The Invisible Man Returns

1940 "They hear him! They feel him! But they can't stop him!"
6.5| 1h21m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 12 January 1940 Released
Producted By: Universal Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

The owner of a coal mining operation, falsely imprisoned for fratricide, takes a drug to make him invisible, despite its side effect: gradual madness.

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Reviews

Scanialara You won't be disappointed!
BlazeLime Strong and Moving!
Titreenp SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?
RipDelight This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.
alexanderdavies-99382 "The Invisible Man Returns" is a solid film in its own right. I remember seeing this back in the early 1990s, not long after having seen the 1933 classic.Vincent Price is brilliantly cast as the main character - his voice already becoming distinctive. Cedric Hardwicke is a good if rather emotionally detached villain.The plot is a very good one but the running time is a bit too long, by about 10 minutes.Vincent Price portrays a man who deliberately renders himself invisible, so as to locate and expose the perpetrators of a crime that implicated his innocent brother.
Idiot-Deluxe In January of 1940 nearly seven years after the release of the first film (a classic in every sense of the word), it's sequel "The Invisible Man Returns" arrived, this time he's played by an American actor - the late and great Vincent Price.In The Invisible Man Returns the dapper and refined 6 foot 5 actor portrays the invisible man with a fair degree of effectiveness (though certainly not as spectacularly or as vividly as his British counter-part years earlier) and the film as a whole is a handsomely staged, big-budget sequel that features a good cast - and even better crew backing them up. To put it one way - when the invisible man returned so did the renowned special-effects expert John P. Fulton - whose indelible contributions greatly enhanced the distinctive visual style of The Invisible Man film series and several other early Universal classics. If only the director of this film was as talented as it's special-effect guru, but that's certainly not the case here, the first Invisible Man film benefited from the masterful direction of James Whale. However, this film was directed by a far less talented director, Joe May (a veteran German director of temperamental nature) whose workman-like sense of direction clearly doesn't produce the same levels of energy or enthusiasm. However, if there's one aspect where this film is superior to the first film, it would certainly be from a musical angle, The Invisible Man Returns is blessed with one of the best efforts from the the renowned duo of Hans J. Salter and Frank Skinner; who at the time were Universal Studio's go-to team when a new horror score was needed. I'd also say that The Invisible Man Returns has the edge in terms of it's cinematography, the sequel has a bit more spit and polish to it compared to the original, resulting in an overall smoother visual presentation. You certainly can't fault this film's camera-work, it's beautifully shot from the opening frame to the last.However, every time I see The Invisible Man Returns it leaves me with the same impression, though it's a good sequel, it's certainly not in the same league as the original. It's obviously lacking much of the verve and excitement that the first film has in spades, but why is that? First off lets start with the cast, Vincent Price though visually more impressive at a towering 6'5, but the actors voice is definitely not the equal to that of Claude Rains, maybe had he been 30 years older at the time that would have made the difference, as his voice became much more distinctive with age. Secondly director Joe May simply lacked the distinctive flair for sly and witty or "impish" humor that James Whale was well known for. Thirdly the movies script required that the invisible man's actions to be held much more in check this time around, because after all, unlike in the original film, in the sequel the invisible man is the "good guy" and as the rules stipulate the good guy's can't be running around the countryside murdering and maiming. Those are three obvious reasons I could detect as to why this sequel fails to live up to the original - though there may be more. Even so there's still a lot to like about this classic film, such as, the invisibility effects which are every bit as good and in some cases even better then first film, you get a few good hefty doses of those distinctively ego-maniacal rantings and ravings (a side-effect of the invisibility drug), there's the aforementioned musical brilliance, then there's the humor aspect and though it's not as funny as one would hope, it's certainly not devoid of humor, as there are several funny moments seen throughout the film - people think they're seeing ghosts after all.And if the Invisible Man Returns doesn't move you, relax, because there were at least three other "Invisible" movies made shortly thereafter in the form of "The Invisible Woman" (1940), "Invisible Agent" (1942) and "The Invisible Man's Revenge" (1944). It's my opinion that none of those three are better then the first two films, but they too have there moments and not surprisingly The Invisible Woman is the lightest and most whimsical of the lot (having none of the demonic charm and vindictive fury that THE Invisible Man, a.k.a. Claude Rains, exudes).One last thing, as of yet I still haven't heard a compelling answer as to why they changed the named of the drug from Monocaine to Duocaine. Personally I always preferred Monocaine, simply because it sounds like the more dangerous of the two.
simeon_flake I don't know if this constitutes "blasphemy", but as far as the Universal horrors go, I found this film to be just as enjoyable, if not better than the original "Invisible Man" picture with Claude Rains.Vincent Price--who had yet to have his name become synonymous with horror--turns in a fantastic performance as the "Invisible One." His voice and delivery are almost on par with Rains, as Price's character has to take on the burden of invisibility because he's been wrongly accused of murder.Price's slow descent into madness is fun to watch--i.e. the dinner table scene when he's going on about how he can rule the world. I also enjoyed Cecil Kellaway as the Scotland Yard Agent, especially some of his witty banter to some of the fumbling policemen we see throughout this picture.There's also a great exchange between 2 policemen who are talking about the Invisible One and the supernatural as one of them says "I don't hold with no spiritualism." And the photographic effects by the great John P. Fulton are top notch.Overall, "The Invisible Man Returns" rates to me as one of the finer films from Universal's 2nd wave of horror during the 1940s.8/10
Coventry The original "Invisible Man", with Claude Rains, is one of the greatest horror milestones Universal Studios ever produced, but it will sadly also always remain the most underrated one; especially in comparison to films like "Frankenstein", "The Wolf Man" and "Dracula" which received a lot more recognition and cult following. This sequel, released a good seven years after the original, isn't a very phenomenal or spectacular movie but it's definitely interesting enough to track down and watch for a number of reasons. "The Invisible Man Returns" boosts one of the first leading roles of the legendary Vincent Price – the very first horror role even, if you don't count the historical drama/horror hybrid "Tower of London" – although you'll have to be extremely patient if you want to catch a glimpse of his charismatic face. At the beginning of the film, Geoffrey Radcliffe (Price) is in jail, only a couple of hours away from wrongfully being hung for the murder on his brother, with whom he shared the ownership of a coal mine. Geoffrey escapes, thanks to the help of his friend Dr. Griffin who smuggled in the famous drug that makes you invisible. Now Geoffrey can search for the real murderer, but he will have to hurry because the drug reputedly drives you insane, like what happened to Dr. Griffin's brother in the original. "Revenge of the Invisible Man" is a clever and wittily scripted sequel with a plot that at least doesn't blindly cash in on the original. The story introduces some praiseworthy other themes, like murder mystery and conspiracy theories. There isn't that much action, but many of the special effects remain fascinating to look at even though they are basic illustrations of ordinary handlings. Certain sequences are also extremely atmospheric and suspenseful, like when Geoffrey confronts the real murderer with the facts or when he uses a gas-resistant Darth Vader costume to escape from a mansion infested with Scotland Yard inspectors. The film even gets better when Geoffrey's madness kicks in and he openly begins to fantasize about dictatorship, tremendous powers and perverse possibilities. It is exactly then where you recognize the REAL Vincent Price. A guy who petrifies people with his boisterous voice and maniacal laughter even if you can't see his face.