Del Toro’s Frankenstein follows the source material just closely enough to make his diversions from Mary Shelley’s novel seem superfluous. Victor Frankenstein’s family trauma and love triangle not only bloat the runtime, but change the tone of the story. Although I have my issues with the plot and character liberties, I’m always pleased to see Christoph Waltz on my screen. 

The film’s set pieces and props are really lovely, especially the gothic tower and lab — they left the same impression on me as the laboratory from the 1931 film did. Del Toro doesn’t overly-rely on CGI, but there were some moments where it was glaringly obvious in comparison to the high-quality sets and practical effects. It was a bit jarring, which seems to be a common thread in my reviews lately.

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