Synopsis (from IMDb): Toward the end of World War II, Russian soldiers pushing into eastern Germany stumble across a secret Nazi lab. The scientists have used the legendary Frankenstein’s work to assemble an army of super-soldiers stitched together from the body parts of their fallen comrades.
My Quick Review: I’ve got mixed feelings about Frankenstein’s Army. On one hand it did entertain me and I just loved the whole universe they created, especially the monsters looks and overall design, really brilliant stuff. On the other hand I’m on the fence regarding the use of POV style shooting, barely justified in the film.
The strongest elements of Frankenstein’s Army are the undead super-soldiers. I just loved each and every one of them and wished we could have seen more of them actually. Found footage style can increase the tension and some of the shocks (and it certainly does a few times in the movie) but it also does render the whole happenings quite chaotic. We never have the time to really get a good look at each menacing soldier and while it can work in a 1-monster movie such as Cloverfield it’s a bit of a waste in Frankenstein’s Army.
What the POV style brought to the table though, is a bit of a video game flair. At times I felt like I was watching somebody playing Bioshock or Wolfenstein and it surely added to my overall enjoyment. But this came at the price of losing focus and creep factor.
So, would Frankenstein’s Army have been better if it had been shot the traditional way? Probably. But as it is, Frankenstein’s army is a real indie gem that deserves to be watched. And who knows, if it makes enough money we might get a follow-up with even more inventive undead soldiers!
My Rating: 6.5/10
Director: Richard Raaphorst
Origin: Netherlands/US
