Victor Frankenstein

Dir: Paul McGuigan

2015

***

I feel very sorry for Max Landis (son of John and Deborah). While his reworking of Mary Shelly's masterpiece can be looked at as an opportunity to simply cash in on the success that Guy Richie had with his adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, there is still much to enjoy and admire about it. The story of Frankenstein and his monster has been explored time and time again in cinema, each new adaptation changing a bit here and a bit there from the original story. One of the big changes early on in the film versions was that Victor Frankenstein was given an assistant. In the classic 1931 version we remember this character as Igor, even though his name in the film was Fritz, but a few subsequent films have featured him as an integral character to the story. I would argue that the better Frankenstein films have their Igors but believe it or not, not many of them include him at all. The reason Igor has entered the public's psyche is because he is featured in what I regard as the two best adaptations, the 1931 version and, my personal favourite, Young Frankenstein. Since then, Igor has appeared in many non-Frankenstein films but in very similar roles. He has worked with Count Dracula, Ducks (Count Duckula), Tomatoes (Return of the Killer Tomatoes) and transvestites (The Rocky Horror Picture Show) but changed his name to Riff Raff. His influence is out there. So to buck the trend of 'going back to the original source material', Max Landis has made a serious version of what has always been somewhat of a joke character. His idea is great. Igor is introduced as a Circus Freak who is saved by Victor Frankenstein while on the hunt for spare animal parts. It's a dark, mysterious and very original introduction to the character. from the onset, the film looks stunning, a gothic noir but with bright colours and vivid imagery. Myths and misconceptions are corrected to give the story believability, which helps the film feel like it's a historical piece rather than a work of fiction. The direction and cinematography is stunning throughout, although certain elements are a bit tired looking, overused and didn't fit the overall theme. Early on, the film is a little too action-like, which again doesn't suit the story or characters very well. Victor Frankenstein did very poorly at the box office and was generally panned by the critics. Personally I think it was written off as another new film based on an old idea. I think the critics were a bit harsh to be honest. However, it does have one huge flaw that makes my three star score seem a little generous. I've said it before and I find myself saying it again, Daniel Radcliffe can't act. It is this one bit of casting that ruins the film. James McAvoy is great, he plays the title character perfectly and carries the film on his shoulders. In fact, he seems to put in extra effort due to Radcliffe's unconvincing and cardboard performance. Andrew Scott is also very good as Inspector Roderick Turpin but I wonder if his previous role as Moriarty in the BBC series Sherlock made audiences think this was another lazy copy of another successful adaptation's style. Personally I think they got pretty much everything right, apart from the most important character in the film, which is ultimately a big issue. I really liked the monster too but Radcliffe pretty much destroys all enjoyment. I'm giving credit where it is due, I honestly think this could have been a future classic had it not been for one poor element and unfortunately, that one poor element was enough to ruin much of the film.