Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed

Terence Fisher directed this fifth Hammer studios "Frankenstein" film that again stars Peter Cushing as Dr. Frankenstein, who is no longer the benevolent searcher of the soul from the previous film, but now(inexplicably) a cold, ruthless murderer who kills a Professor Richter(played by Freddie Jones) in order to place the mind of colleague Dr. Brandt(played by George Pravda) in that body, since Brandt's is failing him, and the Baron wants some valuable medical knowledge only he knows. To accomplish this, he callously blackmails a young couple(played by Simon Ward and Veronica Carlson) into helping him, which will lead to tragedy for all...despite good direction and performances, this is a most unpleasant entry, with gruesome violence and a near rape(!) by Frankenstein. That the film is even semi-watchable is a testament to the talent involved, who just went slumming here...

Plodding, occasionally queasy screamer from Hammer Films set in Victorian England. Baron Frankenstein blackmails a young doctor and his fiancée into helping him kidnap a mental patient from an asylum in order to transplant the brain of a professor into the patient's noggin. Beginning with some whiplash bloodletting--and carrying on through a messy surgery sequence (not to mention a violent rape)--this is one of the most distasteful of the Hammer horrors. Peter Cushing, the possessor of the finest cheekbones ever to grace a blood-spattered monster movie, retains his cool, detached dignity in the lead, and there are a handful of well-directed moments, including a fiery finale. *1/2 from ****

Since the 1950s, Hammer films had been making a long series of Dracula and Frankenstein films and after a while, they seemed rather repetitive. After all, how many times can you see essentially the same story before you tire of the whole thing?! However, instead of yet another tired sequel, this film turned out to be so very different that it definitely held my interest throughout--though parents should be advised that this film is a bit more adult than previous Hammer fare. The oddest thing about this film is that there is no monster--none!! This isn't a bad thing, though, as instead of focusing on some ugly beast, the ugly one in the film is Dr. Frankenstein himself. Unlike most earlier incarnations, he is NOT a well-meaning man of science but more of an immoral maniac--a truly depraved and indifferent man to the pain of others. Frankenstein is so focused on recreating his earlier monstrosities that all other concerns are absent. He blackmails, rapes and murders with little apparent moral compunction. In many ways, this is far scarier than an actual monster--the idea of a person CHOOSING to behave this way instead of a creature that has no other choice. The film has an excellent and original script, a dynamite ending and few things not to like about it, though as I said before it's really not a kids movie. While the rape scene was done in as non-salacious a manner as possible, this still is a very adult concept.

FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED is one of the later entries in the long running Hammer Horror Series, which sees Peter Cushing reprising his famous role of the ruthless mad doctor. This is undoubtedly one of the highlights in what remains a very strong series, because the emphasis isn't on scientific apparatus or Universal stylings (as in the slightly disappointing previous two entries, THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN and FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN). Here, the villain of the piece is Frankenstein himself, and he's never been so ruthless. The gory, blood-drenched murder scene which opens the film reveals just what a monster the doctor has become, but somehow Cushing still holds it all together and makes his Frankenstein a fresh and spellbinding creation. Watching him upset the local gentry is just as enjoyable as watching him performance his brain experiments. Director Terence Fisher is at his best here, creating a lush and colourful masterpiece loaded with ghoulish delights - the set-piece involving the burst water main is straight out of a Hitchcock film. The supporting cast are strong indeed, with Simon Ward taking on the apprentice role, and Veronica Carlson a fitting damsel in distress. Freddie Jones gives the best performance as the Creature in any of Hammer's Frankenstein movies, a truly sympathetic portrayal of a man who has quite literally lost his mind. There are a couple of minor problems with this film, namely the tacked-on rape scene (unnecessary) and the sub-plot involving detective Thorley Walters and his sidekick Geoffrey Bayldon, which goes nowhere and seems to have been added in to pad out the running time. Nevertheless this remains a Hammer Horror highlight and a delightfully dark slice of English Gothic.

