As you have no doubt read from the title this new take on the Frankenstein story has an actor who is well versed in playing duality, having played Two Face in The Dark Knight. Yes, Aaron Eckhart is the latest in a long line of actors to play this iconic role. Below is the official synopsis of the movie (via Bloody Disgusting).
[box_light]Set in a dystopic present where vigilant gargoyles and ferocious demons rage in a battle for ultimate power, Victor Frankenstein’s creation Adam (Aaron Eckhart) finds himself caught in the middle as both sides race to discover the secret to his immortality. From the creators of the hit supernatural saga, Underworld, comes the action thriller I, Frankenstein, written for the screen and directed by Stuart Beattie based on the graphic novel “I, Frankenstein” by Kevin Grevioux, and brought to life by a cast that includes Aaron Eckhart, Bill Nighy, Yvonne Strahovski, Miranda Otto, Jai Courtney, Socratis Otto, Mahesh Jadu, Caitlin Stasey and Aden Young as Victor Frankenstein.[/box_light]
If the line “From the creators of the hit supernatural saga, Underworld…” doesn’t give you an idea of the tone of this movie, then you should probably go watch Underworld. Gone is the gothic tale penned by Mary Shelley and enter something which sounds suspiciously like Van Helsing. Hopefully it will be able to make a better attempt at giving a fresh spin on this tale than the above mentioned film did (which was a fun popcorn flick but hardly mind blowing). Here is the latest photo of Aaron as Adam the creature (via Bloody Disgusting again).
Gone is the lumbering creature made famous by Boris Karloff and enter a guy with a few stitch scars. This looks more like a fighter from a post apocalypse movie than the Frankenstein creature I remember from my youth. This would be fine if it was a design faithful to the book but just looking at the front cover of the comic you can see that Adam looks completely different. The comic book actually looks a lot more interesting.
Maybe I am being too harsh on this movie, but the Underworld style of film-making, with its obsession with weapons and slow-mo and flowing jackets, has run its course. Hopefully we will see something new here, but as little else is known about the film we have to hope it has some originality to it. What with Max Landis working on his own Frankenstein film (click here for more information on Daniel Radcliffe as Igor), maybe Frankenstein’s creation may become the new Vampire and Zombie for the horror genre.
This film has some stiff competition with films dating back to 1931, and with acting heavy weights like Robert De Niro, Christopher Lee and Benedict Cumberbatch all playing this monster made of other men’s flesh, Aaron has a lot to live up to. At least we know he can act the part, if the script will do him justice. Graphic novel creator Kevin Grevioux is on board so hopefully his vision will shine through even if his designs did not. The film is scheduled to be released on January 24th, 2014, so expect more information on this film to come. Below is the film’s artwork which does feel like a mix between Van Helsing and Underworld.
Maybe I was right to be worried.
Grizzly Bomb 