Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein – UHD Blu-ray Review

Earlier this year, Kenneth Branagh made Academy Awards history by becoming the first to be nominated in seven different Oscar categories in his career (he also picked up his first competitive honor for writing the original script for Belfast). That’s a testament to his work as a versatile actor and director that’s seen him taking on different genres on both side of the camera. Sandwiched between two filmic Shakespeare adaptations (Much Ado About Nothing, 1993 & Hamlet, 1996) in the early 1990’s was his cinematic take on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Previously released on DVD and Blu-ray by Sony, Arrow Video has licensed the movie for its UHD Blu-ray debut.

The Production: 4/5

Towards the end of the 18th Century, Victor Frankenstein (Kenneth Branagh) is motivated to find a way to conquer death following his mother’s own death while giving birth. While studying as a medical student at the University of Ingolstadt, he gets the opportunity to test his beliefs by creating a man using the notes of his mentor Professor Waldman (John Cleese), who warns Victor against it, saying the end result would be an abomination. However – as the ill-fated professor would correctly predict – the creation goes horribly awry, and the creature (Robert De Niro) eventually learns of why he came to be. This begins a horrifying plan of revenge that targets Victor and his entire family…

Following on the success of Francis Ford Coppola’s revisionist take on Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein returns to its source material and finds a new way to tell the oft told (and filmed) story. Director/actor Kenneth Branagh – and screenwriters Frank Darabont and Steph Lady – jettison a lot of the mythology created by previous film adaptations and hem closer to the original story, albeit with a few changes to maximize the cinematic potential. In doing so, the pacing feels a bit uneven, but that’s largely offset by the sumptuous production values on display here. The overall work of cinematographer Roger Pratt, costume designer James Acheson, production designer Tim Harvey, makeup artist Daniel Parker (whose work on the creature earned him an Oscar nomination) and composer Patrick Doyle succeeds in weaving an atmosphere that’s both intoxicating as well as dread filled at the same time; the only minor quibble here – other than the uneven pace – is that this adaptation is not as filled with horror as we’ve come to expect from previous takes on the story. That aside, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is still a very solid take on a staple of horror films, one whose reputation has started to improve over the years.

In addition to taking on duties as both director and producer, Kenneth Branagh also turns in a fine performance as Baron Victor Frankenstein; his take on the role is more subdued than his predecessors (note his delivery of the key line “it’s alive”). As the creation that becomes a living nightmare, Robert De Niro brings his singular style to the role; while not as iconic as Boris Karloff’s take or as imposing or menacing as Christopher Lee’s turn, De Niro still manages to deliver a strong performance in the part (though not completely disappearing into it). Amongst supporting parts, Tom Hulce is notable as Victor’s assistant Henry Clerval while Helena Bonham Carter brings an air of beauty and tragedy to the part of Elizabeth; impressively, a nearly unrecognizable John Cleese walks away with every scene he’s in as Victor’s mentor Professor Waldman. Rounding out the cast here as Aidan Quinn as the explorer Captain Robert Walton, Ian Holm as Victor’s father, Cherie Lunghi as Victor’s mother, Trevyn McDowell as the housemaid Justine, Celia Imrie as the head of the Frankenstein household staff (and Justine’s mother), Ryan Smith as Victor’s younger brother William, Robert Hardy as the stuffy Professor Krempe and Richard Briers as the blind grandfather whose kindness to the creature inadvertently acts as the catalyst for the creature’s revenge against Victor; look for the film’s composer Patrick Doyle as the orchestra conductor in the ballroom scene.

Video: 5/5

3D Rating: NA

The film is presented in its original 1:85:1 aspect ratio, taken from a brand new 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative by Sony Pictures Entertainment and approved by actor/director Kenneth Branagh. Color palette and fine details are faithfully represented with minimal to no instances of scratches, dirt, vertical lines and tears present here; this release is by far the best the movie will ever look on home video and surpasses all previous editions on both DVD and Blu-ray.

Audio: 5/5

There are two audio options on this release: the original uncompressed stereo track on a 2.0 PCM track and a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. Dialogue tracks, sound mixes and Patrick Doyle’s lush score are all given faithful presentations that are clear and strong with little to no cases of flutter, distortion, crackling, hissing or popping present here; again, this release is likely the best the movie will ever sound on home video.

Special Features: 4.5/5

Commentary by film historians Michael Brooke and Johnny Mains – Recorded for this release, the duo talks about the differences between this film and the source material and how the movie differs from all previous cinematic adaptations.

We’ll Go No More a Roving (12:40) – Composer (and frequent Branagh collaborator) Patrick Doyle talks about the process in creating the music for the movie – even playing a section of the score on the piano – in this new interview.

Stitching Frankenstein (14:53) – Costume designer James Acheson recalls his work on the film in this new interview.

Making It All Up (14:22) – Makeup artist Daniel Parker describes how the Oscar-nominated makeup design came to be in this new interview.

Mary Shelley and the Creation of a Monster (29:37) – This new featurette looks at the origins of Mary Shelley’s immortal tale and the many stage and screen incarnations over the years; featuring interviews with film historians (and Gothic specialists) David Pirie, Jonathan Rigby and Stephen Volk.

Dissecting Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (15:33) – Pirie, Rigby and Volk return for this new featurette, with looks at the similarities and differences between Branagh’s adaptation and the original Shelley story.

Frankenstein: A Liberal Adaptation from Mrs. Shelley’s Famous Story for Edison Production (12:55) – The 1910 one-reel adaptation – the first of what would soon to be many over the years – of Frankenstein is presented here in a 2K restoration by the Library of Congress with a piano score composed and performed by Donald Sosin.

Image Gallery (16 images) (2:41)

Theatrical Trailers (1:29) & (1:54)

Booklet feat. essays by film critic/author Jon Towlson & scholar Amy C. Chambers (1st pressing only)

Overall: 4.5/5

Despite garnering a mixed reception from both critics and audiences upon first release, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is still a visually impressive film and one that’s better than it was given credit for. Arrow’s UHD Blu-ray release should help in the movie’s reappraisal, with a stellar HD transfer and a very good slate of special features (including the first film adaptation of Frankenstein). Very highly recommended and absolutely worth upgrading from previous DVD and Blu-ray releases.

Amazon.com: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (Special Edition) [4K Ultra HD]: Kenneth Branagh, Robert De Niro, Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Hulce, Aidian Quinn, John Cleese, Kenneth Branagh: Movies & TV

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Mychal has been on the Home Theater Forum’s reviewing staff since 2018, with reviews numbering close to 300. During this time, he has also been working as an assistant manager at The Cotton Patch – his family’s fabric and quilting supplies business in Keizer, Oregon. When not working at reviewing movies or working at the family business, he enjoys exploring the Oregon Coast, playing video games and watching baseball in addition to his expansive collection of movies on DVD, Blu-ray and UHD, totalling over 3,000 movies.