Victor Frankenstein features spit and stitches

Movie:    Victor Frankenstein

Rating:    PG-13, 1 hour 49 minutes

Grade:   C-

In a Nutshell:    “You know this story….” Says the narrator (Igor),  except that this version isn’t as good as others we’ve seen before.  

The twist is that it’s told through the eyes of Igor, played by Daniel Radcliffe.   He and James MacAvoy give good performances and have a certain…forgive me..spark when they’re together.

It’s supposed to be a “re-imagining”, but overall, it’s an unnecessary remake.   I find it odd that Director Paul McGuigan said that he thought Mary Kelly’s original Frankenstein story was “dull as dishwater”, so why would he want to direct a movie that didn’t inspire him?  Ironically, his own film falls in the dull category.

Uplifting Theme:

·         “The greatest creation is your own life.” – Igor

Things I liked:

·         I liked learning a backstory about Igor.

·         Good for Daniel Radcliffe for trying to reinvent himself and move on from Harry Potter.

·         There is some light humor.

·         Those who love steam-punk will appreciate all the gears and gadgets and turn-of-the-century machinery backdrops.

Things I didn’t like:

·         James McAvoy has been criticized for over-acting in this film.   I wonder what the spit count is.  He screams most of his lines with saliva splattering everywhere.

·         Frankenstein's famous monster only gets 7 minutes of screen time and it's not worth waiting for.

·         Yawn.  I kept looking at my watch.  I don’t wear a watch.  Yawn.
      The story didn't flow well.  It felt...forgive me again...poorly stitched together.
      Too bad this movie didn't come out in time for Halloween.

Interesting lines:  

·         “That man is in allegiance with Satan and must be stopped.”  - Roderick Turpin (Andrew Scott)

·         “I will turn the tide of human existence tonight.” = Frankenstein

·         “You and I are on the threshold of immortality.” – Finnegan (Freddie Fox)

·         “There’s no Satan, no God, only humanity, only me.” – Frankenstein

·         “We’re weak.  We’re fragile and we’re destined to die.” – Frankenstein
       "Life is a temporary condition.  Why should death be any different?" - Frankenstein

Tips for Parents:

·         As you can imagine, there are body parts and tissue sewn together, so you see blood and guts and icky stuff.  Some kids may think that’s really cool, while others may be frightened. 

·         There are some creepy moments which might scare younger audiences.

·         Some profanity and violence.