I, Frankenstein (2014) is a sad excuse for a Frankenstein film, and this genre, the Frankenstein films, have seen more than their fair share of bad films. The James Whale 1931 and 1935 versions remain the best, with a nod to the comedic versions (Young Frankenstein, and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein) and perhaps the 1942 "Son of" which had a great performance by Lionel Atwill as the Inspector with the wooden arm.
This latest travesty has almost nothing to do with Frankenstein per se. Aaron Eckhart is hardly the hulking figure, and we are missing the joys of an Igor or a Baron. Instead, this one is more like "Frankenstein vs the Creature from Blood Cove" (2005) or "Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster" (1965). The creature, in a very modified manner (smaller, talking, with existential questions no less) is the lynch pin in a war between demons and angels. There are some nice special effects along the way, especially with the gargoyles, which is what earns this film a 3 instead of a 2 or less. It's always good to see Bill Nighy (best known as Viktor in the "Underworld" series, but also for "The Constant Gardener" and "Love Actually" among others) and nice to see Yvonne Strahovski making the transition from her TV series ("Chuck" and "Dexter").
But Frankenstein fans beware. This one will disappoint.
This latest travesty has almost nothing to do with Frankenstein per se. Aaron Eckhart is hardly the hulking figure, and we are missing the joys of an Igor or a Baron. Instead, this one is more like "Frankenstein vs the Creature from Blood Cove" (2005) or "Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster" (1965). The creature, in a very modified manner (smaller, talking, with existential questions no less) is the lynch pin in a war between demons and angels. There are some nice special effects along the way, especially with the gargoyles, which is what earns this film a 3 instead of a 2 or less. It's always good to see Bill Nighy (best known as Viktor in the "Underworld" series, but also for "The Constant Gardener" and "Love Actually" among others) and nice to see Yvonne Strahovski making the transition from her TV series ("Chuck" and "Dexter").
But Frankenstein fans beware. This one will disappoint.