Poster by Oink Creative
Frankenstein's Army (2013)
Starring: Karel Roden, Joshua Sasse, Robert Gwilym
Writers: Chris W. Mitchell, Richard Raaphorst, Miguel Tejada-Flores
Director: Richard Raaphorst
Synopsis (From Dark Sky Films):
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 horror, they’re
lured into the secret lab of a deranged scientist and forced to face off
against his army of horrific flesh-and-metal war machines. Leaderless and faced
with dissention amongst their dwindling ranks, the Russians must find the
courage to face down this terrifying new menace – or die trying.
Review:
Frankenstein’s
Army should be taken for exactly what it is- a full on gory monster mash,
nothing more. While the story has a few interesting twists, it's largely the last in line. The Zombots take the driver’s seat, Viktor Frankenstein rides
shotgun, and everything else is in the back.
The POV
approach works in favor of Frankenstein’s Army. Most of the film plays as one
long shot, and all the thin corridors reminded me of what it’s like to walk through
a Halloween haunted house, unaware of what will be lurking around the corners.
Visual effects add a film grain aspect, as well as
burns, and I honestly could take or leave this gimmick. It didn't take me out
of the experience, but it didn't enhance anything for me, either.
On the
acting/character front, there’s not a whole lot of concentration or interest on anyone
as much as there is on Viktor Frankenstein, played by Karel Roden. That being said, the man
turns out one seriously fine performance. He’s completely mad and fairly funny,
playing with human body parts like how a child would play with disassembled
toys in his bedroom. Roden is the man to watch here.
The real
stars in this movie are the Zombots. Special Effects are from Unreal FX, based
off of creature designs made by the film’s director/writer, Richard Raahorst. These
monsters are amazing and unique. They’re kind of like what Cenobites (with
names like Propellerhead and Mosquito) would be, had they been created by Dr.
Satan. These undead mechanical ghouls only want to kill and after that, kill
some more. Frankenstein’s Army’s gore FX are pretty impressive, too, with the
majority of it all being practical. Honestly, the only type of visual gags I can think
of are the film grain aspects I mentioned earlier, and some
digital cleanup, such as removing stunt wires and whatnot.
Final Word:
If you are
familiar with the promo trailer for the once-to-be directed film by Richard Raaphorst,
Worst Case Scenario, you’ll only get half of what you’re expecting out of
Frankenstein’s Army. I remember seeing said promo a long time ago (2006
apparently, yet I thought it was around 2003 for some reason) and just being completely
blown away. So naturally, I went into Frank’s Army expecting a full on Zombot
invasion of sorts. If I’m being honest, it’s a lot more restrained than that.
Don’t let that mislead you into thinking I was disappointed; I had a great time
with the film. And this might even be better as a restrained piece, because
it works well with the claustrophobic haunted house type vibe. But wow, that
Worst Case Scenario trailer, just, wow. Nevertheless, Frankenstein’s Army is
ridiculously fun, with an assortment of some of the coolest ghouls I've seen in
a while. Recommended.
DVD/Blu-ray:
Dark Sky
Films’ Blu-ray of Frankenstein’s Army is presented in 1.78:1 Anamorphic
Widescreen, with DTS-HD Master audio. You have a choice of 5.1 or 2.0. Nine
times out of ten I go with 5.1 when given the option, which is what I did here. The bomb explosions, the gunshots, and all the freakish noises the Zombots make while maiming are house-shaking. And of course,
the film looks beautiful in High Definition. The gore is disgustingly clear,
especially when it comes to scenes involving brains. You’ll love it.
Special Features
Making of
Frankenstein’s Army- a 32 minute featurette with cast and crew interviews. This
is a particularly interesting watch for hearing and seeing Richard Raaphorst
himself, going into the production of the film and the conceptual designs of
the Zombots. This guys is super passionate and amazing when it comes to
creation. I really hope to see more directorial efforts from him in the future.
Creature
Spots- little snippets of several of the mechanical monsters from
Frankenstein’s Army.
Trailer-
Theatrical trailer for the film.
Frankenstein's Army is now available on DVD and Blu-ray, from Dark Sky Films!
-Eric King (Brobocop)
