_The Invisible Man_ filmed by James Whale two years after Frankenstein was way ahead of it's time, I was really blown away by the special affects who easily still hold up even over 80 years later! The Story follows the young and intelligent Dr. Griffins (played by Claude Rains in his American Film Debut), so to say the 'Monster' of this film, who discovered the secret of invisibility and tested it on himself. The Problem is that he don't know how to reverse the power, so he abalienate himself to an faraway tavern, his face swathed in bandages and his eyes obscured by dark goggles, to exeperiment. His appearence naturally arrest attention and slowly the byeffect of his self-attempt become clear: he gets evil and superior, killing more and more people and sees him eventually getting chased by the police and villagers... To be honest I watch a lot of older movies and they mostly haven't aged very well or can't be viewed by 'casual' movie watchers today, like others movie classics of that era (for example "_The Mummy_" or even "_Dracula_") but this easily holds up and is a lot of fun even today. Like I said the special effects really stand out and are really impressive. Besides that is the atmosphere, camera, excessive characters, slapstick, story and even action very well done, definitely one of the best movies of 1933.

Old Horror movies aren't scary and have bad special effects. And they're Black and White, so nobody wants to watch them anyway. Idiots! "The Invisible Man" is an atmospheric, funny, but dark film about a man turned insane monster. The first time I watched this I was shocked at the level of violent acts committed by Jack Griffin (the Invisible Man, played by Claude Rains). During the course of the story, he murders what amounts to hundreds of people. I also expected to feel some sympathy for him (a la Frankenstein's Monster). But I didn't. Griffin's science was flawed and his impatience not only turned him invisible, it also drove him to madness. There is nothing redeeming about Griffin and Director James Whale makes no real attempt to soften the character. Whale's effort here sits in the middle of a timeline between his 1931 classic "Frankenstein" and 1935's masterpiece "Bride of Frankenstein". It's interesting to note the similarities in the savage behavior of the monster in "Frankenstein" and that of The Invisible Man's Griffin. Both go on rampages, but Frankenstien's Monster is a victim of the somewhat noble but miscalculated efforts of the Doctor. The Monster is a killer, but not by his choosing. Griffin however, is the creator of his own violent behavior. He originally attempts to make himself visible again, but the concoction that made him vanish also is making him mad. At some point, his mental switch is flipped, which eliminates his efforts to better himself and others. He's now a power hungry madman and decends further until he becomes a cold-blooded murderer. Griffin is actually a much greater danger than Frankenstein's Monster ever was. It seems like Whale knows this story is depressing and heavy. He tries to lighten things up with side characters like Herbert and Jenny Hall (played by the grating Una O'Connor) but this film sets it's mood so well so early that it stays appropriately hopeless. And that's not a bad thing at all. In fact, it moves at a faster pace than "Frankenstein" and is a better film. Two years later, Whale made "Bride of Frankenstein" which rasied the bar to the point where it must be considered one of the greatest horror movies of all time. "The Invisible Man" may be old and Black and White, but it has some really amazing special effects for its time. Anyone should be able to enjoy the effects for what they are, very creative solutions that simulate the movements of an invisible man. Chairs rock, windows and doors open, objects float effortlessly through the air. These effects wouldn't be much better if they were created today. There were also some very impressive scenes, my favorite of which was the original introduction of Griffin, who struggles through a winter storm seeking shelter at the Hall's pub. The conclusion of the film came in a hurry as is usually case with older movies. It wrapped things up fast and did so in predictible fashion. I can think of a couple of other endings I would have preferred but ultimately I'm not complaining about the way it closed. I think it's fair to say that James Whale was one of the true geniuses of early film making and that his three movie run of "Frankenstein", "The Invisible Man" and "Bride of Frankenstein" ranks right up there with other famous director hot streaks.

I don't know why this movie is cataloged as Horror, this is clearly a Comedy! A very good one for the time being BTW...

Holds up really well, don't get misled by the horror tag in the genres list because this is very much comedy and comedy done right. I wanted to watch some BnW movies and this popped up in some letterboxd list so decided to check it out going in completely blind. And I was kinda surprised by the visual effects considering it's release in 1933. Really well acted but some parts come off a bit too cartoonish and over acted (the lady in the inn screaming was quiet funny though). All in all it's not a cinematic masterpiece I would say, it's a fair movie with a good concept and really good execution, didn't blow me away or any such which is probably my fault for expecting every classic movie to be some sort of cinema changing masterpiece. The movie is a bit dumb sometimes especially the policemen which is probably the comedic relief of the movie. Still it's a pretty fun casual watch on a regular day.

Immensely entertaining classic with great villain and some cool special effects that still hold up well today.