Review of I, Frankenstein (2014) by Thegodfatherson — 24 Jan 2014

But what’s most frustrating is that the film never attempts to explore, exploit, or elaborate on Adam’s origins in the Frankenstein story, to the extent that it’s easy to occasionally forget the film’s entire premise while watching it.

(In fact, Eckhart himself disappears from the proceedings with surprising regularity, spending a good bit of time skulking around in the shadows, listening in on various supporting characters as they spout expository dialogue.

) The film is also entirely devoid of humor, and so drably chaste that one can’t help but perk up at the slight glimmer of lust in Terra’s eye when she gets a look at the shirtless Adam’s stacked, stitched musculature in a low-lit bedroom.

Alas, the size of this particular monster’s schwanzstucker goes totally unexplored. Director Beattie keeps his camera in constant motion throughout, though it’s sometimes unclear what effect he’s trying to produce.

The relentlessly obtrusive score is matched in volume by the sound editing, which renders the rustling of clothes and the turning of pages in a book with floor-quaking resonance. The sets and other production design elements, however, are quite nice to look at when the camera holds still for long enough.