Big Monster on Campus

I have watched this movie about ten times now, and I notice something new and funny each time. I thought every character was well-played. Of course you have to suspend reality somewhat, but what horror/ reanimation movie doesn't require that. This movie is much more a comedy than a horror flick. The delivery of some lines is priceless Frank:"I can get a brain from my dad's lab!" Tuttle:"Oh, how convenient!" Perhaps this movie is better watched after a few beers - anyhow, it is my favorite in its' genre.

It is easy to forget this film. You can see how Ryan Reynolds went from this forgettable film to being a big movie star though. Maybe that's one of the redeeming qualities of this largely forgettable film loosely based on the Shelley novel of Frankenstein. Great casting included Shelley Duvall and Judge Reinhold as Frank Stein's parents. Matthew Laurence played Frank Stein, a good high school student who gets mixed up. Ryan Reynolds played the oddball student who becomes Frankenstein's monster. The plot is a bit problematic. When you choose to ignore the obvious problems with the script, you can enjoy the film. Shelley Duvall was great in it as Frank's mother.

Not to sound all Maltin-ey, but what exactly were they thinking when they released this? You've got a stable of legitimate actors and a clever premise but low production quality and an out-of-whack ratio of corny to gore. What does that spell? Boltneck. It's not like there's trouble suspending belief that brains just screw in and lightning can reanimate the dead. It's just that we've seen it done better before. The movie drops in the occasional clever line or physical joke to let you know that something's going on, but for the most part it lays there. Since this genre of film is usually about one excess or another (i.e. sex or gore) then I guess that's where Boltneck failed for me. It isn't too much of anything, and it's not enough of any one thing to make it memorable.

This film is a nice if unimposing blend of Beetlejuice & Fast Times at Ridgemont High. It has a good pace, fine timing, & excellent performances (especially by Ryan Reynolds as the "monster"). Truly a serendipitous experience.

A teen finds he can return the dead to a living being. An entertaining movie with teen hormones. Take it as entertainment realizing there is no reality to it. An enjoyable but not serious experience. Worth watching. I may well view it again.