‘Lisa Frankenstein’ review: Lisa Soberano deserves Hollywood

MANILA, Philippines – Zelda Williams, the half-Filipino daughter of Robin Williams, teams up with Academy Award winner Diablo Cody in her directorial debut, “Lisa Frankenstein,” which attempts to return to the iconic themes of 80s movies with a gory, adventurous twist. .

Kathryn Newton plays Lisa, the new kid at school who feels out of place for reasons beyond her twisted infatuation: that being the horrific murder of her mother by an axe-wielding psychopath.

Tired of her stepmother Janet’s (Carla Gugino) torment and high school embarrassment piled up in one night, Lisa wants to spend her days with the deceased Victorian man whose grave she admired.

What she meant was that she wants to die too, but when a corpse (Cole Sprouse) suddenly comes back to life thinking she has romantic interests, Lisa discovers an even more shocking way to enjoy life.

There’s a lot of expectation when seeing a Zelda and Diablo mashup, after all, what could go wrong when you have the offspring of a comedic genius and a visionary “Juno” writer?

This enthusiasm will have to be curtailed as Zelda’s inexperience behind the camera shows that the film can’t seem to find the right tone that can deliver a winning punch.

The attempts are evident with the help of Diablo, which clearly feels a kinship with another film she wrote, “Jennifer’s Body,” but can’t seem to replicate it here, and the homage to both classic horror and ’80s horror can only do so much.

It certainly offers an interesting take on the “Frankenstein” story with a sex-positive outlook that’s outdone by “Poor Things,” which is a must-watch, but the sloppy direction throws the film off the rails.

Related: Next attraction: films and series to be shown in February 2024

However, there are still bright spots, like Katherine, who is hard to hate in any performance, and Cole, who gives off the kind of Johnny Depp charm that he did in “Edward Scissorhands” – one of the obvious inspirations along with “Beetlejuice” and “Carrie.” “, and a network of John Hughes classics.

Another entertaining inclusion is Lisa Soberano in her first Hollywood project as Lisa’s half-sister Tavi, who initially comes across as a typical “mean cheerleader” character but actually means good but doesn’t show it right (which makes her character even more appealing). More fun).

If Lisa continues her path in Hollywood, there is a risk that she will be typecast into Tavi-like characters. But Filipinos know well that the actress has a lot to offer, details of which are scattered throughout the film.

In many scenes, Liza’s Taffy is the most attractive element. In fact, for a supporting role, she has a significant amount of screen time – surpassed only by Katherine and Cole – even better than Carla, who is arguably the most experienced actress in the cast.

The one scene that Tavi shares directly with Cole’s character is exactly the riot that will make or break the movie for most viewers, and what Lisa shows in the aftermath proves that she’s more than capable of rubbing shoulders with Hollywood’s brightest stars.

“Lisa Frankenstein” could have used more dashes from Tim Burton or Hughes, or tried not to force the 80s nature of loud pastels and radio hits.

Diablo has been a bit distracted since its Oscar win, but there’s still definite optimism about Zelda and Liza’s careers if they play their cards right, and don’t end up rotting in forgotten graves.

Related: Lisa Soberano saw an “instant connection” with the character “Lisa Frankenstein.”