The Oldest War Since Creation is Upgraded in: I, Frankenstein
The oldest war story has to be of the ancient war between the Fallen Angel Lucifer and the Archangel Michael. The great battle that led to Lucifer being cast out of Heaven and being marked as the devil. I have images of men and women telling their account of the story thousands of years ago, gathered around a burning fire. Yet, now in modern times the war continues, and Frankenstein is here to save the day…(I think they missed that part out in the Bible).
If I’m completely honest I didn’t actually go to the cinema intending on seeing “I, Frankenstein”. Having not been to the cinema in quite a while…quite bad when you have a Cineworld card, I was basically giving the cinema money for nothing…I knew it was about time I started going again. And I saw this film more for the fact that the start time was the most practical for me. Now, like many others, I’m sure you was expecting this film to be pretty bad, just another excuse to make a film by writers who had run out of ideas. Well, I’m glad to say that I couldn’t have been more wrong!
The film begins with Frankenstein’s Monster narrating how he came into existence, and how he took revenge on his maker, for reasons we find out later. Whilst he is telling us of these events there are shots of him tied down as Dr. Frankenstein (Aden Young) is stitching him together, all of which express the pain and horror that the Monster went through during his creation. Shortly after the Monster kills Dr. Frankenstein, he is confronted by a group of demons, all created by Satan after his fall from grace, and all of which hope to take over the world. The demons try kidnapping the Monster, but he is saved by the angelic beings that fight the constant war against Satan’s minions: the gargoyles.
The Monster is taken to the Gargoyle Queen, Leonore (Miranda Otto) who decides that he is not a monster and names him Adam (Aaron Eckhart). The home of the gargoyles is a very impressive looking cathedral; which looks amazing if you are seeing the film in 3D. Adam soon leaves the cathedral after discovering the demons who are hunting him are led by Dark Prince Naberius (Bill Nighy), and he spends the next two hundred years avoiding mankind and fighting off those who are hunting him.
Now in the modern era Naberius, disguised as the CEO of a research company, is trying to recreate Dr. Frankenstein’s experiment with the use of modern technology, for reasons not yet known to the gargoyles. His human scientists Terra (Yvonne Strahovski) and Carl (Nicholas Bell) believe that by replicating these experiments they could discover the cure for many diseases that affect the heart, lungs and nervous system. And what better specimen to help them with their experiments but Adam himself.
This completely new twist in the legend of Frankenstein’s monster is brilliantly done, not just the fact that it incorporates the war between heaven and hell, but also how it considers the idea that if the legend was true, it would have significant effects in medical research.
Eckhart gives us a fantastic performance as Adam, along with Nighy who perfectly portrays a demon prince. He not only plays the satanic monster well, but brilliantly ads into the mix the role of cold and heartless businessman.
I was strongly reminded of the series “Supernatural” in the way that the demons descend to hell in a blaze of fire when they are killed, and the gargoyles ascend in a beam of light. It almost had a computer game feel to it, since when anyone was killed their bodies were burnt away either by fire or light.
This is a brilliant film for anyone who loves the fantasy genre. So if you going to take a trip to the cinema anytime soon, I strongly recommend that you give “I, Frankenstein” a go.
Words by Luke Dighton
I was hoping to see this soon as I loved Underworld and Bill Nighy. After reading this I am even more interested. Good stuff!