I would place this film in the top five of Abbott and Costello's films and the best film they made in the 1950s. It gets very good marks for excellent special effect as well as a clever story. It's one of several "monster films" Bud and Lou made for Universal Studios--having also done movies with Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolf-Man, Dr. Jekyll and the Mummy. All of these films were among their better films--great fun and a nice break from the usual Abbott and Costello formula. And speaking of formula, since this was made later in their careers, the original formula (including lots of song and dance numbers and a side romantic plot) was abandoned and the film was pure comedy.

The film begins with the boys graduating from detective college. When Lou wonders how he managed to graduate, Bud says that he "slipped them a few bucks"! Their first case involves a desperate man that comes for help. Tommy is a boxer who is accused of murder. He's on the run from the police and hopes Bud and Lou can help. Bud is only concerned with turning him in for a reward and Lou is his usual nice but wimpy self--he just wants to stay out of trouble. Just before the police nab Tommy, he injects himself with an invisibility formula. Now it's a matter of the doctor coming up with an antidote before the formula drives him made. It's also a matter of proving his innocence so he's able to once again show his face!

The movie has a lot of excellent invisibility special effects and these are done very well. About the only thing that is rather cheesy are the effects at the very end as well as the plot involving Lou posing as a pro boxer (with invisible Tommy taking pokes at his opponent). They didn't even try to do these scenes well and Lou obviously wasn't doing much of the punching. People said "wow he punches fast" but I just thought that looked a bit dopey. Still, considering how well made the rest of the film is, I can't complain. It's yet another one of the team's excellent Universal monster films and one any fan must see. Others probably will have a few laughs as well.

Not the very best, Meet Frankenstein is my personal favourite and was their to me their last truly great one. Afterwards their films didn't reach the level set by Meet Frankenstein and their earlier outings but there were a few that did come close. The best one being Meet the Invisible Man, which, personally and to by the looks of it a few others, of the Meet...films is bettered only by Meet Frankenstein(Meet Jekyll and Hyde was fun though too). There is very little actually that's wrong actually, for personal tastes a couple of parts are ever so slightly rushed and the ending was more grotesque than funny and the special effects in that scene were very slapdash, a let down after being so impressed by the rest of the special effects in the film. The plot is silly and on the thin side, but that can be forgotten and forgiven if the material is good and that is the case with Meet the Invisible Man.

Actually the material is more than good, it's great and the best parts are the funniest of Abbott and Costello's later films. The dialogue is smartly written throughout and makes one laugh so much that there's the danger of missing something(Costello has the best lines) and the gags and slapstick while a tad overdone(again forgivable as that is part of the charm with Abbott and Costello) similarly delightful. The highlight of the film is, agreed, the boxing match but the dinner and Abbott's drunk act scenes stand out too. From a technical standpoint, Meet the Invisible Man impresses, it's well shot and has an appropriate setting but especially good were the special effects which not only look good but are especially for the Invisible Man some of the most ingenious of all their films. The score has the right amount of jauntiness and the film is briskly directed. The supporting cast are solid as rocks with Sheldon Leonard faring best but it's Abbott and Costello, as they rightly should, who steal the show. Abbott plays it straight effectively and Costello proves that being bumbling can be hilarious.

To conclude, Meet the Invisible Man is A&C's best film of the 50s, the second best of the Meet...films after Meet Frankenstein and it's one of their better outings overall without being towards the top. 8/10 Bethany Cox

One thing I can say about Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man is that here we know why someone would hire Bud and Lou as anything.

Bud and Lou are newly graduated private detectives from a school and a man on the run from a murder rap goes into the first office he sees that advertises what he's looking for. He's Arthur Franz, promising heavyweight fighter, accused of killing his manager. Franz is innocent and he hasn't any time to look for references.

Franz himself has a scheme. His girlfriend Nancy Guild has a scientist uncle played by Gavin Muir who is taking up the experiments that Claude Rains did in the original Invisible Man. In fact Rains's picture is in his office and his character is referenced. With the police on his trail, Franz takes the concoction that makes him invisible.

Now with Bud and Lou at his side Franz can try to get proof of those he suspects already. Because we know right away who the killer is, there's not a lot of suspense here. But there sure are a lot of laughs.

The funniest scene is of course the prize fight where Costello aided by Franz goes into the ring with the fighter Franz was supposed to take a dive against. Second funniest is mob moll Adele Jergens trying to seduce Costello.

Other good performances are Sheldon Leonard as the mob boss and William Frawley as the investigating detective on the murder that Franz is suspected of. The boys and their invisible friend really drive him to the brink. This was right before Frawley went into the I Love Lucy Show and immortality as Fred Mertz.

It's one of A&C's best of their later films and should not be missed.