There's nothing I dislike more than feeling like I've been duped. I especially don't like it when it comes to movies. A little misdirection is one thing, but to throw words like Nazis, Frankenstein and monsters at me and then not deliver, well, that's just downright mean.
"Frankenstein's Army" is the creation of director Richard Raaphorst and had all the promise in the world.
Let's set the scene.
It's toward the end of World War II, and a small band of Russian soldiers is moving into Nazi-occupied Germany. The unit is traveling with a soldier, Dimitri (Alexander Mercury), who just by chance is shooting some film to presumably be used for propaganda use.
As they make their way farther into Germany, the unit stumbles upon a town that has a seemingly abandoned factory that houses horrors unlike anything they've seen during the war.
The factory is the home of Dr. Viktor Frankenstein (Karel Roden) and staying true to his family's heritage, he has set about attempting to create "super soldiers, which in reality are part zombie, part machine and all evil.
Dr. Frankenstein is an equal-opportunity entity, using both Russian and Nazi soldiers for his experiments. His creations feature Propellerhead, Machete Worker, Dragger and the visually imposing Mosquito Man.
The thing that makes "Frankenstein's Army" unique is also the thing that ultimately kills it. The first-person perspective that Dimitri gives the audience is wonderful in how it brings you along side the soldiers, but when the crap hits the fan, it's the thing that yanks you out of the film.
While his comrades are being mowed down one by one, Dimitri is attacked by Zombot after Zombot, which flails at the camera, but does little else. He is virtually unscathed until the end of the movie.
Also, the actors tend to shout their lines, and because they have accents, a lot of information is lost in the ether. Other than Roden and Mercury, the other actors are forgettable.
Roden is almost the film saving grace — almost. Roden comes out of nowhere and steals the show. I was so intrigued by his performance, I rewatched his part twice.
The bright spot for "Frankenstein's Army" comes in the form of Frankenstein's monstrosities. Everything in this movie uses practical effects and that felt so good to see. Too many low-budget horror flicks are opting for crappy computer effects when all they need to do is make a badass suit, put a dude inside and have him go to town. This is where the film excels.
Sure, the monsters have no real-world purpose, but damn they are cool. My favorite is the Mosquito Man. It is one of the creepiest images I've seen in a while.
As far as schlock value, Raaphorst really drops the ball. There are a few scattered moments of schlocky awesomeness, but Raaphorst could have literally painted the walls red and viewers would have loved it. Instead, his restraint hinders the film and that's a shame.
The Blu-ray comes with an awesome 30-minute behind-the-scenes featurette that delves into every aspect of the film. The "Creature Spots" feature is pretty cool as well.
"Frankenstein's Army" features an interesting storyline, a great performance by Roden and some practical-effect monsters that are a rarity today. However, its first-person camera work gets tiring quickly and hinders the movie's promise.
2.5 Yaps