Campy, energetic, colourful, and gleefully gruesome, The Revenge of Frankenstein is top quality Hammer Horror from the golden years of the studio.
The story picks up from where the first film in the series ended. While we were led to believe that Baron Frankenstein had been executed for the crimes committed by hid monster, it turns out he has bribed his way to freedom. Moving to a new town he sets himself up as a doctor, using fees from the wealthy to treat the less fortunate. But behind the scenes, the Baron's attempts to build a human being continue, with the poor providing a steady flow of body parts.
Frankenstein is a character open to different interpretations. He can be a well-meaning scientist, haunted by the unforeseen consequences of his actions. Jimmy Sangster's script gives us a psychopath, who seems able to charm or bribe his way out of anything.
The title of the film is not an emptying marketing ploy. Frankenstein is driven by a need to get back at the world, particularly the medical establishment, and everyone in his life, whether his assistant or his patients, are a means to achieve this end. The emphasis is very much on the creator rather than the monster.
The lush Hammer Gothic production design is in full effect, and the cast is superb. Cushing has the uncanny ability to make difficult characters likeable to some extent. Revenge of Frankenstein is no exception, and his sinister charm, coupled with an intelligent, gruesome script makes this a high point in the history of Hammer Horror.
