have to approve the screenplay. It ends talking about the sequel films.
When looking at the sequels, I personally prefer The Invisible Man Returns over The Invisible Man for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that The Invisible Man took a perfectly good story, and changed it into something that although it kept the basic story and was given H.G. Wells' approval, it still made several major changes. With The Invisible Man Returns, there isn't a book to compare it to, and because it was made up as the film, they were able to do more with the love interest of this film. Another major part is that I love Vincent Price's performance in it. I'm just not that big a fan of Claude Rains although I do have to mention that he did a great job with it, it's just not to my personal taste. When I read the book, I actually pictured Vincent Price's performance in my mind as Griffin.
The Invisible Woman is the complete opposite of The Invisible Man and The Invisible Man Returns. Those two films are primarily dramas (more with The Invisible Man Returns than the original version which has several humorous moments), when The Invisible Woman is a comedy. The Invisible Woman includes John Barrymore, the grandfather of Drew Barrymore, as a scientist who has developed an invisibility potion, and Margaret Hamilton, known for portraying the wicked witch of the west in The Wizard of Oz, as his assistant. The film is about a scientist who has done experiments with making people invisible and needs a human guinea pig, and when it turns out to be a woman, that's when the comedy truly begins.
Invisible Agent has probably the best special effects, and replaced the bandages and sunglasses with a towel, sunglasses, and cold cream. The scene where he puts the cream on his face is very impressive, and the special effects were very innovative for the time. I feel that although you can actually see his facial shape and his mouth move, that also gets rid of the fact that Claude Rains and Vincent Price used specifically their voices. The film itself, in my personal opinion, in no way can compare to The Invisible Man, The Invisible Man Returns, or The Invisible Woman, and I mainly just watch the scene where he's putting cream on his face.
The Invisible Man's Revenge was, in my personal opinion, a disaster. While the previous sequels, except for The Invisible Woman, at least used the first movie as having been where the invisibility potion was invented, they use the name, Griffin, yet they make it about a completely different person, and even more than that, he's not even the one who has developed the potion. He's a human guinea pig, who unknown to the scientist also happens to be a murderer. In all honesty, I've only watched this film once, as of writing this review. When thinking about the film, it doesn't seem to be that bad, and the special effects are far better than the original, until the end.
I highly recommend the entire boxed set, and say that you are definitely getting what you pay for if you do although my film-by-film review might somewhat say otherwise.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
