Better than expected, but hardly an epic...

Rating: 6/10 (25 March 2005)

From the opening scenes, lifted straight from the classic Karloff Frankenstein, I could see the 'tributes' were beginning. And Sommers didn't disappoint, lifting bits from multiple films, from Star Wars and Indiana Jones to The Wolf Man and John Carpenter's Vampires.
That aside, the film itself was, as a friend put it, a great popcorn film. Entertaining and witty, interesting effects and smooth cinematography. On the other hand, if you're expecting to see The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, check your expectations at the door, because this film is not nearly as clever or original as those films were.
A couple of PROs: The Frankenstein monster's intelligence was a real plus. The one thing that always bothered me about the Karloff films was that the monster was purely animal and had no apparent non-instinctual intelligence. This monster reflects the book much more purely in character, as he becomes intellectual, and, essentially human.
As well, I LOVED David Wenham in this (playing Carl). Those who know him only as Faramir in the LotR trilogy will be pleasantly surprised at his standout performance. Those who've seen some of the other films he's done, like Russian Doll, will be less surprised - though equally amused.
CONs: The ending was LAAAAAAAAME!! I won't post spoilers, but the entire end sequence, after the resolution, was absolutely ridiculously awful. I DID like the resolution, though - although the Archangel Gabriel idea was only mildly over-the-top...
IN THE END: this film is basically a better Dracula 2000, which was a film with a ton of potential and very poor follow-through. I suspect that most people will enjoy this film, but few will wish to see it a second time. A truly entertaining popcorn film. 6.5/10