Boltneck Reviews

This genial but lopsided film uses the Frankenstein myth to explore teenage identity crises, mixing silly comedy, sci-fi and puberty blues. Frank Stein (Matthew Lawrence), whose peers regard him as kooky, is following the career path of his Dad (Judge Reinhold), a brain researcher. For his weird science project, Frank discovers a process that restores the dead to life. Everyone scoffs until two school jocks, Lance (Justin Walker) and Tuttle (Christian Payne), accidentally kill an unpopular student named Karl (Ryan Reynolds) during a party prank. Frank volunteers his know-how, drives to his dad's lab and steals the brain of a recently deceased criminal. Karl's new brain exerts a malevolent influence over his personality and turns him into a chip off the criminal block. Frank tries to trick him back to the operating table, but teen rebel Karl has already stolen the school's homecoming funds and tasted the high life — why would he want to go back? This dumbed-down riff on horror legends tries to coast on its premise, but is derailed by the witless execution. A few acute observations about teen psychology bolster the material and the film's high spirits are endearing, but its lack of imagination is deadly