Roger Corman hadn't directed a film for a long, long time when he resurfaced in 1990 with Frankenstein Unbound; instead he had been busy producing various exploitation pot-boilers. This science fiction travesty is taken from a Brian Aldiss novel, and upon viewing it one of the first things that springs to mind is the question of why Corman would choose to return to the director's seat for a film as terrible as this. The script is all over the place in terms of logic, and the sets, costumes and make-up have a startlingly cheap and amateurish look about them. The final insult is that a cast of fine, talented stars have been somehow lured into the project, and then wasted by the evidently-rusty director.
In 2031, a scientist named Buchanan (John Hurt) invents a weapon that is capable of imploding other objects. Unknown to its creator, the weapon is so technologically powerful and sophisticated that when used it causes time-slips to appear. Buchanan and his futuristic car are sucked through one of these time slips, and find themselves travelling back to 19th Century Switzerland. At an inn, Buchanan meets a man named Victor Frankenstein (Raul Julia) and immediately recognises his name from the famous Mary Shelley novel. Later, Buchanan runs into Mary Shelley (Bridget Fonda) herself, as well as her famous literary contemporaries Lord Byron (Jason Patric) and Percy Shelley (Michael Hutchence). It emerges that Mary's book was not a work of fiction as supposed, and that she got her ideas by witnessing Frankenstein working to create a real monster. The monster (Nick Brimble) is brought to life and wreaks the usual havoc upon the local peasants, ripping out hearts and smashing heads with incredible power. The monster is also furious that his creator has not made him a mate, and by way of revenge kills Frankenstein's fiancée Elizabeth (Catherine Rabett).
Frankenstein Unbound is an example of self-indulgent lunacy that simply doesn't work. The time travelling aspects of the story remind one of the Back To The Future movies, but the similarities end there. When the supposed horror aspects take over, the film goes horribly wrong. There is nothing remotely frightening about it, and were it not for a few moments of gore (chests being ripped apart, heads getting knocked off, etc.) the film would almost be suitable for children! Performance wise, virtually every member of the cast fails to do anything worthwhile with their parts Hurt is totally routine as the scientist from the future; Julia chews the scenery embarrassingly as Frankenstein; Brimble is buried beneath so much unconvincing make-up that it's impossible to say whether his performance is good or not; and the trio of Fonda, Hutchence and Patric amble around in front of the camera looking vaguely bemused as the trio of English authors. Frankenstein Unbound is a poor hybrid of old-style horror and modern-style science fiction, not even enjoyable for camp value or unintentional laughs. Don't bother with it.
In 2031, a scientist named Buchanan (John Hurt) invents a weapon that is capable of imploding other objects. Unknown to its creator, the weapon is so technologically powerful and sophisticated that when used it causes time-slips to appear. Buchanan and his futuristic car are sucked through one of these time slips, and find themselves travelling back to 19th Century Switzerland. At an inn, Buchanan meets a man named Victor Frankenstein (Raul Julia) and immediately recognises his name from the famous Mary Shelley novel. Later, Buchanan runs into Mary Shelley (Bridget Fonda) herself, as well as her famous literary contemporaries Lord Byron (Jason Patric) and Percy Shelley (Michael Hutchence). It emerges that Mary's book was not a work of fiction as supposed, and that she got her ideas by witnessing Frankenstein working to create a real monster. The monster (Nick Brimble) is brought to life and wreaks the usual havoc upon the local peasants, ripping out hearts and smashing heads with incredible power. The monster is also furious that his creator has not made him a mate, and by way of revenge kills Frankenstein's fiancée Elizabeth (Catherine Rabett).
Frankenstein Unbound is an example of self-indulgent lunacy that simply doesn't work. The time travelling aspects of the story remind one of the Back To The Future movies, but the similarities end there. When the supposed horror aspects take over, the film goes horribly wrong. There is nothing remotely frightening about it, and were it not for a few moments of gore (chests being ripped apart, heads getting knocked off, etc.) the film would almost be suitable for children! Performance wise, virtually every member of the cast fails to do anything worthwhile with their parts Hurt is totally routine as the scientist from the future; Julia chews the scenery embarrassingly as Frankenstein; Brimble is buried beneath so much unconvincing make-up that it's impossible to say whether his performance is good or not; and the trio of Fonda, Hutchence and Patric amble around in front of the camera looking vaguely bemused as the trio of English authors. Frankenstein Unbound is a poor hybrid of old-style horror and modern-style science fiction, not even enjoyable for camp value or unintentional laughs. Don't bother with it.