Hammer Frankenstein Series Review Part 2

It's currently staycation time for CosmicSparky, a rare treat that makes up for its lack of glamour with pure freedom. Essentially I'm house-sitting with less people than usual to deal with and smaller chores to boot. Naturally I've been spending this time with my oh so many interests be it clearing through a small hill of board games (expect more on that soon) or catching up on some movies I've been meaning to watch. In a classic snowball effect the act of ignoring updates in order to do all this stuff leaves me with an ever increasing amount of content for further updates. So let us call an end to this cycle of sluggishness by wrapping up a feature I began some months ago. Let us finish our overview of the Hammer studios Frankenstein series by looking at the final three films in the franchise.

Frankenstein Created Woman

A massive upgrade over its immediate predecessor, this fourth outing finds our mad scientist stepping away from his usual antics of patching dead bodies together. He’s seen the extent of that research for now. Instead his aims have shifted to far more esoteric notions like preservation of the soul.

I'd like to preserve as much of the story as possible for you all as I find this to be a film that rewards patience. In fact nearly the whole first hour of the film has little in the way of traditional horror to offer, opting instead for whacko science and interpersonal drama. That build-up makes the eventual terror all the more thrilling. What I can at least offer you is the nature of this films monster. A young woman who undergoes a soul transplant thus the title of the film.

As for Frankenstein himself he is physically damaged, presumably from the castle explosion that capped off the previous movie though it is never outright stated to my knowledge. This results in him always wearing black gloves and relying on assistants to carry out his work since his hands aren’t what they used to be. His physical abilities aren't the only thing that has softened as we find him to be a more sensitive person than in past films with the ending actually showcasing some remorse on his part.

It cannot be stressed enough how this is absolutely one of the best Hammer films. From the atmosphere, storytelling, characters, and eventual horror this delivers on every front. Easily one of the best entry points for those curious in Hammer films.

Frankenstein Must be Destroyed

In a rather unexpected display of quality the fifth film in this franchise nearly overtakes the fourth to claim the title of best installment, Sadly a few sloppy choices weigh this one down just enough to come in second place, but man what a silver medal it is.

The plot is fairly complex considering how stripped down the science and monster elements are. Instead of hulking monstrosities or mystical soul tomfoolery this is straight up about brains. Franky wants to perfect the process of storing brains long after the original bodies have died. He was never able to complete the formula but a fellow associate of his solved the issue. Only problem is that former associate has gone nuts and is locked away in an asylum. Frankenstein must free his friend & fix the poor guys brain banana and he's forced a young couple into helping him. Further developments I'll leave unspoiled.

There are two key factors that make this such a fine film. The first is the aforementioned storyline while the other is Peter Cushing at the top of his game. While he played this character a bit softer in part four he transforms into the most dickish and self-assured version seen so far. Nearly every moment spent with this character is pure bliss which is odd when you take into account how much nastier his behavior has become. In an odd twist the doctors physical health seems much better as he's able to do much more on his own rather than depend fully on assistants. Still the point is this isn't a movie you watch for a monstrous creation. It's one to watch for the best mad-scientist ever.

As was noted earlier there are a few tidbits keeping this one from the top spot. One of these is a controversial rape scene that was tossed in to spice the movie up against the wishes of the stars and director. I don't find this part as problematic as some have claimed mainly because it calls back to how Frankenstein treated women like trash in the first film, remember when he locked his mistress in with the monster? That being said the scene is obviously an afterthought as it is never referenced again and merely exists to shock which is not the way to handle sensitive subject matter like this. The other big issue is a recurring comedic sub-plot involving bumbling police failing to track down Frankenstein. Much like the assault this bares no weight on the primary plot and is only used to lighten the mood with the actual result being a bloated run-time.

It may be troubled and sloppy on occasion but Frankenstein Must be Destroyed really feels like something special. It seemed like the studio wanted to send out the series on a high note, which they nearly did. You know how the film industry is however. It wasn't long before the series returned.

Note: There is some debate over the actual length of this series as the sixth Frankenstein film produced by Hammer was a more light-hearted take on the original tale, essentially a funny reboot, called The Horror of Frankenstein. Some viewers choose to keep this title as a totally separate piece of work which is the method I'm applying to this article. Later in the year once Scream Factory brings the movie to blu-ray I may give it a proper go-over.

Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell

The final film is often given the cold shoulder by many and the first time I saw it I found the response hard to understand. That may have been due to my slimmer experience with Hammer's work at the time having only seen a few films, with this being possibly the second of their Frankenstein films I'd encountered. Having revisited it I can now see some of what bothers people about this entry though I still believe it does enough right to keep from becoming the worst entry in the series.

The early focus is on a budding young doctor with an obsession for Frankenstein's teachings. He spends his time on experiments to produce life and stitch-together body parts as illustrated in books by the old baron. He's soon found out and sent to a madhouse where the staff and inmates treat him rather poorly, that is until the asylum's surgeon arrives.

Since we last saw him Frankenstein has once again changed his name, this time to Dr. Carl Victor. He lords nasty secrets over the director of the madhouse which essentially allows him to run the joint in secret while maintaining a secret lab to further his work. His only helper at the moment is a mute female inmate though he soon takes the new arrival under his wing as well. This proves to be a godsend as the series continuity has reverted to his hands being burnt and near-useless again.

Unlike the past two adventures which concerned themselves with matters like the mind and soul this one takes Frankenstein back to his old ways of picking and choosing bits & pieces with the asylum serving as a living supermarkets for supplies. The newest creation is based on the body of a neanderthal man who is soon given the eyes, hands, and other aspects of gifted yet troubled people. I'll leave you all to find out what else goes down though there is an odd flip on the fourth film's ideas with it being presented that a body might be able to override a new brain, though little is done with this concept.

You can probably guess that the story is a bit slim for this outing which means madhouse antics and a grim attitude are left to fill in the run-time. And that's really the trouble here as this is by no means an awful film, just very empty. Even the way it ends is anti-climatic as it hints that the good doctor will simply continue to develop his theories and destroy lives forevermore. It makes for an interesting flip from Hammer's other big series, Dracula. In those films the immortal fiend is killed time and time again, never able to achieve his greater goals. Meanwhile this completely mortal man never fails to carry on.

And thus I mark yet another horror series complete (mostly anyway). By and large I'd say this collection of films is a success despite stumbling blocks like the continuity issues and the boring third installment. If nothing else I highly advise you all seek out the fourth and fifth films as they mark a strange occurrence of later installments being far greater than their predecessors. With that done there are only two other Hammer produced series for me to complete. First the Mummy, of which I've seen half of them, and then Quatermass of which I'm missing one... I think. For now I assure you updates will be picking up posthaste as there are plenty of items to share with you all.