Main Cast: Robert De Niro, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hulce, Helena Bonham Carter, Aidan Quinn, John Cleese, Robert De Niro
Release Year: 1994
Country: US/UK
Run Time: 123 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Director Kenneth Branagh's interpretation of Mary Shelley's classic horror novel stars Robert DeNiro as a terrifying monster created in an obsessive attempt to defeat death and stretch the limits of medicine in the early 19th century. With the use of flashback, a dying Dr. Viktor Frankenstein (Kenneth Branagh) divulges a tale of gruesome terror to a sea captain (Aidan Quinn): As a medical student, the rebellious Frankenstein elaborates on the work of a brilliant scientist (John Cleese), successfully bringing to life a "man" assembled from the body parts of corpses. Upon realizing the destructive consequences of his experiment, Dr. Frankenstein abandons the creature and attempts to return to a normal life with his medical partner, Henry (Tom Hulce), and his fiancée (and adopted sister), Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter). In the meantime, the nameless creature struggles with loneliness and rejection from society until he sets out to track down his creator in search of one of two things: a bride to keep him company or revenge. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994) was produced by Francis Ford Coppola, who previously directed and produced monster-drama Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). ~ Lisa Kropiewnicki, All Movie Guide
Ian Holm - Victor's Father; Richard Briers - Grandfather; Robert Hardy - Professor Krempe; Cherie Lunghi - Victor's Mother; Celia Imrie - Mrs. Moritz; Trevyn McDowell - Justine; Alfred Bell - Landlord; Richard Clifford - Minister; Susan Field - Frau Brach; Robert Hines - Ship's Crew #11; Gerard Horan - Claude; Lonnie James - Rough Woman; Edward Jewesbury - City Official; Peter Jonfield - Rough Man; Alex Lowe - Shop's Crew #8; Siobhan Redmond - Midwife; Joanna Roth - Marie; Jimmy Yuill - Grigori; Jenny Galloway - Vendor's Wife; Mark Inman - Mansion Staff #3; David Kennedy - Ship's Crew #4; Shaun Prendergast - Ship's Crew #2; Priscilla John; Mark Hadfield - Felix; Chris Barnes - Ship's Crew #1; Tommy Wright - Ship's Crew #3; Hugh Bonneville - Schiller; Paul Gregory - Ship's Crew #5
Credit
Martin Childs - Art Director, Desmond Crowe - Art Director, John Fenner - Art Director, David Barron - Associate Producer, Priscilla John - Casting, Kenneth Branagh - Co-producer, David Parfitt - Co-producer, James Acheson - Costume Designer, Christopher Newman - First Assistant Director, Kenneth Branagh - Director, Andrew Marcus - Editor, Fred Fuchs - Executive Producer, Alan Shapiro - Executive Producer, Patrick Doyle - Composer (Music Score), Paul Engelen - Makeup, Carol Hemming - Makeup, Daniel Parker - Makeup Special Effects, Tim Harvey - Production Designer, Roger Pratt - Cinematographer, Francis Ford Coppola - Producer, Jim V. Hart - Producer, John Patrick Veitch - Producer, Richard Conway - Special Effects, Ivan Sharrock - Sound/Sound Designer, Frank Darabont - Screenwriter, Steph Lady - Screenwriter, Mary Shelley - Book Author
Loosely based on the 1994 film of the same name and on the classic novel, Frankenstein, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein for the Super Nintendo puts you in the role of the misunderstood creature. Equipped with a staff and bolts of electricity, you must lumber through six levels of play, beating to a pulp or frying anyone who gets in your way.
As the Frankenstein Monster you are not malicious. However, you just can't seem to go anywhere without being attacked by villagers, leeches, soldiers, dogs, giant spiders, sailors, polar bears and bats. You must also dodge a variety of traps, such as falling chandeliers and chunks of ice. Your only goal in life is to come to terms with your manufactured existence (you were formed from the body parts of various dead people) and your obsessed creator, who happens to be on your tail.
The story unfolds using a "story teller" feature, which is another way of saying the game has cinematic intermissions which are integral to the gameplay and the plot. In addition to using pure brute strength and electrical power, you must also use a dash of brain power to get through each level. Hidden items, secret levers, hidden clues, secret pathways and other strategic points are all germane to the action. During your lonely quest, you will traverse a dark and foreboding crypt, the cholera-infested streets of Ingolstadt, the frozen tundra of the Arctic, a creepy swamp and the Frankenstein House.
~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide
Roots & Influences
This game is based on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the Kenneth Branaugh film from 1994. The film, in turn, was based on Frankenstein, a novel published by Mary Shelley in 1816.
