Rent The Invisible Man (1933)

3.9 of 5 from 134 ratings
1h 8min
Rent The Invisible Man Online DVD & Blu-ray Rental
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Synopsis:
Claude Rains delivers a remarkable performance in his screen debut as a mysterious doctor who discovers a serum that makes him invisible. Covered by bandages and dark glasses, Rains arrives at a small English village and attempts to hide his amazing discovery. But the same drug which renders him invisible slowly drives him to commit acts of unspeakable terror.
Actors:
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Directors:
Producers:
Carl Laemmle Jr
Writers:
H.G. Wells, RC Sherriff, Preston Sturges, Philip Wylie
Studio:
Universal Pictures
Genres:
Classics, Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Collections:
100 Years of German Expressionism, A Brief History of Hammer Horror, A History of Films about Film: Part 1, A History of Gay Cinema: According to Hollywood, Drama Films & TV, Film History, Horror, A Brief History of Film..., Top Horror Franchise Films
BBFC:
Release Date:
14/10/2002
Run Time:
68 minutes
Languages:
English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Subtitles:
Arabic, Czech, English Hard of Hearing, Greek, Hungarian, Romanian, Turkish
DVD Regions:
Region 2
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Full Screen 1.33:1 / 4:3
Colour:
B & W
Bonus:
  • Now you can see him: The invisible man revealed
  • Feature commentary with film historian Rudy Behlmer
  • Production Photographs
BBFC:
Release Date:
01/10/2012
Run Time:
72 minutes
Languages:
English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono, French DTS 2.0 Mono, German DTS 2.0 Mono, Italian DTS 2.0 Mono, Spanish DTS 2.0 Mono
Subtitles:
Danish, English Hard of Hearing, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Full Screen 1.33:1 / 4:3
Colour:
B & W
BLU-RAY Regions:
B
Bonus:
  • Now You See Him: The Invisible Man Revealed
  • Production Photographs
  • Feature Commentary with Film Historian Rudy Behimer
  • 100 Years of Universal: Unforgettable Characters
BBFC:
Release Date:
04/10/2021
Run Time:
71 minutes
Languages:
Castilian Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono, English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono, French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono, German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono, Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
Subtitles:
Castillian, Complex Mandarin, Danish, Dutch, English Hard of Hearing, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin American Spanish, Norwegian, Swedish
DVD Regions:
Region 2
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Full Screen 1.33:1 / 4:3
Colour:
B & W
BLU-RAY Regions:
B
Bonus:
  • Behind the Scenes Documentaries
  • Featurettes On Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney Jr
  • Feature Commentaries
  • Theatrical Trailers
  • And More!

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Reviews (2) of The Invisible Man

Spoilers follow ... - The Invisible Man review by NP

Spoiler Alert
03/11/2017

I had not noticed before how reminiscent the opening music to ‘The Invisible Man’ is to the repeatedly used scores from the 1940’s Universal monster films.

The tavern into which the heavily dressed be-hatted figure of Griffin enters, ushering with him billows of snow, could be tailor-made for the cliché legend ‘We don’t like strangers about these parts.’ Indeed, there are few stranger than Griffin: monosyllabic, wrapped in overcoat, bandages, gloves and hat. And yet the sinewy collection of cadaverous locals huddled up for warmth in ‘The Lion’s Head’ seem more eccentric yet. Una O'Connor, who would tone down her performance not one iota for Minnie in 1935’s ‘The Bride of Frankenstein’ plays landlady Jenny Hall as a shrieking willowy old cockney. When EE Clive is introduced as the village ‘bobby’, with a ‘here, wot’s all this?’ the conglomerate of grotesques is complete – suddenly, Griffin seems almost straight-laced by comparison.

Onto this tapestry, the mysterious newcomer reveals the secret of the mystery that appears to surround him. “You’re crazy to know who I am, aren’t you?” he growls as, with a merciless onslaught of John P Fulton’s magnificent special effects, his secret is revealed. “He’s invisible, that’s what’s the matter with ‘im,” concludes Constable Jaffers.

After this truly peerless first act, the rest of the film doesn’t quite match up. How could it? It is, nevertheless, hugely entertaining throughout as second-billed Gloria Stuart is introduced as fiancée Flora Cranleigh and William Harrigan as the unfortunate Kemp.

And yet it is Claude Rains, mostly unseen, who retains the acting honours as a character who traverses suspicion, hilarity, madness and ultimately tragedy in the title role. From his first appearance trudging through show that clings like porridge (perhaps that is what it was – whatever, the snowbound scenes are incredibly convincing) to his maudlin final act, he deserves every word of the praise heaped upon him. As does Director James Whale and effects man Fulton (and his team), both very much at the top of their game.

There would be recasts for subsequent sequels featuring invisible relatives, but as with every other Universal horror franchise (excluding possibly ‘Frankenstein’, which to my mind was trumped by its first sequel) this remains a classic unsurpassed.

1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.

Universal horror. - The Invisible Man review by Steve

Spoiler Alert
23/08/2021

After Frankenstein (1931), James Whale returned to Universal for this first sound version of HG Wells' sci-fi classic. Claude Rains makes his starring debut as a scientist who invents a formula for invisibility before he discovers the antidote. Big mistake. Unfortunately, something in the elixir turns the doctor insane as he attempts to use his innovation to gain power and wealth.

This doesn't have the visual panache of Whale's other Universal horrors, I guess because of the already complicated process for designing the effects. A major weakness is the amount of knockabout comedy, which the director apparently loved. This hasn't aged well, and actually diminishes the sense of threat and suspense.

The triumph of the film is the astonishing effects. Not only of Claude Rains removing his bandages to reveal... nothing, but at the climax when a dissolve finally exposes the face of the actor for the first time a few seconds before the credits roll. We might not see much of Rains, but his distinctive voice gives the invisible man a valuable presence..

This is the first Hollywood production that feels more like science fiction, rather than a horror film with some sci-fi jargon added on. It looks at the duality of science for good and bad. It's a genre landmark, but a bit of a shame Whale was seduced by the comic potential of Wells' premise above most of the philosophical themes.

0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.

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