utgard14 Hammer's take on Jekyll & Hyde. It's interesting, for sure, but not one of their better efforts. The most notable difference between this and earlier versions is that here Jekyll is the ugly one and Hyde is handsome. While that's a cute twist, I thought they went overboard on Jekyll's makeup. He looks like a caveman! Also a major part of the plot involves Jekyll's adulterous wife and her lover. While an interesting parting from previous versions where Jekyll's wife was a saint, it ultimately adds very little in my opinion. For a movie short on likable characters, it really hurts that these two play such an important part. The cast is solid. Paul Massie does a fine job as Jekyll, though even he can't overcome the caveman makeup issue. Christopher Lee, despite being the biggest name in the cast, is given the role of the wife's lover. He does a great job but I can't help but wonder how he might have handled the lead. Dawn Addams is good as the wife. Oliver Reed has a small part as what I believe was a pimp. It's not a bad movie by any stretch but lacking something. Well, several somethings. There is no one to root for and the ending just kind of sneaks up on you, to name two. Also, Terence Fisher's direction is a little dull. See it if you love Hammer but keep expectations low.

LeonLouisRicci The Sex is more Salacious and the Color is more Dominant in this Hammer Horror. Two Things that the Beloved Studio Honed in the Fifties with Their Modernization of the "Famous Monsters of Filmland". This one has an "Ahead of its Time" Feel.The Classic Story from Robert Louis Stevenson is given somewhat of a Twisted Facelift here and it is Shocking but Not in the Way You Think. Hammer Emphasizes, even more than usual, the Victorian Sexual and Moral Hypocrisy. Cab Driver..."It's only wicked if you're poor." Some of the more Close-Up Sexuality and Overtly Crude Dialog was deemed to Explicit for American Audiences in 1960 and was Cut for Stateside Distribution. Thankfully the Film can now be Seen with the Footage Restored and the Beautiful, but Gaudy Costumes and Sets can be Relished in Blazing Color in HD on Blu-ray.Christopher Lee wanted a Non-Monster Role and He Plays a Womanizing, Adulterous, Cad who is Addicted to Gambling, Abuses Alcohol and Drugs, and is a Nasty "Gentleman" to say the least. He Plays the (Non-Monster?) Character with an Energy of Enthusiasm.Gracing the Screen alongside Jekyll and Hyde is Dawn Addams a Red-Headed Beauty that also Throws Herself into the Role of Dr. Jekyll's Wife and Lee's Mistress. Paul Massie Paints both Faces as a Depressingly Doomed and Suffering Creature.But some of the Dialog and Exposition are a bit Unclear about Motivation. Massie does OK but is Burdened by some Overwritten Scenes and some of it seems Forced.Overall, a Wonderful Looking Movie that is Different and it does have an Edge to it. Not as Well Formed as the other Classical Hammer Offerings but it Sure is a Treat to Watch.

lemon_magic I always perk up when I see Terence Fisher's name on the directing credits for a Hammer movie...I know the results may not be perfect, and may get a little bogged down here and there, but his movies are usually worth watching at least once. And that's the case here.As usual with a Hammer film, they try to go down a different track than a corresponding Universal film would take. Here they apparently decided to incorporate some of the themes from "The Picture Of Dorian Gray" and do more soap opera and emotional violence than actual physical horror.Jekyll's alter ego is actually a handsome, charismatic fellow (although still a sociopath), which is a lot of fun. And the plot lines get quite tangled as Hyde ends up becoming friends with the man who is cheating with his wife and even chasing his wife in his alternate personality.Although the copy I saw was muddy and sepia tinted, the "Two Faces" has the usual excellent sets, costumes, and acting, although the dialog gets a bit purple now and then and Fisher seems to think we'd rather watch a Can-Can dance sometimes than get on with the murders and rape at the climax of the movie.It was also fun to see Christopher Lee in this in a supporting role instead of either the monster or the protagonist. He's charming, sexy, and completely believable as the rake and philanderer who becomes Hyde's "best friend" and adds enough energy and variety to the movie to elevate it a couple of notches. So this is typical Hammer - way better than you'd ever expect from what might be a typical shock/exploitation approach, and yet somehow never more than just another genre horror piece. This ain't "ART"...but it's still darned good "Craft".

Cujo108 Ostracized by the scientific community, Dr. Jekyll is doing some rather pointless sounding experiments while his wife is cheating on him with his gambler friend. Unhappy with their relationship, he turns his experiments on himself and becomes the suave Mr. Hyde.Another take on the Jekyll and Hyde story, this one has some interesting ideas, but it never does much with them. Ultimately, the film is quite dull. Too much focus is placed on Jekyll's poor marriage and the affair his wife is having. It might not have been so bad if his wife were actually desirable, but she's an annoying shrew. Jekyll should just rid himself of her and consider his life all the better for it. Christopher Lee plays the friend with whom she's having the affair. He's playing against type here and is actually sort of the protagonist, but it's hard feeling sympathy for a philanderer. Paul Massie plays Jekyll and Hyde. He's actually not that great as either. His line delivery just sounds unnatural, especially when he's playing Jekyll.There are some interesting twists towards the end, but it's too little, too late. This isn't one of the better films from Hammer.