This is what I would consider the downside of Pop culture. The movie is a sequel in a franchise, a concept that was very new at the time. The commercial success of the previous Frankenstein film caused studios to realize they could make a lot more money off sequels to films rather than come up with new ideas for stories. This is definitely the heart of Escapist american cinema, Franchise series about Monsters or larger than life characters who wear lots of makeup and costuming. I equate it fully with the trilogies and series of today in the comic book universe. The Bride of Frankenstein paved the way for Marvel's Universe today. This film however is far worse than its predecessor in my opinion in how artificial and preposterous the story is. The film also leans far more on the power of makeup and external horrors to grab the audience whereas the strength of the first Frankenstein lied in the creation of internal horror in the audience, a recognition and glimpse of the horrors of mankind. This film fully leans on the Monster idea rather than making man a villain as well.
This is the first real "Sequel" in the Hollywood sense and will open the floodgates for franchising, a practice that I view as destructive for the film industry.