This has a lot of potential at being a clever and original horror film, but there are certain problems I find with it that frustrate me. First of all, the beginning, which makes no sense at all. Who is the guy who wanders into Frankenstein's lab? Why does he kill the man outside in the alley and after committing an act like that, why is he afraid of a decapitated head? Most of all, why is Dr. Frankenstein wearing a MASK!!? The overall problem I find with the plot is that it doesn't give Frankenstein anything new to do while most of the previous films in the series have him advancing in his experiments. In the original Curse of Frankenstein, he brings a person to life for the first time. In revenge of Frankenstein, he does it again, but perfects it (almost), makes another being identical to himself and has his brain transplanted into it, making a new identity for himself. Jump to the 4th in the series, Frankenstein Created Woman, he actually figures out how to transfer the SOUL of a dead man into another body. Now in Frankenstein Must be Destroyed, all he's trying to do is a brain transplant. Hasn't he already done that before? And if he's been messing with human souls, than wouldn't brain transplanting be kindergarten level for him? Another thing about the plot that bothers me is why Frankenstein needs the help of the doctor who's gone insane. I just fail to understand it. Isn't Frankenstein a genius enough himself. What does he need this guy for? Finally, the worst thing about the film that drives me nuts is when the (monster) is stabbed by Veronica Carlson in the stomach and acts like he's dying, but then, in the next scene, he's fine. WHAT?!! They don't ever follow up on it again, and never do we see him in any pain or bleeding at all. The only thing this movie has going for it is the presence of Peter Cushing and his excellent portrayal of Dr. Frankenstein obsessed with his experiments so much that he kills anybody who stands in his way. I think they have his anti-hero character perfectly developed this time around. He's evolved a lot since the original Curse of Frankenstein, but even then, he killed an old man for his brain, but now he's grown so cold and ruthless, that he'll kill or manipulate anybody. He's sophisticated, intelligent, but evil as hell. While he's a great character, he can't save the movie from the carelessness of the plot. It seems most people hail this as the best of the Frankenstein series, and even more astonishing, some say it's the greatest of the Hammer films, but I don't see why. If there's something I don't understand or I just need to see it again, let me know.

Peter Cushing stars as the evil Baron Frankenstein who,driven out of his homeland of Bohemia,has set up shop in an English boarding house,where he blackmails the lovely Miss Spengler,who has inherited proprietorship of the establishment from her ailing mother,and Miss Spengler's dashing young fiancé Carl into helping him with his diabolical experiments.Through Frankenstein's great good planning or great good fortune,Carl is a doctor employed at the mental hospital in which resides the infamous Dr. Brandt,Frankenstein's one time research associate and the very man Frankenstein came to England to see,now a hopeless madman.With Carl's help,Frankenstein plans to abduct Dr. Brandt and cure his insanity..."Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed" by Terence Fisher is brilliantly directed film.The script by Ben Batt is truly intelligent and Freddie Jones's creature is the most interestingly complex and well played of all the Hammer's Frankenstein monsters-indeed it is the only one to come anywhere near Mary Shelley's novel and her conception of an intelligent and literate creation come to taunt its creator for the condition inflicted on it.Give this one a look.8 out of 10.

Hammer Studios never really had the money to have much atmosphere in their films. Everything always looked too brand spanking new to be gothic or neglected, like all of the furnishings just came straight from the local home and garden store, and this Hammer Film is no exception. But this one more than makes up for it in character development and persistent suspense. Peter Cushing as Frankenstein is not the thoughtful doctor who sets out to help humanity and ends up creating a monster. Here Dr. Frankenstein is a brute beast, although he has the manner, education, and appearance of a swank sophisticate. He has no problem killing in the pursuit of his medical experiments, or blackmailing a vulnerable young couple into doing his bidding, or even being a rapist when the opportunity presents itself. Of course he ends up building a creature. But the creature is not somebody whose background you don't know. You meet the wife of the person whose brain has been coopted, and you know the identity of the person whose body is being used. And you get to see the creature's reaction to seeing that his brain has been transplanted into another body. He's actually quite articulate - a far cry from Christopher Lee's grunting creature in a Nehru jacket who was in Cushing's first film as Frankenstein. The whole thing is quite poignant. This surprised me with its non-stop tension and surprising moments of horror. I'd highly recommend it. Since all of this happens in a city the police are involved, and. Thorley Walters entertains as a police inspector who seems a bit over his head in this investigation, providing some needed comic relief.

I like "Curse of Frankenstein" a lot, but "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed" is better. Peter Cushing is exceptional as the Baron - his cold-blooded, calculating and ruthless attitude is not seen to such an extent in any of the other Hammer Frankenstein films! Credit must also go to Freddie Jones who exerts massive pathos as the unfortunate creature - almost as much as Boris Karloff's creature! It's a perfectly judged performance. Terence Fisher is also on hand to provide his usual directional assuredness (NB. the scene at the beginning and the confrontational scene at the end!). One of the last great Hammer films.

This is easily my favorite Frankenstein film, and one of my favorite Hammer films. The acting, lead by Peter Cushing, can't be any better; Simon Ward, Maxine Audley, and Freddie Jones deserve special comment in this regard. (There is little point in praising Cushing as Frankenstein; he plays it with such depth and understanding that the role is his and always will be! I can't use any superlatives here that haven't already been used for Cushing's Baron.) And for once, a Frankenstein movie really gets to the key point Mary Shelley is making - by leaving the monster out entirely! Terence Fisher's direction doesn't miss a cue; with the conventionalization of the monster gone, Fisher can take the movie in new, unexpected directions, and does so with the steady hand of a master director. An unqualified success for all involved!

source: Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed