As a respected young neurosurgeon, Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, the grandson of the more famous Dr. Victor Frankenstein, who did experiments on bringing back the dead, tries to disassociate himself from his more famous relative. Regardless, Frederick is drawn back to the small Transylvanian town and castle where Victor conducted his experiments. He slowly begins to get drawn into the research that his grandfather conducted, and he eventually learns how he did it. As Frederick tries to reanimate his dead subject with the help of his hunchbacked aide Igor and his beautiful assistant Inga, rumours abound in the town of what he is doing. The townfolk have been trying to disassociate themselves from the work of the former Dr. Frankenstein generations ago. Inspector Kemp is tasked with stopping any work if it is indeed happening. Young Frankenstein has to be one of Mel Brooks' finest films that I have seen and is certainly up there with his other greats like my favourite, Spaceballs (1987). This film is a comedic take on the well-known horror story of Frankenstein, the mad scientific genius who made a monstrous creation as he tried to bring back the dead. This film never skips a beat with its incredible humour from its witty lines, visual comedy and superb acting that will keep you grinning from start to finish. One aspect I adored with this feature was the choice to film it in black and white, which feels like a homage to older horror films of the 30s and 40s matching that perfect spooky atmospheric tone that we have come to appreciate from that style of movies. Choosing to resurrect this choice in filming was perfect, especially the way they managed to perfectly replicate the similar tone/setting of that aesthetic. I think the film generally works best with this style rather than the use of colour as it feels almost like a love letter to classic monster movies of the past but still feels new and fresh at the same time. This is however mainly a comedic-based flick rather than horror and this film manages to jam-pack so many incredible jokes and gags into it, making it one of the best comedy films of all time. Each of the actors did such a phenomenal job. My favourites have to be Frederick (Gene Wilder) and Igor (played by Marty Feldman) who have the best deliveries and moments throughout. Igor is utterly amusing and extremely lively in everything he does and steals the spotlight of every scene he's in. My favourite sequence from Igor was his mission to the brain depository where he is searches for the brain of a clever gentleman to be used in the experiment however, he accidentally drops it. He then picks up a random brain labelled as 'Abnormal Brain', which he thought belonged to someone named, 'Abby Normal'. I further love that the brain depository has a drop-off box so people can slip brains through the slot in the door when closed, which made for a brilliant piece of visual comedy that could easily be missed. Igor's highlights don't stop there with too many to mention but my favourite is the running gag of his hump switching sides that confuses the Dr. multiple times. The most iconic moment in the whole film has to be the 'Puttin' on the Ritz' song sequence. Both Frederick and the creature dress up smartly and perform by doing a song, as well as dance, in front of an audience to show how friendly this creation can be and that he isn't a threat. It is just so funny the way the monster tries to sing along whilst Fredrick dances around with the monster copying him as Igor plays the piano. It is a magnificent bit that is the greatest highlight of the whole movie. Overall, this is easily up there as one of the best comedies ever filmed and is Mel Brooks' finest. Every single comedic scene, joke and visual gag always land and has become so timeless, being recited by fans for years. All the actors are incredible and give each performance their all. The sets, like the castle, all look realistic (even using sets from original Frankenstein movies) and it has outstanding musical scores/songs. This is a comedy classic you just can't miss out on making it a must-see experience at least once. Young Frankenstein gets my seal of approval and makes for excellent viewing during the Halloween season.
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