Lisa Frankenstein
review by Bobby Blakey
Putting spins on classic tales tend to have mixed results. When done right though it often ends up being something special. The latest, Lisa Frankenstein puts a fresh fun new take on the obvious Frankenstein classic and stars Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, Liza Soberano, Henry Eikenberry, Joe Chrest, and Carla Gugino from Juno and Jennifer’s Body writer Diablo Cody and Kappa Kappa Die director Zelda Williams daughter of the late Robin Williams. Could this film bring that fresh freaky fun that it promises, or should it never have risen from the dead?
Lisa Frankenstein follows a misunderstood teenager and her high school crush, who happens to be a handsome corpse. After a set of playfully horrific circumstances bring him back to life, the two embark on a murderous journey to find love, happiness … and a few missing body parts along the way.
Heading into this flick I wasn’t sure how much they were going to lean into the laughs or the romance and what I got was something altogether different yet still both. The film plays in tone to films like Edward Scissor hands with a quirky story and visuals fused with seemingly normal yet unique people. To my surprise the film delivers way more than it doesn’t but it’s not without its flaws.
Its initial set-up pulls you right into the strangeness of it all as well as introducing us to the cast of characters and all their varying good and bad traits. There are multilayers here that blends the 80s teen comedy that brings the strange girl make-over using the supernatural world and story with inspiration from obviously Frankenstein. Being the 80s really added to the aesthetic and gives it a more colorful background to play in. Big hair and fun are pulled to the front, but also gets lost in what it wants to be.
I really enjoyed the quirkiness of it all and how strange it is at times, but it does feel uneven at times. Initially it really leans into the Frankenstein elements of trying to rebuild him of sorts, but then shifts focus back to the straight teen comedy and back out into the chaos. It all worked well enough for me, but had they leaned into some of the elements a bit more I think it could have pulled more laughs and really got more impact on the heart of the film.
I love films like this and can see this one finding a cult following over the years. Despite some of the mixed ideals I still had some fun with the bizarre nature of it all and applauded the direction they went with it. It’s at least a fresh voice trying to bring something new to familiar ground that deserves to be given a chance.
In addition to the film this release offers up bonus content including deleted scenes, gag reel, commentary, featurettes and so much more. Grab your copy of Lisa Frankenstein available now on digital and then on Blu-ray and DVD on April 9th from Universal Home Entertainment.