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(Review originally written at 9 August 2008)

Over the years many film-makers had provided new movies with new stories inspired on the famous Mary Shelley novel. They often are about the son of Frankenstein or his great-great-great-son or anything else of the sort but they all have in common that they have a mad doctor who is trying to create a new monster. This movie is a Frankenstein movie set in the modern age, which by default already is a very bad idea.

The Frankenstein-creature is a classic character. Putting him in this modern day and age already takes away much of his class and heart.

This movie basically of course doesn't have a lot to do with the famous Mary Shelley novel or any other previous Frankenstein movie. Yet it of course chooses to carry the name "Frankenstein", while it really isn't deserving to. The movie is more a one that concentrates on the police detective work to hunt down 'doctor Frankenstein', in this movie known as Victor Helios, played by Thomas Kretschmann and his creature(s). It isn't really about the creature trying to be good, though there are certainly still some parallels with the Mary Shelley novel. The good old doctor and the creature are more evil villainous ones, for movie purposes, which in my opinion just was a bad choice. They try to make the creature look sympathetic but the creature just remains too much a mysterious one for it to really work out.

I liked the movie its cast with actors such as Parker Posey, Thomas Kretschmann, Adam Goldberg and Michael Madsen involved. The only deserved a better concept and script to work with.

No, it's not like this movie is horrible and it's definitely a watchable one but it's just that the story mostly remains uninteresting and really isn't an involving one to watch, while previous, much better Frankenstein movies, obviously were. The movie is lacking a heart and a good true main character you get to care for. Watching this is an enjoyable yet also very shallow experience. Oh well, at least it all isn't as bad and tiresome as the 2004 TV mini-series, with the same name.

The movie had a good look and atmosphere. No wonder, since it had director Marcus Nispel at the helm, who is an expert in the genre. He did the "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and is currently working on the "Friday the 13th". So when is he going to do an original horror movie on his own? He seriously needs to start looking for new and original scripts, if he truly wants to become a respected and acclaimed director. He certainly has the talent for it to become one I think. So far none of his movies has been based on original material.

And for those wondering why this movie its ending is so abrupt and feels so incomplete; This movie was supposed to be a pilot for a TV-series. Doubtful that this will ever still turn into a TV-series, since it's now 4 years later already and still no word on it.

OK so it's watchable but it's not really a movie I would just recommend.

6/10

About Frank Veenstra

Watches movies...writes about them...and that's it for now.
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1 reacties:

  1. Well, I actually liked the story line and think it would have made a good tv show as long as they get rid of Posey, and her partner. But, as a stand alone movie it was dry and quite mundane. To bad they didn't leave it as a pilot. Too Bad.

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