Invisible Agent (1942) Review

"The Fuhrer doesn't like people who think their own thoughts."

-Karl Heiser

Frank Raymond (Jon Hall), the grandson of the original Invisible Man, is nearly killed by some Axis agents who want the Invisibility drug from him.  Frank decides to use it for the Allied powers instead and turns invisible to spy in Germany.  Frank finds himself in a tangled web of espionage where no one can trust anyone else and has to find away to prevent an attack on the United States.

What Works:

This series sure doesn't like to make the same movie over and over again.  The original movie was a horror film, the second was a thriller, and the 3rd was a comedy.  Now we have a war/spy film.  I have to commend the filmmakers for doing something different with the concept.

The story is actually pretty good.  We get a group of five or six characters who all want different things.  It really does turn into a game of spies, which is pretty fun.  We get uneasy alliances and betrayals.  This would be a good story even without the Invisible Man, but that just adds a nice layer to the story.

As always, I love the invisibility effects in this series and we get some of the best yet.  When Frank takes a bath, he covers himself with soap and the effect is just awesome.  It's very impressive work.

Finally, I like how dark this film gets, especially after that last movie.  Three of the main characters die brutal deaths and torture and execution are at play in the story.  It's a breath of fresh air.

What Sucks:

This is a propaganda film at its core to boost moral support for the war.  Now, since it's a World War II propaganda film, it's not as problematic.  It isn't hard to make Nazis villainous.  It's just that there a few moments where the American officials are portrayed as completely good and moral.  There isn't a ton of that, but it's enough to make your eyes roll.

The tone is also a bit all over the place.  The Nazis and Japanese soldiers and agents are portrayed as complete buffoons in one scene and in the next they are menacing and evil.  They nearly cut off Frank's hand one moment and later we're getting a three stooges-esque scene where Frank pranks a Nazi.  It's tonal whiplash and I wish they had just stuck to one tone or the other.

Finally, Peter Lorre is an excellent actor.  I love his voice and was very excited to see him in this film.  The guy is from Hungary and of Jewish decent.  He plays a Japanese agent in this.  What?!  That's insane and ridiculous and completely pulled me out of the movie when I figured that out.

Verdict:

Invisible Agent is another solid film in this series.  It's got an interesting story and awesome special effects.  It is a propaganda film, the tone is inconsistent, and there are some casting issues, but this movie has still got it going on in spite of all that.

 7/10: Good