Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of Frankenstein 90; here's the breakdown of my ratings:
Story: 1.25
Direction: 1.25
Pace: 1.00
Acting: 1.25
Enjoyment: 1.25
TOTAL: 6.00 out of 10.00
I was taken aback by how much I enjoyed this logical progression in the Frankenstein mythos. Honestly, I was unsure about the movie because the IMDb blurb does it a disservice. Though it is about an obsessed scientist assembling body parts, the limbs are not stolen from graves but half-hinched from a government laboratory, which the appendage thief managers. The writers additionally include a decent twist to fully tie-in the Frankenstein legend. And then you have the modern update of the creations.
In fact, it's Franck, the scientist's creation, that steals the show. The writers begin by having Franck's personality confined to the ram and rom of a computer. And Franck's growing impatient with his forced electronic imprisonment because Victor Lafaurie has promised him a body. Once Lafaurie has stitched together the purloined body parts and procured the most problematic item, a head, Franc is rehoused. Now comes the creature's training - walking, talking, eating, driving, road rage, love, and makeup. It's this education that takes up most of the movie. And, as you can expect with a manmade man, the learning curve is high and oftentimes deadly. The writers give the audience robust and credible characters, each with their own personalities and thoughts. Their interactions make for an absorbing and entertaining watch. Though IMDb categorises the movie as a comedy, the humour is slight and subtle. There aren't many laugh-out-loud moments. Though, plenty of scenes will raise a smile. Like when Franck fishes out the dead police investigator from the lake. The look he displays makes you inwardly chuckle because it states, oops, did I mess up again?
The director Alain Jessua satisfactorily brings the story to the screen. Jessua has a good eye for composing his scenes, though a few could've been slightly crisper. His greatest setback is the movie's pace. Jessua has opted to tell the tale at a steady stroll. This tempo is perfect for building up the characters, which is ideal for a character-driven story, which Frankenstein 90 mostly is. But a few comedic segments would have been more humourous had they been handled better, especially the road rage segment. Quicker cutting and more engaging camera angles could've made the audience audibly titter instead of being mildly, though silently, amused.
The cast is the leading element in this picture, especially Eddy Mitchell, who plays Franck with great gusto and subtle tinges. Mitchell makes the creature his own. It's not your typical Frankenstein creation, but it has more in common with Shelley's false fellow than other productions - and I loved him. The other performers give as good a performance as Mitchell, though this is Franck's story.
If you liked the original Mary Shelley novel and the proceeding films, I'd suggest seeking this picture out. This modern-day retelling has the original story at its heart and provides the viewer with a heartwarming, thought-provoking, and sometimes amusing way to waste an hour and a half. It's not much of a horror film as there are more sci-fi elements, so I'd push the picture more towards those fans.
Franck! It's time to learn about movies, so pull your chair up and study my IMDb lists - Absolute Horror and The Final Frontier to see where I ranked Frankenstein 90.
Take Care & Stay Well.
