Saturday, April 23, 2011

Abbott & Costello Meet the Invisible Man

I've seen almost all of the Abbott & Costello films. They all follow the same general formula as well, except for a few standouts that serve as exceptions. In most of the films, there's some plot going on that involves a love triangle, or estranged relationships, and the man within the relationship stumbles across Abbott or Costello or the other way around. Then, Abbott and Costello attempt to help in the situation, Costello gets the crap beaten out of him, and Abbott either makes some money, or just gets to sit back and smirk. The duo are extremely appealing, they're not of the "let's be weird to be funny" tradition that came right after them. There's also a sadness within their characters not unlike the pathos evoked by Charlie Chaplin, and their real-life selves were all but content human beings. In ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET THE INVISIBLE MAN, the duo come across the Invisible Man, who, like in the 1930's film, is going on a rampage despite the wariness of his friends and family. This is more of a purposeful Invisible Man though, and he only really goes crazy when he gets drunk. The gags involved, and the seamless special effects are extremely well done, and the film is still pretty funny. Unlike some of the other A&C films, there aren't just random scenes to allow the duo to be funny, but their comedy is integrated with the theme of an invisible man. It's one of their better films.
Abbott & Costello Meet the Invisible Man: ★★★

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