Dean Koontz’ Frankenstein (2004) starring Vincent Perez, Parker Posey, Thomas Kretschmann
Dean Koontz’ Frankenstein is a re-imagining of the Frankenstein story. It sets up the creature as the protagonist. With the aid of two honest cops, he’s trying to stop Dr. Frankenstein. Frankenstein is planning on destroying humanity, to replace them with his “improved” creations.
Review
In Dean Koontz’ Frankenstein, someone — or something — is murdering people, and stealing body parts. And there’s a seemingly-human, scarred person, Deucalion (Vincent Perez) who’s pursuing Dr. Frankenstein. Two honest police officers are investigating the murders. And Deucalion isn’t the murderer. In another story thread, Dr. Vincent Helios is putting on a dinner party. He’s very controlling, especially to his beautiful young wife. Above all, something’s very … strange about him.
Frankly, I’d previously read the first novel in this series. So I can’t pretend I didn’t know what was going to happen. I think, frankly, that although the movie’s good, the novel was definitely better. Dean Koontz’ Frankenstein, in fact, was a pilot for a proposed series. The television series never happened, but it did spawn a successful book series.
One odd thing that I didn’t like at all was giving Deucalion the ability to … teleport. It seems way too comic book-ish, and frankly unnecessary.
“If you shoot me in the heart, you’ll need two bullets.”
Decaulion
Cast of characters
- Parker Posey as Detective Carson O’Conner. The police detective in charge of the investigation. She has a younger brother, seemingly autistic. Above all, she’s honest, driven, an honest cop.
- Vincent Perez as Deucalion. Dr. Frankenstein’s original creation. Flipping the original story, he’s the protagonist, out to stop Victor from destroying humanity. And replacing them with his “new” men.
- Thomas Kretschmann as Victor Helios. Scientist, researcher, very suspicious character. However, the audience sees things that the people in-universe don’t. The original Dr. Frankenstein. Very suave, a slight veneer over his evil intentions. Very well acted.
- Adam Goldberg as Detective Michael Sloane. Carson’s partner. Another honest cop, who is hopelessly in love with Carson. More than a little clichéd, unfortunately.
- Ivana Miličević as Erika Helios. Victor’s beautiful wife. She either knows, or suspects, her unnatural origins. But she fears that she’s not perfect enough for Victor. Victor feels bad when he kills her, in order to replace her with the next issue.
- Michael Madsen as Detective Harker. Another detective on the string of homicides by “the surgeon”. An unlikable fellow. No spoilers.
Editorial review of Dean Koontz’ Frankenstein courtesy of Amazon.com
Horror film, made as a pilot episode for a proposed TV series, very loosely based on the classic novel by Mary Shelley. For the past 200 years, brilliant and disturbed Dr. Victor Helios (Thomas Kretschmann) has kept himself and his masterpiece monster Deucalion (Vincent Perez) alive through his work in genetics. They have set up shop in New Orleans, where the Doctor has started a genome research institute and is planning on using his prototype to create a master race, which will eventually take over the Earth from conventionally produced humans. But Detective O’Connor (Parker Posey) is investigating the spate of gruesome murders that have plagued the city, and the trail leads her to the doctor. Meanwhile, Helios’s tormented creations are becoming increasingly erratic in their behaviour.