I, Frankenstein
The Good Nerd
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| Not This Super Hero Frankenstein, Idiot! |
This weekend brings us the release of the new Aaron Eckhart
film I, Frankenstein. In Hollywood’s
latest big screen graphic novel adaptation we get Super Hero Frankenstein (or
as he gets named in the movie Adam) battling Demons in a city that looks like
but isn’t necessarily Paris.
The movie starts off fast, wasting very little time on
“recapping” the original Frankenstein story to the audience. Lets face it, if
you don’t know what the story of Frankenstein is then should be picking up a book
instead of going to the movies. While on the surface the story seems to be about
demons and gargoyles having centuries long war on Earth and Frankenstein is now
the game changer to this war, that isn’t what this story is about. That would
make for a very cool story, but is really only the backdrop to what the main
questions of the film really are; what is a soul and how does a “creature”
obtain one. Sadly they never answer this question in a satisfactory way by the
end of the movie and just kind of gloss over what happens.
Since the backdrop of this film is a centuries long war you
can bet your ass there are lots of fights. The fights from the very start are great
and intense and showcase some of the cool visual effects that they use in this
movie. Sadly though the fights are also where some of their most pathetic
looking CG effects also take place. The movie just felt like they ran out of
steam in the last battle sequence and any shots that had the Gargoyles in them
just looked like nice Video Game cut scenes. A sad reality considering how epic
the first few fights felt.
My second big complaint is this; everyone in this world is
an idiot except Adam. The Gargoyles have to be the worst protectors of Humanity
ever; the Demons have no strategic ability or the ability to count for that
matter, and the humans are probably the most naïve individuals to ever appear
on film. It is frustrating to the point that it is funny, but that isn’t what
you want from a big budget film.
All that being said, the real question is did I enjoy the
film? The fact of the matter is I actually really did. For all of its faults
the movie is still a decent little action flick. A movie that actual manages
not to do the obvious things a good portion of the time, even when it is
hurting my brain at other times. It isn’t a great movie, but it is a fun movie
so I say check it out this weekend and enjoy.
Good Nerd: Thumbs Up
The Bad Nerd
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| We swear there aren't Werewolves! |
I’m not
saying it’s Underworld. But Underworld. Now, to be entirely fair, it’s not
Underworld. There are no vampires or werewolves running amok in a secret war
where the fate of humanity lies in the balance. Instead there is a secret war
between gargoyles (an order of angels) and demons, where the fate of humanity
lies in the balance. There’s nothing new in Hollywood. But you know that and
you know that going in to a movie like this. That being said, let’s talk about
the movie on its own terms.
There are
plenty of moments that will make you smirk, as the screenwriter throws nods
left and right in the opening to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. And this movie
does have some heart. Aaron Eckhart, that is. See what I did there? Honestly, he
puts in an emotional performance for a lackluster script. Bill Nighy is one of
the best villains I have seen in a film like this. He brings the kind of
confidence you should expect from a demon prince. He enjoys being prince and he
doesn’t have tell anyone who is or boss them around from a position of
weakness. You could learn a thing or two “king” Joffrey. In fact, it’s their
combined performances that should sell the price of admission. There is a sense
of fun and “understood-ness” that they bring.
There are
plenty of reasons not to see this movie too, lest my reviewing cred go down the
drain. The stereotypical tropes are everywhere for a movie in this genre. The
dark hero is misunderstood and ostracized by all. He just wants to be left
alone, but they keep dragging him in to the fight. He falls for a pretty face…
“t’was beauty that killed the beast..”.
And the CG gets rather askance towards the end, which leads one to think
that they were running out of time and budget.
All-in-all,
here’s to the inevitable sequel! May you be all that you were the first time
around and more. More demon explosions, more symbols, more crazy weapons, more douchebag
assistants who rank really high in the…ranks, and more Aaron Eckhart!
Bad Nerd: Thumbs Up
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