By Rebecca Childs | Entertainment editor, staff writer
It is another graphic novel adaptation, but I, Frankenstein lacks both the charm of R.I.P.D. or The Avengers and the depth of The Dark Knight trilogy.
With rookie luck, Stuart Beattie’s 2012 directing debut Tomorrow, When the War Began was well received, but with his second attempt I, Frankenstein, I think he should just stick to writing.
The first 20-40 minutes of the film show a murderous, begrudged Frankenstein’s monster (Aaron Eckhart) just after he has killed Dr. Frankenstein and his wife. Here, the story leaves the classic novel and treads on graphic novel territory.
As the monster buries Victor, he is attacked by demonic figures and saved by angelic figures. He is then taken to the Gargoyle Queen who proceeds to explain the angelic hierarchy with Archangels up high and sects of gargoyles below, and then the entire convoluted premise of the movie: a war between demons and angels, and Frankenstein’s monster—she names him Adam—is key to it all.
Aaron Eckhart’s performance was not memorable, but this
time not because Heath Ledger stole the show. With Hulk-esque
speech, very few lines, dramatics, clichés, and voice-overs, his emotional range was singularly clear-cut and continuous: ADAM MAD. From IMDb’s list of Eckhart’s future projects, it seems he will pursue more of the same.
Beattie’s film tried to be Fantasy, tried Sci-Fi, and tried to be a Thriller, but did not succeed in any arena. The action sequences were overlong and distracting; the science fiction meant scantily mentioned electrophysiology, and the computer-generated imagery was low budget and failed to hide humanity in mysticism.
The most interesting aspect I found was the least explored: the undertones of science (bad) versus religion (good). However, true to recent form (See: Man of Steel) there were no heroes to be found and it became a cacophony of anti-heroes and lost opportunities.
I, Frankenstein asks for suspended disbelief, but delivers nothing but punches and ill-placed dramatics. With 40 minutes of lazy exposition, various continuity errors, gross overuse of special effects, and an obviously low budget, I, Frankenstein offers more of the same, but does it worse.