Originally written 1/18/16
Curse of Frankenstein is
more of a study of Dr. Frankenstein than anything to do with the monster. I
appreciate the direction Hammer took with their remake. Rather than retell the
same story, the movie instead follows Victor Frankenstein as he slowly descends
into villainy as he pursues his dream of reanimating the dead. For a horror
movie, Frankenstein's descent into evil is told with excellent care. In a drama
it would be a bit too obviously telegraphed, but in comparison to other
Frankenstein movies it is graceful. Peter Cushing gives the best performance of
his career as Frankenstein. He never delves into camp, convincingly portraying
his character's decline into wretchedness. The gothic set design and period
costumes are great, as well. I do not care for that era's aesthetics and I was
still impressed.
While
I was pleased with the film's overall quality, the character study did not
click with me. A Frankenstein movie really needs more than five minutes of the
monster. I was not a fan of the look they chose for the monster, either. The
clammy mod rocker look they went with cannot beat the classic Karloff makeup.
For the niche audience that likes horror remakes with an emphasis on character
study, this is a great film. It is certainly better than the subgenre's sole
other offering, the 2003 Willard remake
with Crispin Glover. Curse of
Frankenstein is slow and talky, and has that staged feel that many older
movies have. I know that vibe appeals to some people, but it was not for me.
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