Welcome back for another edition of A Second Look with Jeff Stockton! In this segment I will take a "second look" at a past LRF release with a fresh set of eyes.
Dan Stevens has become an LRF superstar between his role as Rip Hunter in the DC Comics Universe and James Bond in John Malone's acclaimed series (which has its third entry in theaters now). In honor of his LRF achievements, I have decided to take a look at his very first LRF credit in the studio's 7th film - Birth of Frankenstein.
Early in the studio's history, the classic monsters were all the rage. Birth of Frankenstein was the second film in the franchise following Dracula Origins. Dan Stevens starred in Birth of Frankenstein as Dr. Victor Frankenstein in the film (and its Season 3 sequel) opposite Edgar Ramirez as Frankenstein's Creation. My original thoughts on the project were that it was a decent, albeit not super original, new take on the classic characters. The film followed all the expected beats, but did at least feature good visuals and fantastic casting in the main roles.
Taking a second look at Birth of Frankenstein today, my initial opinion is pretty close to my opinion today. The film feels like a bit of a greatest hits compilation between the original Universal Monsters Frankenstein film and the original story by Mary Shelley. The casting is pretty great - still no complaints there. Dan Stevens and Edgar Ramirez really carry the film. The film probably moves too fast - a common trait with many early films from the studio, so I tried not to hold that against it.
Original Grade: B
New Grade: B-
No comments:
Post a Comment