Of all the Peter Cushing Frankenstein films, this one is the most unusual. Instead of the usual grave robbing and sewing bits and pieces together to make a monster, this one chooses an entirely different path. Instead of experimenting on the dead, this film finds the doctor working on proving that the soul remains in the body after death. He establishes this by cryogenically suspending himself and having his assistants revive him. However, when his youngest assistant is framed for murder, the doctor experiments on whether he can preserve the man's soul after he is guillotined. Luckily, at about the same time, the condemned man's girlfriend drowns herself--thus providing a receptacle for the man's soul. So, in an odd twist, a dead man's soul is now embedded in a woman that Frankenstein revived from the dead.

Now at first, this dead lady has no idea who she is. To make it even more confusing, originally she'd been disfigured but when she was being revived the doctor also made her look beautiful--and very different. Now here is where the plot gets really interesting. The lady does recover her memories of the young executed man but she tells no one. That's because she plans to track down the three real murderers and exact her revenge.

This is a great idea and so far, this is one of the best movies in the series. However, now come the silly parts. First, oddly, the lady can both talk in her voice AND the voice of the dead man. Now she doesn't have his vocal chords but still it manages to sound exactly like him. Right. Second, she apparently is carrying around the head of the executed man. Despite being old and supposedly decayed, the guy's head looked pretty good--like he'd only been dead a day or so--not several weeks. If the film had just omitted these two silly bits, the film would have easily earned an 8 or 9. As it is, however, it seemed pretty silly starting at about 2/3 of the way through the film. Now the revenge angle was great--they just should have carried it off a bit better.

Overall, a decent film and one that even non-horror films probably will enjoy thanks to good acting and a few changes that make the film seem like not just another Frankenstein film.

Not the best of the series, I do put Curse of Frankenstein, Revenge of Frankenstein and Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed above it, but it is much better than Evil of Frankenstein and Horror of Frankenstein(both of which are from personal opinion among Hammer House of Horror's weakest).

Frankenstein Created Woman does take time to get going, like Evil and Horror except not as badly(Created Woman's story is actually interesting). More could have been done with Anton's death scene which is too brief and lacking in tension(again personal opinion),considering that out of the three men he's the one you hate the most.

Frankenstein Created Woman is well made though, not as much as Curse, Revenge and Destroyed but the photography is top notch, having a beautifully dream-like and deliciously macabre quality to it(especially the shots of the guillotine, they gave me chills),the costumes are sumptuous and the sets do give off the appropriate Gothic atmosphere. Some say that it looks skimpier compared to Curse, Revenge and Destroyed, others will argue that it matches the grimmer tone compared to the other Hammer Frankenstein films, this viewer belongs in the latter camp. Terence Fisher shows that he is more than up to the job, it's a taut directing job that shows a mastery of mood and atmosphere with striking visuals to match, while the music score is appropriately eerie.

The script explores several different elements(including psychological horror, sensuality, fear presented in a fairy-tale-like way and humour) and actually balances them very neatly. that was refreshing after seeing too many films with scripts and plots that try to do too much and come over as under-explained and muddled. The humour is very witty too, did get a good laugh at Frankenstein's very short and blunt answer to "Do you expect us to believe this childish rubbish, sir? Do you take us for fools?". The story is the most ambitious of the Hammer Frankensteins and is very different for them, the soul transference a really interesting concept and it was done more than adequately, though even more maybe could have been done with it. Even with the slow start, the story is always engaging and has enough suspense and excitement to keep one engrossed(the beginning is remarkably powerful and Christina's conversing with Hans's severed head is one Hammer's most chilling scenes),sure it does get very daft in places and has logic lapses galore but that is not unusual for Hammer and it's part of the charm.

The characters carry the film very well, it is easy to feel sympathy for Christina and Hans and feel repulsion for Anton, Karl and Johann. Frankenstein as ever is entertaining and while he's clearly "evil" he does show a sympathetic side too. Peter Cushing is terrific as he always was as the definitive interpretation of the Baron and Thorley Walters gives amusing and sympathetic support. Of the supporting cast, faring the best were Susan Denberg who is a creepy and poignant(not to mention sexy) Christina and Peter Blythe who is chillingly vile as Anton. Robert Morris is movingly engaging as Hans, and while Johann is a very atypical role for Derek Fowlds he does do very well with the character. All in all, a solid as rocks fourth entry of the Hammer Frankenstein series and an example of being ambitious paying off. 8/10 Bethany Cox

A strange addition to the Frankenstein cycle, and indeed the Hammer output, this film slotted neatly between 1964's THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN and 1969's FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED. The film is uncharacteristic of Hammer's other work in that it does not have the same Gothic atmosphere we are so used to seeing; instead, melodrama and romance take centre stage even to the Baron's antics. Even Terence Fisher's colour palette seems brighter than usual for his filmography.

However, although the film is not one of Hammer's best, there are still numerous reasons one might find it enjoyable. Peter Cushing stars in one of his best roles ever, and is indeed great as the scientist obsessed with discovering the secrets of life...and death. His ruthlessness is to the fore here, only superceded by his turn in the sequel. Unfortunately he does not appear that much in this film, and when he does it is as a father figure to Susan Denberg, with his intentions and personality not being clearly studied.

Cushing is unusually on the side of good in this film - at least as 'good' as a film this dark gets - and displays little of the cold violence we are used to seeing in his Frankenstein character. Thorley Walter is always good value and brings a touch of comic relief to the story. Susan Denberg and Robert Morris are successfully tragic as the doomed lovers, but kudos also goes to the trio of actors playing the bounders and cads who are the cause of all the violence in the first place. These fellows are totally obnoxious and yet believable. If you look closely you'll see a young Derek Fowlds in an early role.

The film's main disappoint is the lack of Frankenstein, but the story about the lovers holds the attention. Other disappointments are the way in which the main characters are murdered, all deaths are routinely staged and the censors are more to blame for this than anyone else. Also the main creation scene is also sadly missing from the finished print, let's face it we all love the bits where electricity sparks and lightning strikes and the monster comes to life, and it feels strangely left out here. The ending of the film is also anti-climatic in that it feels more than a little rushed. Still, all of the actors and actresses come out of this film looking good and it comes off as a nicely polished, well-rounded story which ties up neatly at the end and even achieves a kind of 'fairytale' ambiance.