Victor Frankenstein

The story opens in the circus, where a young nameless hunchback (Daniel Radcliffe) is a clown and - quite surprisingly - physician.  Yes, this hunchback has such a gift for anatomy that the circus allows him to treat injuries.  When a trapeze artist falls and is at threat of dying, the hunchback quickly diagnoses the problem and determines a fix that saves a life.  Victor Frankenstein, who is there to witness, is truly impressed.  He steals the hunchback away from the circus and makes him a partner is his great project.  Interestingly, the initial project is a chimpanzee named Gordon with parts from a variety creatures.  After a successful demonstration of the life-giving power of a good electrical jolt, the pair win a sponsor who will allow them to try something much bigger and more human.

 

The hunchback, who turns out not to be a hunchback, is given the name Igor by his new friend.  Igor was Victor's roommate but Victor refuses to elaborate.  Hmm.  For a maltreated circus clown, Igor is inexplicably brilliant and possess an encyclopedic knowledge of anatomy.  He grasps Frankenstein's ideas with ease, though often seeing the trees and ignoring the forest.  He also has a better grasp on how to act in polite company than Victor.  On top of that, it is implausible for such a gifted medical mind to have been unaware that his affliction was not a hunched back but something entirely treatable.

 

Victor (James McAvoy) is a true mad scientist.  He is full of passion and mood swings.  He might be considered manic-depressive, though mostly manic.  Wow, really manic.  He is impatient with those who cannot grasp his genius.  Unrestrained by ethics or morals, he will do whatever it takes to create life.  After all, if he can conquer death, will not that outweigh any ill done on the path to achieve it?

 

Inspector Turpin (Andrew Scott) has an uncanny knack for seeing the truth of things.  When first introduced, he demonstrates a keen ability to intuit the truth from the lies that are offered.  Though it is never explained why, Turpin is obsessed with a case that involves the theft of animal body parts that have occurred.  Though I thought I knew the reason why he was obsessed, it was never confirmed in the movie.

 

Lorelei (Jessica Brown Findlay), the saved trapeze artist, falls madly in love with Igor.  She did the same thing as Sybil in Downtown Abbey, falling for the chauffeur.  It is peculiar that Igor the clown - not a lot of skill required - was pursued as he attempted to escape the circus but Lorelei - a major attraction - was abandoned after her injury, not her first.  Her happy acquisition of a sugar daddy who has no sexual interest in her is perhaps a bit too convenient.  Like Igor, she adapts to polite society with surprising ease.
 

Of course, it wouldn't be Frankenstein without the monster.  The monster does look impressive but doesn't last.  Heck, it didn't get out of the castle to wreak havoc on the peasants.  Like much of the movie, the creation and destruction of the monster is entirely too convenient.  Too much is left nice and tidy.  However, Igor does get a letter from Victor in which Victor declares his plan to try again.  Was there a plan for a sequel?  I rather doubt this will be successful enough to see that happen.

 

The movie was fun to watch and had a surprising amount of laughs - all provided by Frankenstein, not the clown.  Go figure.  James McAvoy's wild and frantic Frankenstein was great fun.  McAvoy's Frankenstein had more energy than the lightning bolt that gave life to his monster.