Frankenstein’s Army

Frankenstein’s Army (2013) starring Karel Roden, Alexander Mercury, Robert Gwilym

Synopsis of Frankenstein’s Army

 Frankenstein’s Army is set toward the end of World War II. A squad of Russian soldiers seemingly stumble upon a lab run by the descendant of Dr. Frankenstein. And he’s creating abominations for the Nazis.

Review of Frankenstein’s Army

In short, Frankenstein’s Army is an example of everything that I dislike in the modern horror film.  There’s little reason to care about the characters.  Also, there’s little character development.  There’s a betrayal, but the audience really doesn’t care. Since there’s no emotional investment in the betrayed characters.

The positive is that the makeup and special effects are excellent.  Gruesome, but excellent.  I don’t blame the actors. They all did a fine job.  There’s very little plot. Frankenstein’s Army frankly feels like watching cutscenes from a horror video game.  That’s not a compliment.  I only rate Frankenstein’s Army 1.5 stars out of 5.

Cast of characters in Frankenstein’s Army

• Sgt. Novikov (Robert Gwilym, Casualty).  The original leader of the Russian squad.  The first victim of Frankenstein’s zombots.
• Dmitri (Alexander Mercury, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Wonder Woman).  Soviet propagandist, who’s on a secret mission.  He later attempts to recruit Dr. Frankenstein to work for the Soviet Union.
• Sergei (Joshua Sasse, Galavant).  The soldier who takes charge of the squad after Novikov’s death.  He is later betrayed by Dmitri to become one of Frankenstein’s more gruesome experiments.
• Sacha (Luke Newberry, Dusty and Me).  The last surviving squad member, who escapes with an … unusual … package.
• Viktor (Karel Roden, Hellboy, The Bourne Supremacy).  Originally pretending to be only a caretaker. Viktor is the mad scientist.  And his work is coveted by Josef Stalin himself.

Editorial review of Frankenstein’s Army courtesy of Amazon.com

In the dying days of World War II, a battalion of Russian soldiers find themselves lost in enemy territory. Stumbling upon a village decimated by an unseen terror, they’re lured into the secret lab of a deranged scientist (Hellboy‘s Karel Roden) and forced to face off against his army of horrific flesh-and-metal war machines. Leaderless and faced with dissension amongst their dwindling ranks, the Russians must find the courage to face down this terrifying new menace or die trying. A nightmarish fantasy thrill ride unlike any other, Richard Raaphorst’s Frankenstein’s Army is a delirious plunge into the darkest depths of insanity.