Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

The Ghost of Frankenstein Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Justin Dekker February 1, 2024

1942's 'The Ghost of Frankenstein' returns to Blu-ray as part of the massive 'Universal Classic Monsters Complete 30-Film Collection' which includes all of the timeless monster movies from 1931's 'Dracula' forward. All of the original films from the timeless and unforgettable Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolfman, The Mummy, Invisible Man, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, and The Phantom of the Opera, are included here on 24 Blu-ray discs. All of the legacy features from the previous collections are included here, giving fans hours of content to pour over once the movies are over. Also included is a 48-page book featuring writing on the classic monsters as well as actors and people behind the scenes that brought them to life.

Picking up shortly after the events of Son of Frankenstein, the locals are again stirred up and agitated, fearing that they live under the curse of the Frankensteins, despite the obvious deaths of both The Monster and the sinister Ygor at the end of that story. Their solution? Blow up the castle. As they arrive, it's clear that Ygor has survived and his demeanor has not improved. But the sulfur pit didn't kill the monster either and the villagers' attempt to free themselves of the castle's curse merely creates an opportunity for the monster to escape from his confinement. While the revived monster needs some help, Ygor knows there is another son of Frankenstein that they can call upon. While this new Frankenstein sees an opportunity to replace an evil brain with a good one and restore the good name of his family, the cunning Ygor has plans of his own.

Sir Cedric Hardwicke (Rope, The Ten Commandments, Suspicion) does an admirable job as Ludwig Frankenstein, the second son of the Monster's creator. While he is initially reluctant to assist in the mission to repair The Monster, he conveniently has a wealth of documentation about the subject from his father and brother. That conflict plays out visibly on his face and in his actions, and he serves as the emotional center of the film. Absent the excellent Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney, Jr. takes over the role of The Monster. While he does bring a more explosive physicality to the role, he does not bring the same pathos to the role that Karloff did. As a result, despite a few tender moments with a young girl from the village, The Monster in The Ghost of Frankenstein never achieves the same complexity Karloff could imbue, and instead exists more as a one- dimensional creation bent on death and destruction. Logosi reprises his role as Igor, a role he brought to multi-faceted life in The Son of Frankenstein, but sadly, he too, is reduced to being a creature solely dedicated to revenge. The impishness, sensitivity, and depth of his performance are robbed from him due to the script. Lionel Atwill, also returns from the previous film, this time as, Dr. Bohmer who serves as an effective foil to to the somewhat naive and overly optimistic Dr. Frankenstein.

The Ghost of Frankenstein checks all of the right boxes to succeed as a Frankenstein film. It's got a menacing monster, a scientist with the Frankenstein moniker who is willing to defy all laws of morality and nature, great laboratory sets and scenes, a scene or two with a child and an outcome to them that could go either way, and loads of superstitious and violent villagers. Unfortunately, despite all of those ingredients and a cast with names synonymous with horror, the film doesn't create the same atmosphere of dread and suspense as its predecessors. Part of the problem may be the film's short runtime - just 68 minutes. Based on what the film wants to accomplish, there simply isn't much time for adding nuance and detail, and instead, it needs to keep its blinders on to prevent distraction from any scene, action, or line that doesn't directly drive the film toward its stated focus and end. But that comes at a cost. Without a monster that evokes as much terror as sympathy, and without more realistic and complex characters, it feels more like a paint-by-numbers excerise, focused on getting more Frankenstein product to market rather than crafting an effective film.

The Ghost of Frankenstein Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Ghost of Frankenstein shares a BD-50 with Son of Frankenstein. Grain is light and well-managed. Black levels are very inky and dark but can absorb detail from time to time. As with Son of Frankenstein, fine detail in clothing, sets, faces, and makeup effects are frequently on display with quite satisfying results, but the image can often soften and remove those details just as quickly. Whites are at their brightest during the electrical effects shots in the laboratory but are not accompanied by any blooming. The image here is universally stable with speckling only an occasional issue. I did not notice any print damage or debris.

The Ghost of Frankenstein Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Ghost of Frankenstein comes to sonic life with an English DTS HD-Master 2.0 Mono audio track. Dialogue is clear and faithfully rendered. Music is likewise reproduced with great accuracy and precision, but due to the nature of the mono presentation, it can sound thinner and tinny when the score is allowed to swell and dominate as it works to punctuate and add force behind pivotal and dramatic moments in the film. Flames crackle with acceptable realism, but larger scenes of destruction don't carry the same heft as they would from a modern audio track. But again, given the presentation here, it is a very faithful and authentic accompaniment to the film. English SDH subtitles are also available.

The Ghost of Frankenstein Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

A Theatrical Trailer (1:56) for The Ghost of Frankenstein is included and is the film's sole special feature.

The Ghost of Frankenstein Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Never matching the original or some of the more capable sequels, The Ghost of Frankenstein races through a short runtime that doesn't allow for any complexity or nuance to the storytelling. A serviceable monster movie, it is largely forgettable, with even Bela Lugosi's presence being a mere shadow of what it was in the much more satisfying Son of Frankenstein. Technical merits are solid for franchise fans who want to check out this entrant in the Frankenstein franchise.