"Victor Frankenstein" Review

In my last piece, Some Thoughts On Annoying Moviegoers, I told the story of watching Victor Frankenstein for review, detailing the disrespect I received from some dolled-up hellions. After I posted it, a friend of mine asked if I'd then seen enough of the film to sufficiently review it. His assumption must have been that I walked out, and to be fair, could you have blamed me? But no, I hung around. Part of the reason why is I've never walked out of a film for anything less than an emergency - a critic's badge of tenacity. But the part I choose to highlight is that a good film more than makes up for the company. Victor Frankenstein is a good film.

Screenwriter Max Landis (Chronicle, American Ultra) takes the story's familiar elements - mad scientists, hunchbacks, and "It's alive!" - and crafts his own take, free from allegiance to any previous version, from Shelley's novel to the Universal and Hammer movies. In this film, Igor (Daniel Radcliffe) is a clown in a 19th-Century London circus, constantly abused for being a hunchback. He adopts an interest in anatomy and medicine, and after successfully performing an on-the-spot, life-saving surgery on a trapeze artist (Jessica Brown Findlay), grabs the attention of Dr. Victor Frankenstein (James McAvoy). Impressed with Igor's knowledge and talent, Frankenstein recruits him as a partner, on an endeavor to build a body from pieces of dead tissue and reanimate it, creating life in his own image. All the while, an inspector (Andrew Scott) lurks about, growing closer to completing his investigation: a series of robberies of dead animal parts from the local zoo. I'd put two and two together.

Victor Frankenstein is Landis' second screenplay of the year, following American Ultra. I've noticed in his writing a Tarantino-esque approach to genre; he embraces a genre's stylistic trappings, but is self-aware enough to be critical and deviate when necessary. This deviation can result in parody, but often, Landis' take is fresh and full of wit.

McAvoy goes full Gene Wilder here, laden with manic, over-the-top energy. Radcliffe is his counterpoint, unassuming, well-composed, fiercely loyal. Their chemistry makes for the best parts of the movie, where they'll snap banter at each other, or when Igor reacts to Frankenstein's madness. McAvoy's performance makes it difficult to pin Frankenstein down; is he an eccentric genius or an amoral madman? I find evidence for both, and it's McAvoy who's having the time of his life, enraptured in the doctor's larger-than-life persona.

Director Paul McGuigan (Lucky Number Slevin) takes the Victorian setting and gives it a modern flair, borrowing most from Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes films. McGuigan is playful with his camera, opting to use expansive shots, that show off as much of the production design as possible. I would do the same; the design (led by three-time Oscar nominee Eve Stewart) is quite stellar, a nice blend of period piece and B-movie science. And while I'm praising design, Frankenstein's monster is a delight. It's an amalgamation, borrowing the best of every version, from the 1910 Edison Studios film up to 1974's Young Frankenstein.

Victor Frankenstein is cheesy. It's campy, silly, and ridiculous. However, it is also sincere, and that's most important. It strives to blend slapstick, sci-fi, and action all in one enjoyable clever package, and by god, does it succeed. With two lead performances who wholly believe in this world, plus strong supporting performances by Scott and Findlay, the actors show how much fun they're having, and it's absolutely contagious.

Thank you all for reading; I'm the Man Without a Plan, signing off.