Movie Review: FRANKENSTEIN

When I saw that the new big budget remake of the Frankenstein tale, written and Directed by an Oscar winner Director and starring one of Hollywood’s A-List stars was only going to be in Theaters for a week before going straight to streaming, I wondered why.

And then I saw the movie.

Written and Directed by Guillermo del Toro (THE SHAPE OF WATER), his version of FRANKENSTEIN is lavish, lush, beautifully shot with Cinematography, Art Direction, Costumes and Make-Up that are, for sure, going to be nominated for Oscars. It is a gorgeous film to view.

If only the rest of the aspects of this film were as good.

Making a true adaptation of the Mary Shelley Gothic Novel has been a lifelong ambition for del Toro and this ambition shows on the screen with the miniscule attention to detail in every scene.

Unfortunately, del Toro’s ambition weighs heavy on the dialogue, pacing and performances and everyone on screen delivers their lines in a belabored these words are I-M-O-P-O-R-T-A-N-T manner that drags on from scene to scene in this 2 hour and 29 minute opus.

And that’s the problem here. del Toro fell TOO in love with his material and every scene…and every performance…drags on for far too long, ultimately depriving this film of any emotional heft with characters that are not to be cared for.

Except for, maybe, one.

Oscar Isaac (EX MACHINA) is large and over-the-top as Victor Frankenstein, the scientist who brings a dead body to life only to reject his creation as an unholy abomination. Not once did I care for Victor and Isaac (with the help of del Toro) puts the “M-A-D” in Mad Scientist and makes his over-the-top Mad Scientist turn in EX MACHINA looks like an exercise in subtlety.

2x Oscar Winner Cristoph Walz (INGLORIOUS BASTERDS) is the OTHER mad scientist who funds Victor’s experiments and he is…Cristoph Walz. I’ve seen him play this character before…and to better effect.

Mia Goth (PEARL) and Felix Kammerer (ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT) look good in their costumes, but are otherwise wasted as Victor’s brother and his fiance while Charles Dance (GAME OF THRONES) continues to play domineering and over-bearing father figures as Victor’s father.

And then there is Jacob Elordi (SALTBURN) as the creature. He is, I’m sure, following the direction of del Toro in his performance but it sure doesn’t coalesce and gel into a character that has a purpose and focus and makes it very hard to care for a character that could/should be rooted for.

Only David Bradley (Filch in the HARRY POTTER films) brings any kind of pathos to his character. He plays the blind man that befriends the monster that is almost as good as Gene Hackman’s portrayal of this very same character in YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN.

Now that del Toro has gotten this film out of his system, perhaps he can start focusing his attention back on something that is will be less “personal” and more suited for a general audience.

Letter Grade: B- (and I’m being generous, for the visuals, costumes and sets are gorgeous).

6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)