Movie Review

 

‘I, Frankenstein’ adds to the list of “so bad, it’s good” movies

Jon M

“I, Frankenstein” is the latest movie from writer Kevin Grevioux who is best known for writing the “Underworld” series of movies. The story picks up where Mary Shelly left off with Frankenstein’s monster, played by Aaron Eckhart, burying his creator. The monster is then attacked by demons that are in turn driven off by gargoyles. The gargoyles take the monster to their queen who reveals that the gargoyles are heavenly agents of the Archangel Michael who fight a never-ending war against the demons. She names the creature “Adam” and bestows on him weapons that allow him to kill, or as the film calls it “descend”, the demons. Adam then returns to the wilderness for 200 years until he is attacked again by demons and he returns to the modern world.

This movie is definitely a bad movie, however depending on your personal taste; it may be “so bad, it’s good”. The movie is comparable to cult classics like ‘Army of Darkness’, which are so overly cheesy and stupid that they end up being hilarious. ‘I, Frankenstein’ has an ultra-grim narrator who spouts lines like “They will find me, so I have to find them, before they find me” in such a serious tone that you can’t help but crack up. The action scenes are similarly over the top with gratuitous slow motion, overly elaborate death throes for the gargoyles and demons, and wanton destruction of public property.

The story is hilariously stupid with the so-called “secret war” being fought in the early evening with huge explosions and monsters flying in plain sight. The plot has holes in it the size of the Chrysler building, which make it practically impossible to take it seriously. An example of this is that the gargoyles take Adam into custody for waging the secret war in an alley with no witnesses, saying that he runs the risk of detection. It should be noted that in the following scene they fight a gigantic battle that it’s impossible not to be seen by everyone in the city.

The characters are surprisingly well-acted, but you can tell that they aren’t taking things seriously. They ride the fine line where they are acting well, but they are aware they are in a terrible movie. The dialogue is hilarious from start to finish and it works because they aren’t trying to be funny. Movies that are “so bad, it’s good” are not trying to be comedies but they are so over the top serious that they end up being funny. If you have watched ‘Army of Darkness’, you can attest to this.

‘I, Frankenstein’ is a movie that can be appreciated on a humorous level. If you can appreciate “so bad, it’s good” movies, then this is a good add to the watchlist. However, if you’re looking for a genuinely good modern day fantasy, you may want to look elsewhere.

 

Final Verdict: 6/10