LISA FRANKENSTEIN – Review by T.J. Callahan
Lisa Frankenstein: “You’re a dead man, not a Chrysler Le Baron.”
Very loosely based on the Mary Shelley novel, Frankenstein and a parody of the graphic design company “Lisa Frank”, Lisa Frankenstein is described as a coming of RAGE love story between a teenage social outcast and the corpse she has a crush on. After a crazy graveyard lightning storm brings The Creature back to life, the two embark on a murderous journey to find happiness and a few missing body parts.
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, this gothic rom com set in 1989 stars Kathryn Newton as Lisa Swallows, a cerebral seamstress with a passion for poetry, over the top eye make up and visiting cemeteries. She’s a cross between Tiffany and Madeleine Kahn. Cole Sprouse is her reanimated Romeo who could use a hand, literally, to help him get back into life as he once knew it. Carla Gugino sets off the hormonal homicidal high jinks as Lisa’s neat freak, sweatin to the oldies, shoulder pad wearing, evil stepmother.
Lisa Frankenstein is from the mixed up mind of Oscar winning scribe, Diablo Cody. We haven’t had a screenplay from her since 2017’s Tully. I’m glad to report her sharp wit is still intact. I’m not sure though what depths of her devilish brain conjured up this story? Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands) is even confused. Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things) is scratching his head.
So the job of trying to chronicle the narrative for the big screen went to first time feature film director, Zelda Williams, daughter of Robin Williams. Unfortunately she couldn’t stitch this spiel together to make it make sense.
This film felt as clunky as the way The Creature walked. I donated brain cells to the cause, but it was too late, this Frankenstein was dead on arrival.
My husband Ricky wasn’t invited to the screening, but the consensus of my colleagues there was he would have had four 👀’s closed, if it were possible.
