I SAW FRANKENSTEIN'S BRIDE

The Asylum has wasted no time entering the latest Frankenstein renaissance with its own extension of Mary Shelley's enduring legend. 

Directed by Erica Duke and written M.L. Miller and Ryan Ebert, Frankenstein's Bride begins with Nick Launchbury's Victor Frankenstein presiding over the marriage of his creatures, portrayed by Rob C. Wells and Emma D. Maria, only to be interrupted by Henry Clerval's clan, played by Lucas Andrews, Will Hodgson, Lisa Fanto and Heather Crawford, who insist that Frankenstein took his knowledge of corpse reanimation from their patriarch, played by Joshua David. They attack the Monster, kidnap Frankenstein and leave the Bride a smoldering mess. She yearns for vengeance, while the crafty Clervals prepare an army of super soldiers to wreak havoc upon the world (in an apparent nod to Bela Lugosi's Dr. Vornoff in Ed Wood's Bride of the Monster; yep, nice touch).  

Aiding the principals is Vincent Donato as Clerval enabler, Clancy (named, perhaps, after Clancy Brown for his Victor portrayal in Franc Roddam's The Bride), whose double-dealing is offset by the fable's sentimental blind man, De Lacy, played by Ian Hart, and his children, played by Tayla Cecera and Connor Kennedy, who join the Bride's crusade. As a result, characters perish along the way, leaving Henry Clerval to rise high in the final act, thanks to his own shocking (pun intended) resurrection and in larger part to David's virtuoso performance, which becomes the most original interpretation of Shelley's supporting character since David McCallum gave him a crotchety spin in Frankenstein: The True Story.

Frankenstein's Bride isn't just another counterpart to James Whale's Bride of Frankenstein, but more a thematic cousin to Richard Raaphorst's Frankenstein's Army and Ryan Bellgardt's Army of Frankensteins. Like those efforts, its ambition exceeds its low budget, with Kenneth Strickfaden-geared, laboratory equipment and corpses galore, all itchin' for their big, climactic jolt. (SPOILER: When the collective resurrection does occur, it smacks more of The Walking Dead than Frankenstein, but even so, it more than delivers the ghoulish goods.)  

Despite its more than a few admirable traits, Frankenstein's Bride also holds some drawbacks. One is the deletion of the Frankenstein Monster from most of the plot. The Bride also falls to the wayside on occasion, and since she's the story's vengeful catalyst, her presence should have dominated every phase, even though her 50 Foot Woman/Frankenstein Conquers the World stint (as inexplicable as that may sound and is) compensates for the short comings (again pun intended), as long as one is willing to roll with it. 

Some will dismiss this Asylum effort as yet another in the company's long line of quickie knockoffs, but at least this one dares to do something different with its subject matter, while adhering to a hodgepodge of faithful, monster-movie tropes. Moreover, it's short, bittersweet and by gosh, a Frankenstein movie. If one is a sincere fan of such Gothic lore, how can one turn a blind eye? For those willing to give it a try, Frankenstein's Bride can be viewed on Apple TV and Amazon Prime.