The Invisible Man Returns (1940) Review
"I don't want friends. I shall have worshipers and followers!"
-Geoffrey Radcliffe
After Geoffrey Radcliffe (Vincent Price) is falsely accursed of murdering his brother, he escapes the gallows thanks to his friend Dr. Frank Griffin (John Sutton), the brother of the original Invisible Man, who gives Geoffrey the drug to turn invisible. Now on the run, Geoffrey has to figure out who killed his brother and clear his name before the drug causes him to lose his mind.
What Works:
Like the first movie, this sequel has some really fun invisibility effects. Are they prefect? No. Far from it, but some of them look great and they are all fun to watch.
Vincent Price is one of my all time favorite actors and I had no idea he was in this movie. I became very excited when I saw his name in the credits and he does a great job as our protagonist. He's likable, funny, and just a little bit crazy. He's a solid replacement for Claude Rains.
The story is actually an improvement on the original. The first movie is just a manhunt for a psychotic killer and while we do get the police manhunt this time around, we also have an innocent man trying to prove his innocence before losing his mind. It's actually a really interesting story.
Finally, the 3rd act is a lot of fun and really escalates things. I really like the confrontation between Geoffrey and Richard (Cedric Hardwicke) and the fight on the mine carts is a lot of fun.
What Sucks:
Early on in the film, there are a few parts that are on the slow side. A couple of the scenes are a bit boring and I was starting to lose interest, but the movie picks up quickly enough.
While Vincent Price is great, this sequel does miss Claude Rains manic energy. His insanity was so much fun in the first movie and we don't have a character like him this time around, which is a bit of a bummer.
Verdict:
The Invisible Man Returns is a surprisingly solid sequel thanks to Vincent Price, the special effects, the story, and the fun 3rd act. There are a few dull parts early on and I wish Claude Rains had been involved somehow, but this movie has still got it going on.
7/10: Good
The story is actually an improvement on the original. The first movie is just a manhunt for a psychotic killer and while we do get the police manhunt this time around, we also have an innocent man trying to prove his innocence before losing his mind. It's actually a really interesting story.
Finally, the 3rd act is a lot of fun and really escalates things. I really like the confrontation between Geoffrey and Richard (Cedric Hardwicke) and the fight on the mine carts is a lot of fun.
What Sucks:
Early on in the film, there are a few parts that are on the slow side. A couple of the scenes are a bit boring and I was starting to lose interest, but the movie picks up quickly enough.
While Vincent Price is great, this sequel does miss Claude Rains manic energy. His insanity was so much fun in the first movie and we don't have a character like him this time around, which is a bit of a bummer.
Verdict:
The Invisible Man Returns is a surprisingly solid sequel thanks to Vincent Price, the special effects, the story, and the fun 3rd act. There are a few dull parts early on and I wish Claude Rains had been involved somehow, but this movie has still got it going on.
7/10: Good
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