Frankenstein (2015) Reviews

• A modern Frankenstein that never forgets its roots.

  gojiseb2016-02-17

  Bernard Rose has successfully translated Mary Shelley's original novel by turning it into a Cronenbergian body horror tragedy. The performances are stellar with Xavier Samuel making a heartbreaking Monster and Tony Todd stealing the show as a blind musician. The direction is superb and horror fans will be pleased by the gruesome practical effects. If there are any weak points here, it would be the extremely brisk pacing and a few odd editing decision. The ending is also frustratingly abrupt. Beyond that, it is nothing less than a triumph of genre filmmaking and the sort of thing I wish to see more of from the horror world.

• I am I

  pbjsammich2016-02-03

  This is a very interesting take on the Frankenstein tale. We get to see the Monster basically take his first breath and become born into this world. He slowly becomes accustomed to being alive when suddenly he's betrayed by his creator and thus sets about on a rampage. This film illustrates it fairly well and I feel like the character of Adam/Monster is fairly sympathetic. He lacks a vocabulary like in the novel and in the 1994 adaptation, but it's far more realistic for the vocalization capacity of a newly formed creature. Bernard Rose does a fairly good job directing and the pastoral dream sequences are nice in particular. It has a nice pace and good use of practical special effects. The Monster's transformation was thoroughly engaging and I feel if anyone is a fan of the horror genre that they should at least do themselves a favor and see this interpretation.

• Such Promise...

  redrobin62-321-2073112016-03-11

  I had high hopes for this film, not because I'm a horror movie and goth-loving freak, but also because it was a fresh take on an old idea. The film started off well enough. Victor Frankenstein was really a marginal role here; his wife was pretty much the focus as well as the monster himself. Most of the elements from classic Frankenstein were there, and that was nice to see. The acting was generally good, too, especially the monster. I think the filmmakers did well with transitioning the monster from a baby to a man. But that's where the script fell apart. I know one thing for sure - if I was hustling on the street constantly, playing my guitar and begging for money, I don't think I'd give my hard earned cash away so some guy I just met can get laid for the first time. And you know, there are people today who are thoroughly perplexed by the GPS systems on their cellphones. How the monster was able to navigate with it after just being recently created is a mystery to me. The monster also sure knew how to say the right things at the right emotional time. I think that if I was a cop I'd protest this movie. Yes, the police do go over and above their call of duty at times (see Black Lives Matter), but are they really this unfeeling and barbaric? What I did like about the movie was the blood. Yeah, this one was violent as hell. The makeup was well done, too. If there's anything that stood out for me was the monster and the level of violence in the film. Just for those two things alone it's worth giving 'Frankenstein' a looksee.

• Humility through horror.

  That_Seventies_Guy2015-08-17

  Bernard Rose has a knack for bringing the human condition into characters on screen, and from there, transposing it to our minds as audience members when we are experiencing his pictures. 'Candyman', 'Paperhouse', and 'Immortal Beloved' are all zenith examples of mythical "genre films" wherein the real themes presented are the characters themselves, and the iconographies of genre lay by the wayside, standing as mere coincidence, rather than complete audience draw. In his newest picture, a modern retelling of Mary Shelley's classic story of Gothic horror and the default of man and his flaws, 'Frankenstein', carries on this method, and even perfects it in many areas. Like 'Candyman', this film attempts to project the feared myths of culture past and folklore on an already assuming audience in attempt to bring the tale to real terms. What we get in return, is a story not about fabled characters, but real people; people that we all know. The plot (given brief) concerns itself with a more loyal take on the story - Doctor Viktor Frankenstein (Huston), his wife (Moss, who has never looked lovelier), and their assistant are research scientists attempting to create the perfect proto-human (Samuel). Once this goal is achieved, there may be a way to create cures and longevity in the medicinal field. The project is completed and a man is born. Scientific difficulties prove unforeseen and our perfect human being becomes something a little less human. A practice to put the proto-man down via lethal injection backfires, and thus the "Monster" is unleashed upon the world. Instead of a London town in history, unleashed upon in fear, we have the modern Metropolis of Los Angeles swept away in doubt. This propels the story (and film) to a platform that renders anything possible, and for anything to happen. And it does. Many of the characters from the story are present here, devoutly portrayed, and slyly woven into the very fabric of how we view society today. What this brings about, is an emotionally charged, utterly compelling, and beautifully deranged epic tale with relevant themes that reign very akin to previous Rose fare: Prejudice, class struggle, inner demons vs. the evil of man, et al. All the violence, degradation, mutilation, and gore to be found in the story are present, but in a way that reminds us how very human, and vulnerable we are. Slight bits of comic relief litter the film, but the direction is so spot on, and the story, so poignantly told, that it's actually difficult to catch the drift, and spot the poetic irony. Rose indulges in his fare share of gore, violence, and the surrender of man in the face of true danger, all the while making the audience realize how ignorant we are to how bad the world can be, and therefore taking away the sense of security we feel sitting in a darkened movie theater, and pulling the veneer off of the simple picture we are experiencing. However, it's there, in all it's glory. Rose tips his hat to the underdogs of the world today, while reminding us that it also takes a man (or woman) with good intention to bring about the changes that the world is perpetually cycling through. A good film will, regardless of genre or intended audience, make it's audience laugh, cry, tremble, or become angry. The best ones are capable of accomplishing all, and leaving the audience in the deepest comatose state of reflection upon leaving the Movie House. Bernard Rose's adaptation of "Frankenstein" manages to do all of this and more. In the end, he delivers a bona fide ADULT Horror Movie that should satisfy genre fans and fans of the original story alike. Sadly, the film, being distributed independently will probably never be as recognized as it's predecessors, given the desensitization to horror and the egoistic regain of people of the "I" generation, who even in this film appear to be the real "Monsters" of this world.

• Prepare for an emotional ride.

  maja-383102016-02-19

  I just managed to see this movie and to be honest I was skeptical about it at first. Having read the book it's based on, I was worried that this would be a slow modern take on it, and while it was it was a massive emotional roller coaster. I think after the intro of the movie I was in tears the rest of the way. Xavier Samuel plays the role of Adam very well (I've never liked calling the character 'The Monster' and watching the trials and hardships he had to go threw was quiet heartbreaking. He pulls of the innocent and naive nature of Adam well, making you really feel like he's just this lost child seeking answers that no one can give him, and personally I think that's very difficult to do. All in all, it's a good modern take on Mary Shelling's Frankenstein and I would recommend it. Just be prepared that it's not an action crazy movie, but slow with thoughtful narration that relies more on one's ability to sympathize with Adam and his journey rather than action.