Victor
Frankenstein
(2015/Fox Blu-ray)
Picture:
B+ Sound: B+ Extras: C+ Film: C
I
think there were two main factors as to why Max Landis' Victor
Frankenstein
(2015) didn't do too well at the box office. For one, it was
released around Thanksgiving and not Halloween (not sure the
reasoning behind that), and two, the film rightfully earned mixed
reviews from both critics and fans alike.
The
film boasts a great cast including James McAvoy as Victor (X-Men:
Days of Future Past)
and Daniel Radcliffe as Igor (the now grown-up Harry Potter) along
with some appearances by Charles Dance (Game
of Thrones,
Alien
3,
For
Your Eyes Only)
and a decent performance by newcomer Jessica Brown Findlay.
Starting
in a circus sideshow, the film introduces us to Igor, who is a clown
in the traveling circus, and viewed as a freak for a back condition
that he has. All that Igor (Radcliffe) has in his dismal life is a
beautiful high-wire artist named Lorelei (Findlay) to gawk at. As
chance would have it, he ends up meeting Victor Frankenstein and
proving himself as something of a good lab assistant. Victor breaks
Igor out of the freak show and the two become partners. Victor even
fixes up Igor's back and allows him to become a normal functioning
person in society. Soon, however, Igor discovers that Victor has
been working on a pet project: becoming God. One doomed experiment
ends to the ultimate creation of the Frankenstein monster, seen near
the end of the film, that changes the lives of both men forever.
Close
to two hours in length, the film boasts strong production design and
a great cast as mentioned. What it lacks is a strong screenplay
(surprisingly also written by Director Landis of World
War Z
fame), with many scenes feeling rushed and as disjointed as the
creation of the monster itself. Points off also for some bad editing
decisions and some lame title designs (namely the ones that present
Victor himself) that look amateur and took me out of the film.
The
monster himself doesn't look terrible but not as original a look as
other incarnations I've seen in the past. For a story that has been
done so many times, I feel like this film isn't quite an original
enough take on it to earn cult status and may eventually become lost
in the pile of every other Frankenstein-inspired tale ever made. Had
it taken a more hammy direction like Hansel
and Gretel: Witch Hunters
did and not taken itself so seriously and had maybe some more gore,
then perhaps the film would have been more well received.
What
works are McAvoy and Radcliffe, both who take the script and run with
it to the best of their abilities and make you wonder what these two
would be more capable had they had better material to work with. A
sequel is teased at the end of the film, but seems pretty unlikely.
Presented
in 1080p High Definition with a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.39:1 and
a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless mix that doesn't disappoint. The
texture and colors are balanced throughout and really make the film
pop on screen.
A
digital UV copy of the film is also included.
Extras
Include:
Deleted
Scenes (Blu-ray Exclusive)
The
Making of Victor Frankenstein
Galleries
- Production Design, Production Photography and Behind-The-Scenes
Theatrical
trailer
If
you're a Frankenstein fan, I say give it a watch, but don't try to
compare it too much to other better imaginings.
-
James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
