VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN (2015)
This was a pleasant surprise. It's one of the more unique adaptations of the Mary Shelley novel, as it tells the story from the assistant's perspective. Here, the assistant is given the cognomen of Igor, a name that didn't exist in the source material or 1931's Frankenstein. Screenwriter and social media plutocrat/catchpole (those words bear no relevance; I merely wanted to use them) Max Landis draws from a motley well of Universal horror influences, including even the farcical, yet brilliant Young Frankenstein. But Victor Frankenstein is no comedy. In fact, there isn't much levity to be found. The PG-13 rating does hamper the bloodletting, I'm afraid. Those two thoughts aren't connected. Can I borrow Victor's cables?
I haven't really arrived at my point, which is...I'm a happy customer. Victor covers its bases. The atmosphere is appropriately goth-stained, the storytelling is concise and the acting is nonpareil. It seems like I just finished praising James McAvoy for his robust performance in Split. He plays Dr. Frankenstein on the rails of volatility, beautifully bouncing off of Daniel Radcliffe's prim demeanor. Everyone is in tip-top shape. I dug the use of practical effects for the laboratory's fleshy experiments. Lest I forget - Prometheus! No, not the Alien prequel. The monster looks ferocious and fantastic. Of course, we only snoop at him during the film's closing 20-minute stretch. And that's all we need.
Remember, this one is about the people. Highly enjoyable.
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