I watched this movie a long time ago and didn't find it good, and now I decided to give it another shot on the presumption that my sense of humour might have changed over the years or that I just didn't understand or missed some of the jokes the first time. I was wrong. This just isn't funny. 4/10.
shareI agree, it's a funny premise, the actors do an excellent job, but the movie is really lackluster. An odd comparison might be The Man with Two Brains, which is a fairly unknown movie but it really delivers on the laughs.
What sticks out in my mind about Young Frankenstein is you feel like you're actually in the room with the actors(not the characters they're playing) and that Gene, Terri, Marty, and Madeline are doing a rehearsal instead of an all out performance.
Also, in the mid to late 70's I remember going to see another Gene Wilder movie. Sherlock Holmes Smarter Brother and even though the expectations were high, it was a big letdown. Same went for High Anxiety. Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder/Madeline Kahn/Marty Feldman were NOT a guaranteed laugh.
For me it's worth watching for Cloris Leachman's performance as Frau Blücher on its own. But I get that Mel Brooks is not everyone's cup of tea. He has a broad hit or miss style of humour. Subtle he is not.