Frankenstein Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Frankenstein Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 12, 2016

The Frankenstein story has stood amongst the greats as an ever-relevant treatise on life and death more broadly and the human condition, love, acceptance, rejection, understanding, knowledge, and one's place in society more intimately. It's seen countless adaptations and its title has entered the popular vernacular as a word describing something monstrous, hideous, unnatural, though certainly it's a misnomer. But the story's staying power and relevance, since its first publication some two centuries ago, speaks to both the seemingly immutable core, essential elements of humanity and the greater world alike. The story is refreshed, but not thematically reworked, in Frankenstein, Writer/Director Bernard Rose's (Candyman) modern-day retelling that sees an engineered individual forced to fight for his survival and come to grips with who he is and what place there is in a world for someone like himself, someone who may lack language and social skills or even the physical appearance to blend in but who seems, in many ways, to understand the center of the human condition better than those who have been conditioned to live outside of themselves rather than true to who they are.

He's alive! Viktor Frankenstein (Danny Huston) and his wife Marie (Carrie-Anne Moss) have engineered an individual named Adam (Xavier Samuel) who lives in the body of a healthy twenty-something, has strength well beyond the average man, but has the mind of a newborn, unable to understand anything but his mother's touch and forcibly rejecting the painful pokes and prods he daily experiences. Unfortunately, his health deteriorates. When it's believed he's dead and about to be dissected, he escapes, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. He finds companionship in a dog and, later, a blind man named Eddie (Tony Todd). But his inability to communicate and understand the ways of the fast-paced modern world, never mind his horrible disfigurement, makes him an outcast with no chance of leading the normal and quiet life he craves and deserves.

Frankenstein may not approach the technical excellence or classical stylings of some the story's past film adaptations, but it's about as raw a Frankenstein experience as one is going to find. The movie is frequently arresting as the creature's story unfolds, from "birth" to escape and from trials in the world to final decisions. While the film lacks the broader scope and classic stylings of its predecessors, it's ability to capture the frightening essence of a man living out of place, chronologically, physically, and emotionally alike, makes for captivating viewing as his strength and durability are tested but, more important, his immersion into, essentially, an alien environment where he is capable of expressing only the most crude of emotions and without any control over how he expresses himself plays central to the story's development and themes. He is in many ways a wild animal loosed into a new location but capable of growing through experience rather than existing on instinct alone. The character's evolution, gradual as it may be and as violent and mistaken but true to his limited experiences and understanding of self and others as it may be, makes for compelling viewing.

At the same time, the movie proves extremely unsettling. It's fascinating on one hand but challenging on the other considering the impressive skill of the lead performance (and the supportive makeup) and the raw emotional depth and look at humanity the movie explores. With that mixed with bursts of grotesque but contextualized violence, Frankenstein ultimately makes for one of the more challenging, but in many ways rewarding, watches in recent genre history. The movie is never comfortable. Its explorations carry both an emotional toll on the character and the audience and excruciating physical violence on the screen. The audience is always in intimate connection with the monster, feeling the yearning for understanding and acceptance but also the distance he discovers amongst a society that rejects him, one way or another, for either his actions or his appearance. A cop abuses him for beating another officer. A prostitute accepts his demeanor but rejects his grotesque physical appearance. Neither encounter ends well as the monster can only revert to those base emotions that define him and are only beginning to evolve, emotions he should have learned in infancy and youth before being exposed to the greater world around him. The only person that accepts him, in true metaphorical fashion, is a blind man. The film also lifts quotes from the book, usually in exact replication but occasionally with very minor changes in verbiage to suit the modern location, to support both the broader story and, more importantly the key themes.

Frankenstein Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Frankenstein offers quite the robust 1080p image. From what is essentially the movie's first shot forward it does nothing but impress. Its first close-up is striking, showcasing extremely fine skin textures, particularly around the eyes. As the image widens for the rest of the movie, details don't suffer. The grotesque skin makeup, caked-on blood, worn fabric textures, and other character-related details are sharp and superbly revealing. Terrain -- particularly clear in a scene in which the monster and a dog dig a hole -- is complex down to the finest individual grains of dirt. Colors are likewise striking, with bold blood reds and and bright exterior greens leading the way. Black levels hold firm and skin tones are excellent, whether more neutral character shades or the monster's puss- and wound-ridden and bloody look. Light noise hovers but never interferes. Other source or compression issues are not of serious concern. This is a terrific presentation from Alchemy.

Frankenstein Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Frankenstein's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack finds a nice blend of aggression and finesse, favoring the former but never losing sight of the latter. The track pushes through quite a few heavy, stage-filling elements. A deep whir on an MRI machine, a rumbling train, and cracking thunder represent some of the more prodigious moments the track has to offer, each playing with room filling placement -- surrounds included -- and a heathy push from the subwoofer. Music is well defined throughout the range, whether score or Blues guitar licks heard when the monster first meets Eddie. Screams, pounding flesh, gun blasts, and other action-oriented effects are also clearly defined and never want for supportive weight and volume. Dialogue delivery is clear, well prioritized, and center placed. Impressive echoing during an exchange between two characters in a long hallway near film's start is a highlight.

Frankenstein Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Frankenstein contains no supplements beyond its trailer (1080p, 1:35) and previews for Howl and Charlie's Farm.

Frankenstein Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Frankenstein is a strong, engaging update on the classic story. While it takes place in the modern world, it retains the emotional resonance and thematic value of the original story. The movie is difficult to watch but rewarding at the same time. An excellent lead performance and exceptional makeup work make the movie a compelling watch that will resonate long after the final shot. Alchemy's Blu-ray is unfortunately devoid of supplemental content beyond a trailer, but video and audio qualities are strong. Recommended.