Bryan Baugh

Finally got around to watching Del Toro’s new FRANKENSTEIN film. I went into it, a little on my guard, honestly not sure if I would like it. I have great affection for Del Toro, with his knowledge of horror history, his love for monsters, his artistic design sense and visual style, (and from getting to meet him a few times and finding him to be a genuinely nice, humble guy)… And I have enjoyed his films… for the most part. Just being honest… There are certain Del Toro films I really love, others I enjoyed to a lesser degree, and a couple I just wasn’t into, or wasn’t a fan of his execution. Besides that, any filmmaker is on shaky ground when adapting a classic work that has already been adapted well before (How is this guy’s version going to compare to past versions I love? How is it going to treat this subject matter I care about?) So I really wasn’t sure what to expect from this. Well, guess what. I not only liked it more than I thought I would, I am calling it a masterpiece and quite possibly Del Toro’s best work as an artist and filmmaker. I predict in 20 or 30 years this version of Frankenstein will be regarded the way people have come to regard Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stokers Dracula. It’s that same kind of glorious visual feast, and operatic treatment, attempting to get a little closer to the book than past versions while at the same time paying homage to other adaptations and creating its own, unique, new approach. There’s almost too much to cover here in terms of things I loved about it - and the one thing I wish was a little different. The film is rich in homages to the classic Universal version, the Hammer version… Arresting moments that capture Boris Karloff’s silhouette… Specific shots that imitate James Whale’s camera work, and shots that lovingly recreate Bernie Wrightson’s classic Frankenstein illustrations. I don’t know if everyone will enjoy it as much as I did, but I give it an A+. Recommended! Bravo, Mr. Del Toro!