DVD Review - Frankenstein: The Complete Mini-Series Event

177 minutes; NOT RATED; Amazon

Mary Shelly's Frankenstein is one of the most popular horror novels, though in reality the book is less horror and more of a Gothic-romance. Since it's first publication in 1818, the novel has been adapted into plays, books, cartoons, films and television mini-series. The most popular being the Universal Pictures' monster flicks in the 1930s and 40s.

Now available to own from Mill Creek Entertainment is the 2004 Hallmark 2-part mini-series Frankenstein. Directed by Kevin Connor, the mini-series starred Alec Newman, Luke Goss, Julie Delpy, William Hurt, Ian McNeice and Donald Sutherland.

Frankenstein centers on Victor Frankenstein (played by Alex Newman), a young man who has been obsessed with death ever since he was a child. After his mother (played by Julie Delpy) dies of scarlet fever, he is determined to attend the University of Ingolstadt in Germany to learn everything he can about science.

Upon arriving at the school, Victor is mentored by Professor Waldman (played by William Hurt), who sees great potential in him. However, after witnessing the death of a dog that brings back a bad childhood memory, Victor begins to tamper with electricity in the hope it will bring life back from the dead.

Shutting himself off from his friends and family, Victor begins his experiment by stealing body parts from a cemetery; resulting in his "creature" being nearly eight feet tall. Shortly after bringing the "creature" (played by Luke Goss) to life, Victor becomes repulsed by his creation and flees from his laboratory. When he later returns, the "creature" has disappeared.

Eventually, Victor returns home and marries his sweetheart Elizabeth (played by Nicole Lewis), which is slightly weird as she is more like an adopted sister to him. Feeling abandoned, the "creature" wants revenge on his creator and will kill anyone that Victor loves.

Final Thoughts: The first copy of Frankenstein that I ever read was one of those classic fifty-cents paperbacks that were sold at Walmart stores in the early 90s; back when I was either in the fourth or fifth grade. I became fascinated with the novel and I watched every film and television adaptation. Sadly, most of them drifted away from the original novel. The 2004 miniseries is the most faithful adaptation to date, which features a talented cast and amazing makeup effects. There are no special features or extras on the single-disc DVD. The video quality is above average. Overall, I enjoyed watching Frankenstein: The Complete Mini-Series Event as it's my favorite adaptation of the Mary Shelley's classic novel.

*Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.