This pairing of two of Universal's most celebrated creations is an enjoyable enough romp in its own right, but the end result musters far less excitement than either of the titular monsters capably generated on their own. Though Franky meets Wolfy boasts high production values and some inspired moments, the film ultimately never plays above what it is: an attempt to make a few bucks by capitalizing on the popularity of two iconic characters.
Lon Chaney, Jr. reprises his role as Larry Talbot, who finds himself very much alive despite the conclusion of the original Wolf Man thanks to the intervention of two grave robbers who make the foolish mistake of breaking into his crypt during a full moon. Determined to rid himself of his dreadful curse, Talbot once again enlists the aid of the gypsy woman Maleva, who suggests he seek out a scientist who could offer assistance: one Dr. Frankenstein.
Chaney once again handles the material very well, but he is hampered by a script that is not nearly as sharp as the one he was offered in his previous lycanthropy yarn. This sequel's version of Larry Talbot requires him to often lapse into histrionics, so there are scenes in the film which stray away from the horror genre and veer into straight-up melodrama, and some of the dialogue is ultimately pretty atrocious.
Portions of the film make very little sense, such as the crucial moment when The Wolf Man finds himself trapped in the makeshift castle of Dr. Frankenstein, the basement of which is apparently a subterranean snow cavern (?). When Talbot awakes in this frigid locale, he discovers the Monster trapped in a wall of ice, upon which he frees Frank and forms a tenuous alliance. Of course, the selling point for the film is the opportunity to see these two titans of terror do battle, so it's probably not giving anything away to inform you that they eventually do.
Jack Pierce's werewolf make-up is darker and more realistic this time out, but the transformation effects aren't any stronger than the camera elapses used in the original. Unfortunately, the fashionable Wolf Man makes a repeat appearance, and Chaney's clothing changes are no less confusing than they were before. The initial transformation occurs while Chaney is dressed in pajamas, but once again the shots of The Wolf Man on the prowl show him clad in the same matching attire he wore in the first film. When Chaney awakes following his full-moon sojourn, he is once again wearing his jammies, which suggests that when he becomes a werewolf he not only delays his hunt to change clothes, but also feels inclined to change back before going to sleep.
Though the idea of enlisting Bela Lugosi to portray the Monster must have sounded great on paper, he lacks the sheer size and physicality of Boris Karloff, and his performance is nowhere near as nuanced or effective. Here, the Monster is simply a monster, not a character, and though there is genuine historical and curiosity value inherent in this interesting bit of casting, it's impossible to watch the film without comparing Lugosi's stiff staggering to Karloff's imposing and indelible presence.
A cameo by Dwight Frye spices things up a bit, but most of the film merely goes through the motions, making no attempt to add anything substantial to the mythos of either marquee attraction. Their climactic showdown is ultimately far too brief and anti-climactic to live up to the promise implied by the title, and the film concludes with a dynamite-induced flood which buries both creatures, ostensibly preserving them for future sequels.
Fans of either monster will still enjoy this outing, but while the original Wolf Man and Frankenstein films offered plenty of subtext rife for examination, this outing never aspires to be much more than a disposable bit of mindless escapism. At that, it succeeds handily, but it's unlikely even the most forgiving Universal Monsters fan will revisit this misguided royal rumble very often.
Lon Chaney, Jr. reprises his role as Larry Talbot, who finds himself very much alive despite the conclusion of the original Wolf Man thanks to the intervention of two grave robbers who make the foolish mistake of breaking into his crypt during a full moon. Determined to rid himself of his dreadful curse, Talbot once again enlists the aid of the gypsy woman Maleva, who suggests he seek out a scientist who could offer assistance: one Dr. Frankenstein.
Chaney once again handles the material very well, but he is hampered by a script that is not nearly as sharp as the one he was offered in his previous lycanthropy yarn. This sequel's version of Larry Talbot requires him to often lapse into histrionics, so there are scenes in the film which stray away from the horror genre and veer into straight-up melodrama, and some of the dialogue is ultimately pretty atrocious.
Portions of the film make very little sense, such as the crucial moment when The Wolf Man finds himself trapped in the makeshift castle of Dr. Frankenstein, the basement of which is apparently a subterranean snow cavern (?). When Talbot awakes in this frigid locale, he discovers the Monster trapped in a wall of ice, upon which he frees Frank and forms a tenuous alliance. Of course, the selling point for the film is the opportunity to see these two titans of terror do battle, so it's probably not giving anything away to inform you that they eventually do.
Jack Pierce's werewolf make-up is darker and more realistic this time out, but the transformation effects aren't any stronger than the camera elapses used in the original. Unfortunately, the fashionable Wolf Man makes a repeat appearance, and Chaney's clothing changes are no less confusing than they were before. The initial transformation occurs while Chaney is dressed in pajamas, but once again the shots of The Wolf Man on the prowl show him clad in the same matching attire he wore in the first film. When Chaney awakes following his full-moon sojourn, he is once again wearing his jammies, which suggests that when he becomes a werewolf he not only delays his hunt to change clothes, but also feels inclined to change back before going to sleep.
Though the idea of enlisting Bela Lugosi to portray the Monster must have sounded great on paper, he lacks the sheer size and physicality of Boris Karloff, and his performance is nowhere near as nuanced or effective. Here, the Monster is simply a monster, not a character, and though there is genuine historical and curiosity value inherent in this interesting bit of casting, it's impossible to watch the film without comparing Lugosi's stiff staggering to Karloff's imposing and indelible presence.
A cameo by Dwight Frye spices things up a bit, but most of the film merely goes through the motions, making no attempt to add anything substantial to the mythos of either marquee attraction. Their climactic showdown is ultimately far too brief and anti-climactic to live up to the promise implied by the title, and the film concludes with a dynamite-induced flood which buries both creatures, ostensibly preserving them for future sequels.
Fans of either monster will still enjoy this outing, but while the original Wolf Man and Frankenstein films offered plenty of subtext rife for examination, this outing never aspires to be much more than a disposable bit of mindless escapism. At that, it succeeds handily, but it's unlikely even the most forgiving Universal Monsters fan will revisit this misguided royal rumble very often.