~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide
Review: Overall
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein the video game, much like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein the movie, came and went with very little fanfare. Most horror fans with a taste for updated classics applauded both efforts, but critics and the general public alike simply yawned. I'll save the movie review for another time, but I will suggest that you watch the film prior to playing the game. Not only will it give you a frame of reference for the storyline, thereby enhancing your enjoyment of the game and increasing your empathy with the creature, it's a lot of fun to watch.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a lavishly produced game created using a relatively large budget. Though no voices were used, the characters were created using rotoscoped animations of real actors. The levels, which are quite large, are colorful yet darkly moody. A wide variety of movie-like locations and graphic effects such as fire and fog help create this atmosphere. The music doesn't rank with the music in Super Castlevania IV, but it is large-sounding and hauntingly appropriate to the action, helping give the game an epic feel. The sound effects are also high quality. The moans of the dying, the creaking wheels of rolling wagons, the swiping of the staff: these sounds among others are almost hyper-realistic.
Those who have seen the film will remember Robert DeNiro's competent (if uneven) performance as the monster, especially the scars and the limp. In the game you can't quite make out the facial scars, so the creature looks too much like Fester from The Addams Family. However, the limp is faithfully recreated. Also, the creature's coat looks a lot like the one worn in the film.
This is an above average game, but limping around as the Frankenstein Monster may not be everyone's idea of a good time. The staff-wielding action can get redundant, and some may prefer portraying a more overtly heroic character with more abilities, such as a Superman or a Spider-Man. Others will appreciate the gothic horror settings and the fact that you must combine brain with brawn. If you align yourself more with the latter than the former, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of this game. It's not exactly perfect, but it's much better than Bram Stoker's Dracula, also for the SNES.
~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide
Review: Enjoyment
The Frankenstein Monster's weapon is limited, but this is a fun game nonetheless.
~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide
Review: Graphics
Some areas of the levels could use some touching up, but for the most part, everything, especially the assortment of monstrous creatures, looks very good.
~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide
Review: Sound
The sound effects and music are larger than life.
~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide
Review: Replay Value
This game is tricky to beat. Once you do, you may not be in a hurry to try it again. Also, because of the character you portray, the action is rather cumbersome.
~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide
Review: Documentation
The instruction manual doesn't say much about the items.
~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide
Production Credits
SONY IMAGESOFT Executive Producer: Rich Robinson; Senior Producer: Mary Ann Norris; Associate Producer: David Poe; Testing Team: Bruce Cochrane, C.J. Connoy, Jose Cruz, Jody Kelsey, Andre Leighton, Seth Luisi, Tobin Russell, Kurt Schwengel, Andrew Stein; BITS Design: Dave Stalker, Tim Hale, Jacqueline M. Jomain, Alan Barton, Steve Howard, Laurence McDonald, Chris Kyriacou; Programming: Alan Barton, Steve Howard, Sean Conran, Shahid Ahmad, John Connors, Alan Troth, Chris Guyler, Steve Howard; Art: Jacqueline M. Jomain, Ryhs Cadle; Graphics: Laurence McDonald, Carl Cropley; Creature Image Retouching: Herman Serrano; Rotoscope Character Cataloging: Lesley Roberts; Sound and Music: Ronnie Shahmoon, Shahid Ahmad, Dylan "Dog" Beale; Quality Assurance: Jason Brown, Jared Taylor, Bits Corp. Testing Team; Art Supervision: Laurence McDonald; Technical Overview: James Cox; Producer: Tim Hale; Senior Producer: Gary Sheinwald; Executive Producer: Foo Katan
A novelization of the movie was released, called Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, which is not Shelley's novel.[1]
Reception
The film did disappointing business upon its U.S. theatrical release, having a budget of $45 million and grossing only $22 million, but did very well in global markets where it grossed $90 million.[2]
Critical reviews were mixed, with the film earning a rating of 41% on Rotten Tomatoes.[3]Roger Ebert gave the film 2½ stars out of 4, writing: "I admired the scenes with De Niro so much I'm tempted to give Mary Shelley's Frankenstein a favorable verdict. But it's a near miss. The Creature is on target, but the rest of the film is so frantic, so manic, it doesn't pause to be sure its effects are registered."[4]Janet Maslin said, "Branagh is in over his head. He displays neither the technical finesse to handle a big, visually ambitious film nor the insight to develop a stirring new version of this story. Instead, this is a bland, no-fault Frankenstein for the 90's, short on villainy but loaded with the tragically misunderstood. Even the Creature (Robert De Niro), an esthetically challenged loner with a father who rejected him, would make a dandy guest on any daytime television talk show."[5]
Conversely, James Berardinelli gave the film 3 stars out of 4, writing: "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein may not be the definitive version of the 1817 novel, and the director likely attempted more than is practical for a two-hour film, but overambition is preferable to the alternative, especially if it results — as in this case — in something more substantial than Hollywood's typical, fitfully entertaining fluff."[6]
Other media
The movie also had a pinball table made that was based on it, as well as a Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis game (the latter of which by Sony Imagesoft), which followed a platform-style format. A Sega CD game was also produced by the same company that had a more adventure-based format that would sometimes switch to a fighting game.
References
^Mary Shelley's Frankenstein by Leonore Fleischer. Pan, 1994. ISBN 0330337041
