Movie Review: I, Frankenstein

Title: I, Frankenstein
Rated: PG-13
Genres: Fantasy, Action, Supernatural Thriller
Director: Stuart Beattie
Writers: Stuart Beattie, Kevin Grevioux
Stars: Aaron Eckhart, Bill Nighy, Miranda Otto, Jai Courtney, Yvonne Strahovski
Rating: 2 Stars

Ever wonder what happened to Frankenstein’s monster after the book ended? Well, I, Frankenstein will let you in on how the creature, now called Adam (Aaron Eckhart), is pulled into the war between demons and gargoyles. It seems the supernatural  creatures want to know what keeps his formerly dead heart ticking and use that knowledge for their own means. Or at least kill him so others don’t find out.

First reaction: This is Underworld meets the plot of Van Helsing. . . with a new crop of supernatural creatures. It’s not surprising that there are similarities since Grevioux has had a hand in writing every Underworld film to date. Unfortunately, I, Frankenstein was dropped into it’s franchise formula. While the action scenes are wonderful, as expected, this film just lacked the originality that could’ve made it a fun addition to the genre.

Let’s take a look at those similarities:

• Two supernatural, warring factions 
• Dark and atmospheric, set mostly at night
• Stunning fight scenes and VFX
• Villain played by Bill Nighy
• Outsider protagonist
• Top notch soundtrack
• Themes of betrayal, humanity, good vs evil, and fighting for oneself
• Humans are oblivious to the unseen dangers and impending doom
• Unlocking physical traits means salvation or damnation, depending on your supernatural affiliation

Even though I went into this film expecting very little but a supernatural slug-fest, I am still extremely disappointed by the unoriginality and some of the blatant, yet ill-fitted hypocrisy from the characters. Queen Lenore (Miranda Otto, Lord of the Rings) drove me batty the entire film. “Our war is fought in the shadows,” then immediately after has an all out gargoyle vs. demon war in the streets. Also, this war has been waging for how many centuries and you didn’t have a contingency plan for when they attacked your HQ? Ridiculous and irresponsible.

So, what did I like about I, Frankenstein? Clearly, I enjoyed the battle scenes and VFX, especially the transformations of the gargoyles to human form and back which can be seen in the trailer above. I’ll always love seeing Bill Nighy at work. It was also great seeing some newcomers to the genre—Aaron Eckart (The Dark Night, Battle: Los Angeles) takes up his first role as a supernatural badass; Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck) plays leading scientist and sometimes damsel in distress; and Jai Courtney (Divergent) was that obligatory ‘now where have I seen him before?’ character that looks a bit different without his dystopian style from Divergent.

All in all, if you just want some pretty fights starring fun actors, by all means, catch this one on the cheap. Otherwise, pass it up and look for a strong plot elsewhere.

Find I, Frankenstein online:
Website | IMDB

Series Review: Supernatural, Season 1

Title:  Supernatural

Season:  1

Format: DVD

Genres:  Drama, Horror, Fantasy

Creator:  Eric Kripke

Stars:  Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Rating:  4 Stars

Synopsis: 
Sam’s (Jared Padelecki) seemingly perfect college life is interrupted by his brother, Dean (Jensen Ackles), who cryptically states that their father hasn’t checked in for a few days while on a hunting trip. We soon find out that papa Winchester hunts the beasts that go bump in the night.

Concerned enough, Sam joins Dean on a hunt for their father. It doesn’t take them too long to run into spooky monsters—everything from angry spirits to demons to ancient and almost forgotten gods. The Winchesters will stop any evil creature that comes between them and reuniting their dysfunctional family.

With an arsenal like this, no one will deny your status
as a character

My Thoughts: 
I’ve been a fan of Supernatural since the get-go. It’s hard to believe that it started in 2005. Even after just watching it again, it’s hard to believe that it’s over seven years old. Hardly anything is unintentionally dated. Most of the graphics and special effects hold up. The only ‘old’ bits are music and the Impala (which is pretty much its own character)—but it has the same effect as when the show first aired. These are classic standards that have already proven they can withstand the test of time.

The story itself is an amalgam of different plot levels. There’s the surface of the brothers hunting the evil monsters, which is usually contained within an individual episode. Then there is the larger story arc of the brothers searching for their father. Even deeper is the Winchester family quest for revenge against the monster that killed mama Winchester. And deeper still is the machinations of the monsters the Winchesters hunt. While these storylines get immensely more complicated in the seasons to come, it’s impressive for the first season.


The driving force and heart of Supernatural are Sam and Dean. Two dysfunctional brothers on an extremely long road trip across America searching for their family and futures. The chemistry between Padalecki and Ackles feels genuine. Some of my favorite moments from this season (and the entire series) are when they are being smart-asses to each other.

Special features include: episode commentary, deleted scenes, gag reel, a day in the life, and a piece about their supernatural tales. The last disc also has exclusive link to online content, HOWEVER, I was unable to access it. It kept saying I didn’t have a decoder, then gave me an http 500 error code whenever I clicked links to try and alleviate the issue. This is the main reason I deducted from my rating.

Hint:  On the DVD, go into the episode sub-menu to turn off the recaps—especially if you will be watching in marathons or without long gaps between episodes.

Hint #2:  Be ready with season 2—the cliffhanger is mighty and strong. This is the case for the entire series, which is torture when you watch it on TV.

Find Supernatural online: 
Website | Facebook