'Frankenstein' Review: A fresh telling of the Frankenstein story

I haven't followed Guillermo del Toro in a while. I have to say, while I've enjoyed his previous works going way back, his more recent works just haven't quite resonated with me. He's had a few attempts at different things which are nice, but haven't quite landed in one way or another. From animation works to the world of streaming, though I feel his best works remain his feature length films. His thrillers and horrors can often be something to enjoy, with his reliance more on practical effects and utilising filmmaking techniques to really set the stage. Having him work on something as big as the Frankenstein name is something I heavily welcome, and that's down to how often such uses of the characters are just a retelling of the same narrative. Of course, del Toro finds a way to reimagine things into his own strange making.

Often is the case with such bigger films that are unlikely to draw in a whole lot of attention as a result of that oversaturation, I couldn't help but feel that Frankenstein's more star-studded appearance is a result of the studio's own input rather than del Toro stating his dream cast for the title. And I'm not surprised that's how it is, that's often how it works out, and often one of the main reasons for these films ultimately failing. Though Frankenstein ended up being a unique film despite that, and much of it really is down to del Toro's own magic taking the story under great consideration and care. I honestly didn't expect to enjoy this one, especially with that incredibly long runtime which often feels like a bit of a drag for me, though I found myself genuinely interested in the world being crafted, with those visuals.

Given this isn't a direct retelling of the story, the first few scenes of the film are really captivating. A ship stuck in the ice in the middle of nowhere, on an adventure and soon notices an explosion followed by the saving of a man who appears to be hunted by some strange being that cannot be killed. Shooting at it does nothing, submerging it beneath the ice apparently only results in it somehow returning. We learn that the man saved is Frankenstein, which after a bit of action takes us into the past where we see a Frankenstein in better shape discussing his concepts of reanimation, to which he's rejected for his unholy methods. We also see a bit of his childhood; how his mother died giving birth and how his father taught him everything regarding medicine in a very cold manner. Fortunately these little pieces of exposition are dealt with quite quickly.

While I'm not a big fan of Oscar Isaac due to over-saturation, and while being a fan of Christoph Waltz I've also seen him a bit too much lately, I think these two really managed to create an inviting (in a really uninviting way) world. Where it feels as if the crazy obsessions of science and a disregard of life unfold. It shows how in the past the curious would go about their gruesome ways in search of knowledge, putting more perspective into the mind of Frankenstein as a doctor and scientist. I think this is something previous entries didn't quite put enough time into, and the original telling of Frankenstein would only spend a few minutes to go into the characters and their motives before moving on to the main 'thing'. This is where del Toro takes advantage of being able to have a longer runtime, where I can actually support it.

While the film does eventually move into the slow creation of the monster, it's more a development of the Frankenstein character. This own personality. Where something like ego takes control of him, and that being a leading cause of the problems that await later. Refusing to believe that he may be attempting something he really shouldn't. Starting to take strange addictions to the body and anatomy in search of perfect 'specimens' rather than looking at people. It's almost like a mirror held up to compare the monster to the creator, where the creator removes his own humanity in the pursuit of trying to control life and death. More emphasis on the death side that he so wishes to control and defeat God over. This is of course mixed with the excitement he holds as his experiments come into fruition, alongside a near endless budget from an equally curious and cruel man.

From a filmmaking perspective I really liked how it all looked. The film loved to use glowing natural light for interior shots, strong but softened natural light. Wide angle lenses in beautiful interiors that showed a life of luxury, mixed with the grey and muddy tones of the outdoor world where reality was found. It gave the film some contrast, scenes that showed a warmth to the world met with that cruel coldness. It definitely has that del Toro mark to it, albeit more modernised with the use of digital cameras. Where there's a gothic theme to the world and its design, and the grim visuals that mix the sub genres of horror together. Beyond jump scares but more thematic. I liked it!