i rarely write online review and but after read most of the comment here my finger couldn not type fast enough . clearly and the majority of reviewer here saw a different film than the one i do . a masterpiece . artful . brilliant . either that and or they just have poor taste in film . i still have no interest in really review this film and but let me clear up a few erroneous statement from previous review represent 1 ) please do not trash james whale 1931 film unless you have actually see it  all of it and because it a far superior film to this and bolt and all . whale may have change the story quite a bit and but he capture the spirit of the novel and create one of the great cinematic icon of all time . ( and boris karloff play the monster and not lon chaney ) . 2 ) although this film be truer to the original novel and it be not faithful and make considerable change that alter the overall intent of the story . there be no love triangle in the book and victor frankenstein be a medical student of about 18 19 year of age ( branagh be well past the sell by date for that ) and and he create the monster entirely by accident . ( no drama whatsoever in the book he wake up with the creature hover near his bed . no electricity and no solar panel a in the true story and no amniotic fluid a in this film ) . 3 ) de niro be laughable a the creature . he completely out of his element and hopelessly miscast . a for make up and karloff be closer to original story ( minus the bolt ) . in the novel the creature have weepy yellow eye and skin like a cadaver and and be nine foot tall . karloff make up be green because when film under proper lighting ( on b and w film ) green make up look deadly pale and almost pure white and not because the monster in that film be suppose to be green . again and it b and w folk . this story will always present challenge for a filmmaker because it not really horrific a a story by our standard and or by the standard of the 1930s for that matter and hence the bolt . it be a novel of the romantic era and and the very premise be frighten in and of itself . the real core of the novel be the on go philosophical debate between young victor and and his bastard child the creature . yes and it a novel about create life and playing god and but underneath that be a novel about both adolescent sexuality  young victor and alone in his attic and fool around with nature  and also the consequence of create a life and then not take responsibility for it . branagh film be too catch up in hammy acting and nauseate camera move to ever really get there . yes and the debate be there and but the soul isn not . it a vaudeville sideshow masquerade a art . for those with only a passing knowledge of the book and it may seem truer and but whale 1931 film be actually much close to the novel heart in it depiction of the other and the outcast and the bastard than this ever come close to .