Jacob Elordi’s turn as The Creature in Guillermo del Toro’s masterful adaptation of “Frankenstein” gained so much praise that the young star of “Euphoria” and “Saltburn” is now up for an Academy Award nomination for such a monstrous turn. Starring opposite “Moon Knight” star Oscar Isaac, he’s one of many who have dared to breathe life into Mary Shelley’s literary masterpiece, with various actors daring to be screamed at for being “ALIVE.” The most legendary take was by Boris Karloff in the 1931 adaptation of “Frankenstein,” but perhaps the most forgotten version was in 1994, when one of arguably the greatest actors of our time was stitched into the Modern Prometheus and gave us quite a scare.
“Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein” was directed by a well-versed lover of Shakespeare and the man eventually responsible for introducing Thor (Chris Hemsworth) to the MCU, Kenneth Branagh. Taking on the role of Victor von Frankenstein himself, Branagh was joined by an impressive cast, including the late Ian Holm as Victor’s father, Helena Bonham Carter as Elizabeth Lavenza, and Robert De Niro stepping into the giant shoes of Frankenstein’s monster. Earning $112 million against a budget of $45 million, the movie didn’t quite break the box office and was met with torches and pitchforks from critics.
Critics favored The Creature but not the man that made him in the 1994 Frankenstein movie
Critics were quick to point out that the only real highlight was De Niro as the monster, and little else. Roger Ebert praised the performance, saying, “I admired the scenes with De Niro so much I’m tempted to give ‘Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein’ a favorable verdict. But it’s a near miss.” The Chicago Tribune also deemed that “Branagh’s version is too respectful and ultimately, well, lifeless.” Variety cut even deep on their verdict for the film, saying, “Kenneth Branagh has indeed created a monster, but not the kind he originally envisioned.”
In the pantheon of adaptations of Shelley’s beloved story, Branagh’s version, which sees him wafting his hair as often as he’s without a shirt for much of the film, has a lot of issues, but that’s not to say it’s without some highlights. Besides De Niro cursing his creator, Bonham Carter also delivers an interesting turn as the doomed Lavenza, and the story remains as compelling as ever. The real highlight, however, isn’t De Niro, but the make-up that was used to put him on screen in truly grisly fashion.
De Niro’s creature was a gnarly creation that puts Elordi’s to shame
There’s no doubt that Elordi’s take on The Creature in “Frankenstein” is a huge draw, but it isn’t as hideous as he could be. De Niro, on the other hand, stands out for being a truly mismatched monster. Branagh’s vision of The Creature highlighted the horrors Victor performed to accomplish his dream, piecing together various people to make his obsession. Speaking to Fangoria in 1994 (via The Hollywood Reporter), the director described him as “a butchered mismatch of different organs and body parts. He has two different eyes, he has a different brain, and a body that comes from several different people.” The result was a far cry from the transformation he’d take in say, “The Irishman.” Here, in a classic age of cinema, this Frankenstein movie was going for good old-fashioned movie magic.
This incredible detail amplified De Niro’s already haunting performance. The design was headed by makeup artist Daniel Parker, who earned an Oscar nomination for his work on the film. It might not be as well executed as del Toro’s version, but this is a forgotten monster of a movie that shouldn’t be as misunderstood.
