MARY SHELLEY'S FRANKENSTEIN

 Don't call it a remake.

An incredibly dramatic and over-the-top adaptation of Mary Shelley's iconic and important novel (which she penned at the young age of 18.). This is fitting, seeing as the novel itself is also incredibly dramatic and over-the top (In fact, the novel is arguably more dramatic this adaptation). Most of the novel makes it's way into the film. That said, as the novel is 148 pages long and this film is around 2 hours, changes/alterations/additions are bound to occur. Some examples include: Victor (Kenneth Branagh) and Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) discuss marriage before he departs for Ingolstadt, Elizabeth travels to Ingolstadt to visit Victor while he is busy with his "studies", and Henry Clerval (a close friend of Victor's, portrayed by Tom Hulce) does not die.

Some things are left out altogether (and some events are greatly condensed, like Justine's jailing and hanging), like the creature's (Robert De Niro) comparison of himself to The Bible's Adam and Satan, and Victor's and The Creature's arguments over who is more tortured and miserable (this film also does not make many comparisons to The Creature and his creator). The wildest changes occur during the last 25 minutes. This portion takes viewers on one hell of an insane, wild ride and features one of the craziest, wildest deaths I've ever seen on screen.

Kenneth Branagh is very good as the titular Victor Frankenstein (Branagh directs this version as well, and he's ok). His take on the character isn't as much of a villain as the novel's Victor, and he isn't as prone to extreme bouts of depression and self-torture. Robert De Niro breathes fantastic life into The Creature, bringing the novel's version faithfully to the big screen. He is indeed a monster, but a tragic and sympathetic one.

In the end, none of the film versions can compare to the original novel (which is ABSOLUTELY worth a read). While the iconic 1931 movie is the superior version by far, this 1994 take is more faithful to the source material and is still worth a watch.

3.5 STARS