Frankenstein
Frankenstein is classic Guillermo Del Toro - truly unbelievable character and set design that is so good it makes it worth a watch even if other areas of the film are lacking. The areas of downfall in this particular film are pacing, direction, and adaptation of the source material. I largely don’t have issues with the artistic liberties he took, but as E says, removing the morally gray character component here definitely makes this a different morale tale and a less complex one. The acting is great, and the design of both the monster and the experimentation that leads to the monster is so detailed and well done that it still deserves watching despite its flaws.
-Z
One of my favorite aspects of the novel Frankenstein is how blurry the lines are between good and evil, so it’s a bit disappointing to me that Guillermo del Toro makes that so much more distinct here. The story is otherwise close enough to the novel to feel satisfying, and the acting and cinematography are excellent, but nothing about this blew me away.
-E
Vibes. As a high school teacher I am allowed to use this verbiage. The vibes of this are exactly what I wanted them to be. The set, costumes, and everything in between was exactly what I was looking for in this film. I heard it was book accurate, which meant I thought it was going to potentially be on the more boring side, which at times it was, but that was few and far between. Overall, I really enjoyed the film and despite a longer run-time, I stayed engaged the whole time. This isn’t for everyone, but it's perfect for those who think it is for them!
-J
