Frankenstein |
UK • 1992 • 117m •
  • Directed by: David Wickes. • Starring: Patrick Bergin, Randy Quaid, John Mills, Lambert Wilson, Fiona Gillies, Jacinta Mulcahy, Ronald Leigh-Hunt, Timothy Stark, Vernon Dobtcheff, Roger Bizley, Michael Gothard, Marcus Eyre, John Scarborough. • Music by: John Cameron.      Victor Frankenstein is a medical genius obsessed with the secret of creating life. He uses a bizarre cloning apparatus to grow a complete human being from his own cellular material. Though sensitive and intelligent, the rebellious humanoid is driven by a murderous rage against his creator, compelling him to destroy everything that he holds dear.
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Review:
This was a made-for-cable production, and it was a good attempt. A lot more faithful to the novel than other carnations (but it still freely takes its liberties ), this movie presented some new ideas that were interesting to think about. But the major change was the film's biggest disappointment: The monster was no longer a resurrected assembly of corpses, but a being cloned from Dr. Frank himself. Therefore, they can feel each other's pain and emotions. "Two parts of a single man," as the good doctor states. The twist is more like a "Jekyll and Hyde" idea, rather than the usual father and son relationship. It was a fascinating concept, but not really a good idea for a Frankenstein film claiming it is faithful to the book.
Other than that, it is a top notch job. David Wickes directs with good timing and the suspense it well brought out. Bergin and Quaid are good in the leads as the doctor and the monster, and John Mills also brings in a powerful performance in a cameo as a blind man. This is worth a comparison to the much better "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein," directed by Kenneth Branagh.
Review by Tin Man-5 from the Internet Movie Database.
Movie Database