Review of The Invisible Man's Revenge

This, the last of the Universal 'Invisible Man' series (before meeting Abbott & Costello), is a very enjoyable film that showed there was still life left in the concept. I won't outline the entire plot here, but be warned that spoilers will follow. Jon Hall, in his second invisible outing, plays a criminal named Robert Griffin who uses a formula for invisibility to exact his revenge on those that wronged him. It is interesting to note that in all the other films in the series it is the potion that affects the mentality of the respective invisible men, but in this film Griffin is unhinged to begin with and uses the opportunity invisibility allows him to realize his mad ambitions. In this particular aspect, and in a few other instances, this film is closer to the book than the other films (although the first film is an unrivaled masterpiece). As an audience we feel no real sympathy for the Griffin in 'Revenge', only fear. This is a dangerous man from the start who will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. Another enjoyable feature of this entry is the very creative use of special effects, something that each film toyed with in new ways. Although the budget must have been pretty small for a film of this type (the matte effect isn't as perfect as in other films) the crew still managed to perform some amazing tricks. Of particular note is the scene where Griffin puts his invisible arm into an aquarium, the arm becoming visible like a bubble, and then confronting his foes with water outlining his invisible face. Very eerie and very effective. This film has something to offer any fan of classic horror. Granted, computer effects have done away with the types of effects done decades ago, this film did more with them that other invisible man movies have in later years (especially the hollow attempt done recently) and remains enjoyable to this day.