Plot
Told from Igor's perspective, we see the troubled young assistant's dark origins, his redemptive friendship with the young medical student Viktor Von Frankenstein, and become eyewitnesses to the emergence of how Frankenstein became the man - and the legend - we know today.
Release Year: 2015
Rating: 6.4/10 (192 voted)
Critic's Score: 34/100
Director: Paul McGuigan
Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy, Jessica Brown Findlay
Storyline
James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe star in a dynamic and thrilling twist on a legendary tale. Radical scientist Victor Frankenstein (McAvoy) and his equally brilliant protégé Igor Strausman (Radcliffe) share a noble vision of aiding humanity through their groundbreaking research into immortality. But Victor's experiments go too far, and his obsession has horrifying consequences. Only Igor can bring his friend back from the brink of madness and save him from his monstrous creation.
Writers: Max Landis, Max Landis
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe -
Igor
Jessica Brown Findlay -
Lorelei
Bronson Webb -
Rafferty
James McAvoy -
Victor Frankenstein
Daniel Mays -
Barnaby
Spencer Wilding -
Nathaniel /
Prometheus 2
Robin Pearce -
Baron Bomine
Andrew Scott -
Inspector Turpin
Callum Turner -
Alistair
Di Botcher -
Older Nun
Eve Ponsonby -
Orderly
Will Keen -
Surgeon
Louise Brealey -
Sexy Society Girl
Nicola Sloane -
Housekeeper
Freddie Fox -
Finnegan
Trivia:
The last major Frankenstein film was Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994), which featured Kenneth Branagh, Robert Hardy and Helena Bonham Carter, all of whom appeared with Daniel Radcliffe in the Harry Potter films. See more »
Quotes:
User Review
Author:
Rating: 5/10
Greetings again from the darkness. If a filmmaker is going to mess with
the classics, there are two paths of creativity from which to choose:
stay true to the original, or put a new spin on it. In this case, the
classics in question are the nearly 200 year old novel from Mary
Shelley (1818) and the nearly 85 year old movie from James Whale
(1931). The filmmakers doing the messing are director Paul McGuigan
(Lucky Number Slevin) and screenwriter Max Landis (son of director
John). The spin they chose was (in theory) to tell the story from the
perspective of Igor, the loyal assistant to Dr. Frankenstein.
It's an interesting approach, but one that immediately presents a
problem since the title they chose was not "Igor", but rather Victor
Frankenstein. The film does begin with Igor's backstory in the circus
as a hunchbacked clown/amateur doctor, and the character does provide
some early and late narration. The conundrum stems from the fact that
pretty much everything else in the movie is centered on the mad
scientist, rather than the skilled apprentice/partner.
Daniel Radcliffe plays Igor and James McAvoy plays Victor Frankenstein
(not Fron-kin-steen, in a nod to Mel Brooks), and both actors seem to
be doing everything possible to bring energy and enthusiasm to a movie
that can't seem to decide if it's a reboot or a reimagining or simply
an origin story. Radcliffe effectively uses his physicality as the
circus clown who is so mistreated and misunderstood, and McAvoy is such
a hyper-active mad scientist that I'm sure his fellow actors many times
were inclined to advise "say it, don't spray it". McAvoy does seem to
be having a grand old time playing the brilliant yet unhinged young
doctor-to-be, and to his credit takes a much different approach than
Colin Clive when he gets to the infamous line "It's ALIVE!" The best
parts of the movie are the intricate and amazing sets, the monster
himself (albeit too brief), and the expert use of classical music and
film score. The circus sets are colorful and active, while
Frankenstein's soap factory home/laboratory is fascinating and
creative, and the final Scotland castle on a cliff is breath-taking.
Pulleys, chains and cranks are everywhere as is an incredible amount
of body parts, organs and fluids.
After a very well done circus opening, we are jarred with a seemingly
out of place action sequence involving a slo-motion chase and fight
scene that seems to be attempting to mimic some of the recent Sherlock
Holmes movie stunts. Here they are unwelcome and ruin the flow. Another
aspect that seems forced and unnecessary is a romantic interlude
between Igor and a trapeze artist (played by Jessica Brown Findlay). It
feels like an add-on to remind us that it's supposed to be Igor's
story. Additionally, Andrew Scott plays an intriguing Scotland Yard
Inspector who is every bit as obsessed with his faith-based beliefs as
Victor is with his science-has-no-bounds stance. A story told from the
Inspector's perspective might have worked, but instead it comes across
as another add-on. Another add-on is the filthy rich and very devious
fellow med student (played by Freddie Fox) who agrees to fund the
experiments, but mostly the character is an after-thought necessary to
move the plot along. Wasted is the always menacing Charles Dance, who
has but one scene as Victor's strongly disapproving daddy.
A combination of the romance, minimal role of Igor in the grand finale,
the medical school bumbling, the clunky Inspector involvement, and the
all too brief monster appearance makes the film all but impossible for
viewers to connect. They tell us twice "You know the story a crack of
lightning, a mad genius, and an unholy creation", but the reality is,
the fact that we know the story, makes this one all the more
disappointing. It's fun to look at, but is lacking the depth and soul
that has allowed Shelley's book to stand up over two centuries.
0