CS Film Club II

I remember REALLY liking it and do, in fact, remember why. 

I also own it.

My experience with the classic Universal Monster Movies up till this point has just been limited to Frankenstein, which I watched almost a decade ago now and...maybe wasn't in the right state of mind to appreciate it when I did, so I've always been interested in giving another one of them a go.  James Whale's The Invisible Man is an interesting one of the bunch, in that unlike Frankenstein, The Wolfman or Dracula, there's really not an outright supernatural hook to the titular character; instead, it's more sci-fi, in a way.  But that, in turn, just means that the focus is put more on how the man himself is made a monster, even without the fact that he's invisible.  And that's an approach that I think ultimately serves the film well.  Claude Rains' lead performance certainly goes a long way in helping make the film successful, as it's deliciously theatrical and you can clearly tell Rains is relishing every minute of it.  He absolutely makes for a more enjoyable presence than, say, Frankenstein because he has a lot more personality to him as a character -- and the fact that The Invisible Man is really just a sadistic dick in the grand scheme of things is another aspect that makes the character so interesting and, in his own way, magnetic.  Also of note is the work of director James Whale -- particularly when it comes to the use of special effects for a film of this era.  Frankly put, all of the uses of invisibility that are on display here are not only impressive, but also creatively employed, while also matching the main character's sense of impish devilishness as well as the tone of the film as a whole.  Overall, I can definitely say that The Invisible Man proved to be a better foray into the Universal Monsters canon than my first one, and while I can't say I loved it, I can say it's a well-rendered and enjoyable movie that effectively represents the appeal of these classic monster movies.  I had a good time with it.