Top 100 Movies Young Frankenstein. I have a confession to make. I’ve never seen the movie, Young Frankenstein. Yup. Never. I think I’ve seen every other Mel Brooks movie? Wait, looking… nope. Haven’t. There are 2 or 3 that he directed that I’ve never even heard of! Hahaha. 12 Chairs? What is that? Anyway, I digress, I haven’t seen Young Frankenstein, and it’s apparently one of the top 100 movies of all time? Well, I have to say, I took a pass on watching and discussing Blazing Saddles because of its extraordinarily controversial treatment of African Americans. Just couldn’t do it. So, I’m more than a little nervous about what it is that I might be getting into here.
Top 100 Movies of All Time Young Frankenstein Walkthrough
This week, I think I’ll try something a little different. I’m going to do a reaction walk through of this movie as I watch.
[00:30] – Wait! hollup! Is this entire movie in black and white???
[05:15] – Oh, clever setup. This isn’t Frankenstein – it’s Fr-AHH-nken-st-EEEn, thus allowing Mel Gibson and Gene Wilder to go different directions.
[10:44] – I’m a little concerned this movie is not going to go over well at all with me. I can already tell that the Space Balls-esque sense of humor here just isn’t going to fly with me. I don’t know. We’ll see. Let’s give ’em some extra line shall we?
[13:33] – “You have all of me… watch out for the lipstick, the hair, the taffeta dress, the nails.” Got it. Irony. Funny. And then they do an elbow shake… which, actually is funny, as it’s foreshadowing to our Covid greetings years later! haha.
[17:21] – They did not just do the, “Walk this way” bit did they? omg.
[18:00] – “Would you like a roll in the hay? Look, it’s fun! Rollll, rollll, rolll in the hay!” hahah, okay, that was funny… And I didn’t realize Terri Garr was in this movie.
[18:45] – “Werewolf!” “There! There wolf, there castle!” hahahah. So stupid.
[23:30] – “Would you like a brandy before bed?” “No, no thank you.” “Some warm milk?” No NO THANK YOU.” “Ovaltine? Perhaps?” hahaha.
Yeah, I can’t continue this experiment. It’s not going to end well I don’t think. But I will say this… this sort of sense of humor is fascinating from an academic standpoint for me. It reminds me very much of Airplane – or Airplane reminds me very much of Young Frankenstein. Whatever. In that it is focusing on this “scientist” trying to shake his family demons and redeem the family name. Airplane was all about this pilot suffering from PTSD, who was trying to overcome his fear of flying. And for a comedy, this a truly insightful plot line to be chasing. But as the movie zigs and zags its way to the ending it works hard to out juke its predecessor. The monster is accidentally given an “abnormal” brain, escapes a few times, but the doctor and the creation go on to perform Puttin’ on the Ritz, etc., etc. A love affair occurs. It flips the script on the original while continuously referring back to the original.
As the movie comes to a conclusion, the townspeople (ala Beauty and the Beast) storm Frankenstein’s lab, he has just given some of his intelligence to his creation. And then allows the creature to talk the town’s people off the cliff. Elizabeth and the creature marry the monster who is now very savvy and cultured. And we learn that in the trade with the monster for his intellect, Frankenstein received an enormous schwanzstucker… or some such. I was pretty much done by the end. Gotta admit.
Thoughts on Young Frankenstein
Nope. Didn’t work for me at all. I was at least hoping for a near equivalence to maybe Airplane! or Space Balls? But it didn’t even deliver at those levels in the comedy department. But I would be hard pressed to tell you the last comedy I enjoyed. Maybe Sandra Bullock, and Melissa McCarthy’s Heat? Uh, you mean the 2013 movie?? Yeah, the 2013 movie. The Hitman’s Bodyguard had a few funny moments in it. I’ve always been a fan of Monty Python, both their movies and their sketches. So that might explain a lot to you on where my comedy taste lies. But I knew this wasn’t going to fly with me at the start.
But that doesn’t mean you would like it either if you watched it again. There aren’t even a lot of swings for the fence here, or even attempts at humor. It’s pretty rare that this movie even tries to make the audience laugh. Sure, a few times here or there. But I challenge you to go back and watch this movie and tell me you thought it was funny… after a legitimate, end to end, rewatch. It’s just not that funny. Was it well done? Yes. I liked the black and white, I enjoyed the acting, and the regality of the seriousness of the attempt here. But I think they forgot that they were making a comedy. Maybe I’m wrong. But no, I would not put this in the top 100 movies of all time. Heck, I wouldn’t put it in the top 1000, but that’s just me. I just think the Hollywood Reporter thought that they needed some comedies on their list, and Young Frankenstein had the best pedigree comedy available. Mel Brooks, etc. But whatever.
Edited by: CY