RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Frankenstein
Frankenstein

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Frankenstein (1931)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
100 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:37

Fresh:37

Rotten:0

Average Rating:8.5/10

Consensus: Still unnerving to this day, Frankenstein adroitly explores the fine line between genius and madness, and features Boris Karloff's legendary, frightening performance as the monster.

Runtime: 71 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Synopsis: FRANKENSTEIN is James Whale's first stylish, expressionist film (INVISIBLE MAN, BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN) to grace the Universal horror cycle of the 1930s and 1940s (DRACULA, THE MUMMY). Scientist... FRANKENSTEIN is James Whale's first stylish, expressionist film (INVISIBLE MAN, BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN) to grace the Universal horror cycle of the 1930s and 1940s (DRACULA, THE MUMMY). Scientist Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) and his hunchbacked assistant, Fritz (Dwight Frye), embark on an unholy mission by stealing a body from a graveyard and a human brain from a medical college. Unbeknownst to Frankenstein, however, Fritz takes a violent and murderous abnormal brain. Henry's strange letters about his experiments worry his fiancée, Elizabeth (Mae Clark), and friends Victor (John Boles) and Dr. Waldman (Edward Van Sloan). They arrive at Frankenstein's laboratory to find the spectacular scene of creation under way--and Frankenstein intoxicated with his own godlike power. FRANKENSTEIN is in many ways the original horror classic, virtually creating the genre itself, leading to numerous sequels and myriad imitators. Whale's ability to give humanity to the Monster is one of the film's most stunning successes. [More]

Starring: Colin Clive, Boris Karloff, Mae Clarke, John Boles

Starring: Colin Clive, Boris Karloff, Mae Clarke, John Boles, Edward Van Sloan, Frederick Kerr, Dwight Frye, Lionel Belmore, Marilyn Harris, Michael Mark, Arletta Duncan, Pauline Moore, Francis Ford

Director: James Whale

Director: James Whale
Screenwriter: Francis Edward Faragoh, Garrett Fort
Producer: Carl Laemmle
Composer: Bernhard Kaun

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Frankenstein

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

A masterpiece of vintage horror. Entertaining, creepy and stylish.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
09/24/07
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The film is unique in Whale's work in that the horror is played absolutely straight, and it has a weird fairytale beauty not matched until Cocteau made La Belle et la Bête.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Beautiful photography, a heartbreaking story, and iconic moments from beginnning to end. Absolutely unmissable.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
09/24/07
Kim Newman
Kim Newman
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
02/13/04
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

From the standpoint of the story, cast, direction and photography the picture is sure to rate with the greatest in picturedom.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
10/18/08
Boxoffice Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

[Whale] did it in the Grand Guignol manner, with as many queer sounds, dark corners, false faces and cellar stairs as could possibly be inserted.

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
10/07/08
TIME Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This early sound chiller is still a great film of its genre.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
01/01/00
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Maximum of stimulating shock is there, but the thing is handled with subtle change of pace and shift of tempo that keeps attention absorbed to a high voltage climax.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
09/24/07
Alfred Rushford Greason
Alfred Rushford Greason
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
10/18/02
Brian J. Arthurs
Brian J. Arthurs
Beach Reporter (Southern California)

No review available.

comment Comment
08/22/03
Carol Cling
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal

Now a classic part of scream culture.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
09/02/06
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

Utterly sublime. Karloff--the master!

comment Comment
09/10/07
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

This is the one that became the classic and best known Frankenstein picture.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
11/01/02
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

One of the most deservedly famous and chilling horror films of all time.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
06/05/07
Don Druker
Don Druker
Chicago Reader

No review available.

comment Comment
06/12/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

comment Comment
07/05/04
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

Without question the film's defining moment comes from the actual revelation of the legendary monster itself.

Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews | comment Comment
06/04/05
Frank Wilkins
Frank Wilkins
ReelTalk Movie Reviews

No review available.

comment Comment
01/06/04
Greg Maki
Greg Maki
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)

Charming, spooky, and magical at once.

comment Comment
03/08/04
Jake Euker
Jake Euker
Filmcritic.com

As much as the later movies diluted the character of the Frankenstein creature, nothing could blunt the impact made by Karloff in the role of the most memorable movie monster of all time.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
all

Latest News for Frankenstein

November 29, 2009: James Whale: Still Passing Strange Opens in new window
He was never entirely comfortable with his success as a director of horror films, but in spite of his ambivalence, James Whale made some true classics of the genre -- and a... More...

October 26, 2007: Guillermo del Toro Talks Upcoming Projects
Between Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, both versions of The Orphanage, and his various rumored projects, Guillermo del Toro has become something of a mainstay here at RT News -- so... More...

July 24, 2006: Comic-Con 2006: New "Hulk" Sequel to Be an "Abomination"
OK, we already knew that Abomination would be the new "Hulk" villain, and we just recently got word that "Transporter 2" director Louis Leterrier would be... More...

See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
32% 32% Terminator Salvation
36% 36% Angels & Demons
95% 95% Star Trek
25% 25% Four Christmases

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
83% 83% Harry Potter and the H…
67% 67% Public Enemies
75% 75% Julie & Julia
95% 95% The Cove
85% 85% World's Greatest Dad

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

5 facts straight from the cast.

Disney Animation

Disney Animation

We chart the studio's classics.

Avatar

Avatar

An exclusive look at the human hardware.

Eric Bana

Eric Bana

The Star Trek star talks cars with RT.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Headed for IMAX Source: Collider.com
38
  • James Cameron Developing Sci-Fi Film for Fox Source: ComingSoon.net
6
  • Peter Jackson Reveals Which LotR Characters Will Return for The Hobbit Source: MTV
13
  • Josh Brolin Rumored for Men in Black 3 Source: Los Angeles Times
18
  • Malkovich and Hathaway Rumored for Spider-Man 4 Source: Movieline
84
  • Avatar Picks Up Golden Globes Buzz Source: HitFix
66
  • Disney's Upcoming Hand-Drawn Movies Revealed Source: Slashfilm
21
  • Cameron Explains Blue Avatar Aliens Source: MTV
37
  • Matt Damon Expects Greengrass to Return for Fourth Bourne Source: Collider.com
10
  • Burton's Dark Shadows Rising in 2010 Source: Sci Fi Wire
12
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Five Favorite Films with Jason Reitman
57
  • Total Recall: Keith David's Best Movies
56
  • Critics Consensus: Everybody's Fine Is Just OK
50
  • 10 Horrifically Profitable Films
46
  • Five Favorite Films With Avatar's Sam Worthington
46
  • Sundance 2010: RT's 10 Most Anticipated Movies
41
  • Weekly Ketchup: Tron Team to Remake The Black Hole
37
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: The Blind Side Takes the Lead
29
  • Awards Tour: National Board of Review Winners List!
28
  • Friday Harvest: Iron Man 2, Harry Potter, and more!
24
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Five Favorite Films With Avatar's Sam Worthington
46
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
23
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
23
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Frankenstein at Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.