Frankenstein DVD Review:

Driven by the untimely death of his mother, Victor Frankenstein (Newman) throws himself into his studies. He has hypothesised that electricity is what drives life and if you can harness enough power you can actually reanimate dead tissue. Taking this theory to the extreme and to the edge of all that is ethical, Victor harvests body parts from graveyards and mortuaries to make a man. Harnessing the power of lightening, he brings to his creation but the Creature (Goss) he has created soon turns on him and his family.

There have been umpteen adaptations of the classic Mary Shelly horror novel, so can this Hallmark TV version bring anything new to the ‘Frankenstein’ story?

Following the narrative of the novel, the film is very similar in structure to Kenneth Branagh’s 1994 adaptation but with the first class cast and brilliant cinematography. This is a TV movie and you can tell it is.

While the locations and sets are of a very high standard, it is in the acting were the differences are most noticeable. Even the inclusion of William Hurt and Donald Sutherland can’t raise the standard, to deliver the true power of book. The major falling point is the performance of Alec Newman in the role of Victor. While he isn’t a bad actor, he just doesn’t have the emotional rage to make the lead character as charismatic and driven as he really needs to be. When you watch all tragedy in Victor’s life, these are the events that drive his passion for his research and his guilt over what he has created but Newman just doesn’t have the skill or presence to instil this in the character. The same can be said of Nicole Lewis as Victor’s true love Elizabeth, as she seems almost too amateurish to be playing such a pivotal part.

On the acting side the only saving grace is the performance of Luke Goss as the creature. The pop star turned actor brings a lot to the Creature, his confusion and disillusionment with his new life are extremely well portrayed. The thing that lets his performance down however is the makeup effects. This version of the Creature is simply too handsome and ordinary looking. Apart from the odd scars on his neck and on the side of his face, you find it hard to understand why people react to him with such repulsion. He might not look like the classic Creature from 1931 Universal movie but you have to at least feel that he was constructed from dead body parts.

‘Frankenstein’ has been adapted numerous times in many different guises since motion pictures and television began and none of the them have been as memorable as the 1931 James Whale version starring Boris Karloff. This Hallmark adaptation is very watchable and a complete version of the story but it just doesn’t have the performances to draw you in or make it stand out from the rest. It is ‘alive’, but only barely.

Star Rating = * *

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in 16x9 Widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, Hallmark’s adaptation of Frankenstein looks very good.

BONUS FEATURES

Frankenstein Trailer (2.10 mins)

Watch the promotional preview for the Hallmark special.

Creating Frankenstein (5.29 mins)

Director Kevin Connor and stars Luke Goss, Alex Newman, Nicole Lewis and William Hurt talk about the story and characters of Hallmark’s adaptation of the Mary Shelly classic.

Photo Gallery
A collection of publicity shots from the production

OVERALL

Even though the movie is nearly 3 ½ hours long, the decision to include some bonus material is a welcome one. Even though the featurette is short it, it still tells you the reasons behind this new adaptation and has interview with the cast and director. As this is only a single disc presentation, you could have asked for more really.



Jamie Kelwick