I'd probably best start by saying that I love the writing of Mel Brooks, but I detest the acting style of Gene Wilder - so my views on this are somewhat mixed. It is a spoof - and James Whale ought to be writ large in the credits, as should Glenn Miller and a host of others who have inadvertently contributed to the wonderfully paced script that rarely draws breath. Wilder - the grandson of the eponymous, famously mad scientist - decides to visit Transylvania where he stumbles upon a formula that might just bring the dead back to life. In my view, the acting plaudits go to Marty Feldman, who is great as henchman "Igor" trying desperately to foil the over-the-top antics of the star - who just seems to play each role he takes on in the same, super-hammy, fashion with big eyes and loud, grand gestures that I find most unfunny. Coupled with Brooks, they are, however, on cracking writing form and as parodies go this sets up the whole genre - sometimes overtly and sometimes subtly, but regardless - when you listen to the dialogue you can't help but laugh. For me, it could have done with a less annoying star - but the writing has stood the test of time well and is still very much worth a watch.