Story
I, Frankenstein begins with a prologue depicting the creation of the Frankenstein monster. The year is 1795, and Victor Frankenstein has brought his creature (Aaron Eckhart) to life through the use of obscure sciences. Out of revenge, the monster kills Dr Frankenstein’s new bride, so Dr Frankenstein vows to hunt down and kill the monster. After following the monster into the frozen wastelands of the North Pole, Dr Frankenstein freezes to death before he can kill the monster.
The monster carries Dr Frankenstein’s body back to the civilised world and tries to bury the body in a churchyard grave. Before he can do so, he is besieged by a horde of demons who want to capture both the monster and the doctor’s journal, which contains the secrets of his reanimation process. In the midst of the battle, a group of Gargoyles flies in and helps the monster to destroy the demons. The Gargoyles grab the monster and fly him back to their cathedral stronghold where they introduce him to Leonore (Miranda Otto), queen of the Gargoyle Order. Leonore names the monster Adam and tells him an ancient war has been raging between the Gargoyles (descendants of archangels) and the demons for hundreds of years. Leonore offers Adam a place in the Gargoyle Order, but Adam refuses. He hides himself away while Queen Leonore hides Dr Frankenstein’s journal for safekeeping.
Two hundred years later Adam has returned to the modern world where he kills demons in the city streets. A demon prince called Naberius (Bill Nighy) has been busy for the past 200 years raising an army of demons by reanimating dead bodies. To achieve his goal, Naberius has employed a brilliant reanimation scientist named Terra (Yvonne Strahovski), who is unaware that Naberius is a demon.
The rest of the movie focuses on Naberius pitting his demon army against the Gargoyles to capture both Adam and Dr Frankenstein’s journal. Meanwhile the Gargoyles are bent on stopping Naberius and his host of demons. In between the two warring groups are Adam and Terra, who have formed the beginnings of a special relationship, with Adam as Terra’s protector.
Themes
Immortality; the supernatural; good versus evil; creation
Violence
I, Frankenstein has intense fantasy action and violence including the use of blades and weapons throughout. It has some peril, infrequent blood
Sexual references
I, Frankenstein has no sexual references.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
I, Frankenstein shows some use of substances, including one bar scene where people hold glasses of alcohol.
Nudity and sexual activity
There is some nudity and sexual activity in I, Frankenstein. For example:
- One scene shows Frankenstein’s monster Adam with a bare chest. A woman stitches up cuts on his bare back. In one scene a demon has a bare chest.
- The queen of the Gargoyles is shown with a naked torso and the outline of her stony breasts is evident.
- A couple of scenes show women wearing low-cut tops that reveal some cleavage.
Product placement
There is no product placement of concern in I, Frankenstein.
Coarse language
There is some coarse language and mild name-calling in I, Frankenstein.
Ideas to discuss with your children
I, Frankenstein is a science fiction horror movie based on the graphic novel by Kevin Grevioux. The movie’s main focus is action and special effects rather than character development and story. It is targeted at male teenagers. Some adults will enjoy the action too, but they might find it hard to engage in the story.
The main message from this movie is that physical appearance doesn’t make a person a monster. Rather, how a person acts and behaves can make that person a monster.
Values in this movie that you could reinforce with your children include selflessness. For example, Frankenstein’s monster, Adam, initially battles with his identity and what he believes in. Over the course of 200 years, however, he changes from someone who cares only for himself and wants revenge to someone who is capable of placing the wellbeing of others above his own. Adam puts himself in danger to protect others. He can see the difference between good and evil and is willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good.
This movie could also give you the chance to talk with your children about real-life issues such as the role of humanity and science in the modern-day creation of life such as cloning. In the movie the Gargoyles suggest that God is responsible for creation and that it is both wrong and abominable for people to try to create life. In the modern day, what are the positive benefits of scientific processes such as cloning and stem cell development? Should society put boundaries on this type of scientific research or do boundaries inhibit scientific progress?