Robert De Niro, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hulce, Helena Bonham Carter, Aidan Quinn, Ian Holm, and John Cleese. 1944. DVD. TriStar Pictures. 1998.
Summary.
The movie begins in 1794 with Captain Robert Walton (Aidan Quinn) and his crew becoming stranded in the Arctic Sea. There he meets Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Kenneth Branagh) who tells him the story of the monster he created. The story begins with Victor's mother (Cherie Lunghi) dying while giving birth to her boy William (Ryan Smith). A girl named Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) comes to live with Victor because both her mother and father died. They grow up together and begin to love each other. Dr. Victor Frankenstein then follows his scientist dream to Ingolstadt in 1793, where he plans to learn how to save and maybe create lives. There he meets Prof. Waldman (John Cleese) and Henry Clarvall (Tom Hulce), who both help Dr. Frankenstein in his experiments. Waldman is killed by a crazed man and Dr. Frankenstein begins to harvest the body parts for his creation. Dr. Frankenstein becomes obsessed and puts his creation before all, even his love Elizabeth. He creates a monster (Robert De Niro) who he plans to kill. The monster escapes and flees into the woods were he helps a family survive the winter. He then realizes that he will not be accepted by human kind so he seeks revenge on Dr. Frankenstein and his family. The monster walks to Geneva, where Dr. Frankenstein and his family live, and he kills William, Elizabeth, and Dr. Frankenstein's father (Ian Holm). Justine (Trevyn McDowell) is hanged during this because the villagers believe that she killed William. Dr. Frankenstein tries to bring Elizabeth back to life, but she kills herself because she is torn between Dr. Frankenstein and the monster. The movie then goes back to the Arctic Sea where Dr. Frankenstein dies and the monster burns himself along with Dr. Frankenstein's body.
Horrific.
There were few parts to this movie that were frightening or horrific.