Corman’s ‘Frankenstein’ Is Alive

In New Los Angeles in the year 2031, a monster is born, or rather created, by a scientist named Buchanan.

But Buchanan’s monster, a prototype military laser weapon, turns out to be more dangerous than even he had imagined. After being turned on for the first time, it rends the fabric of time itself, causing havoc throughout New Los Angeles. It also creates a time warp that transports Buchanan to 1817 Geneva, where he meets not only Mary Shelley, but her literary inspirations, Victor Frankenstein and his monster.

Based on a novel by Brian Aldiss, “Frankenstein Unbound” is an interesting tale of science without conscience and a quest for knowledge without wisdom. The movie has more in common with the original story by Shelley than with the 1931 black-and-white film starring Boris Karloff. Unlike the shambling, monosyllabic screen version, the book’s monster is intelligent and articulate, but also lonely because he is spurned by all mankind, including his creator, Dr. Frankenstein. Because the doctor believes the monster to be an “abomination in the eyes of God,” he refuses to create him a mate. The monster kills local villagers to torment Frankenstein and to force him to create a female companion. In keeping with the book, “Frankenstein Unbound” retains the monster’s intellect as well as his savagery.

Buchanan and Frankenstein are kindred spirits, it seems, having both unleashed deadly forces in their single-minded pursuits of knowledge. But only Buchanan has a sense of responsibility to alleviate the damage that he and Frankenstein have wrought indirectly. Frankenstein, whose work focuses on bringing the dead to life, does nothing to save the life of a girl condemned to die for a murder committed by his monster. But Buchanan, whose work is based on creating weapons of mass destruction, risks his own life to intervene. The cast includes John Hurt (whose work includes a brief appearance in another monster movie called “Alien”) as Buchanan, Raul Julia (“The Addams Family”) as Frankenstein and also Bridget Fonda as Shelley.

Although “Frankenstein Unbound” is a monster movie by definition, it does include some needless gore and violence and is rated R for that reason.

“Frankenstein Unbound,” 1990, directed by Roger Corman. 86 minutes.