If coming in sixth in the box office this weekend and receiving a five percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes is any indicator, “I, Frankenstein” is a strange fantasy/sci-fi combination that simply does not deliver. Aaron Eckhart and Bill Nighy star in this graphic novel adaptation about a dystopia present where angelic gargoyles and demons face off for ultimate power amidst the normal human world. Frankenstein’s immortal monster (Eckhart), given the name Adam by the gargoyles, struggles to find purpose in a life where he has no soul. In a war between Heaven and Hell to discover the secret to immortality, Adam finds himself caught in the middle and must make a decision to save the human race or to go his own way.
‘I, Frankenstein’ is tough to watch, not because the acting is poor, but because the script gives the actors nothing with which to work. The story is boring and full of holes that even the ending does not reconcile. After an hour and a half of build up to the final battle scene, the most interesting part was the choice of a cool, electronic gospel track as background music. The CGI effects were overdone and cartoonish. Eckhart and Nighy are respected actors who perform well considering the circumstances, but even a good performance from the cast cannot make this movie tolerable.
Something to appreciate about “I, Frankenstein” is that they do not force a love story on the audience, a very popular trend in just about every film and television show to date. While there is some sexual tension between Adam and the lead scientist Terra (Yvonne Strahovski), the relationship of the two is downplayed and leaves the main focus on the action of the plot. However, because the plot was so uninteresting, it may have been a nice touch to spice things up.
“I, Frankenstein” is a movie on which some sci-fi/fantasy lovers may want to save their money. The film is rated PG-13 for scenes of intense fantasy action and violence throughout.