Movies like “Harry Potter” and “Twilight” captivate audiences with a whole new world of fantasy filled with epic confrontations and plot twists. “I, Frankenstein,” however, lacks the energy to keep its audiences captivated.

Aaron Eckhart stars as Victor Frankenstein’s creation, Adam, in writer and director Stuart Beattie’s latest film. Beattie bases the sci-fi movie off of Kevin Grevioux’s graphic novel of the same title, taking its concept of a modern-day Frankenstein and turning it into a character-driven action film. Throughout the movie, watchful gargoyles, led by Queen Leonore (Miranda Otto), and vicious demons, under the command of Naberius (Bill Nighy), fight for Frankenstein’s creation and the secret to his immorality. Adam, therefore, is forced to live on his own in constant search for an escape from the underworld creatures out to get him.

The film does not have a particularly complex story line; it lacks the ability to lighten the mood with a joke or even a love interest.

“I, Frankenstein” begins with a brief description of Mary Shelley’s original novel of Frankenstein. Then, before you know it, Adam is rushed away by gargoyles who are trying to protect him from demons who want to use Dr. Frankenstein’s creation, as well as his journal, to create an army of re-animated corpses.

The gargoyles and demons provide a refreshing change of pace from the werewolves and vampires overused in today’s television shows and movies, but the dry dialogue and lack of emotion do not support the film’s ambition to stand out. The movie simply jumps between vicious fight scenes, causing audiences to wonder why these mythical creatures are even fighting in the first place. 

The audience’s hopes for some type of plot progression are momentarily raised when the leader of Naberius’ research group, a beautiful blonde named Terra (Yvonne Strahovski), begins to develop feelings for Adam. Unfortunately, the potential romance is never expanded upon, and the storyline remains as lifeless as one of Dr. Frankenstein’s creations.

The movie also lacks an exhilarating soundtrack to break up the dialogue and fight scenes, which could have made up for the uninteresting plot. However, the set design gives off a strong, dark underworld vibe that keeps the audience attentive to the screen, if not the content of the film.

Although the script does not give the actors much to work with, it successfully captures the essence of the Frankenstein characters. Eckhart commits to the role of a hunky action hero but the script forces him to maintain an intense face throughout the story, depriving the audience from seeing his softer side shown in movies like “No Reservations” and “Love Happens.”

Nighy and Otto also command the screen with their portrayals as confident leaders who demand attention, while Strahovski puts a new twist on the traditional nerdy scientist with her beauty and charm.

“I, Frankenstein” wastes the talent of many Hollywood hotshots, as well as the intense special effects and detailed set. The lack of plot twists in the story forces the film into the realm of dull predictability. If the concept of the story or actors’ performances still interest you, save yourself the money and trip into the bitter cold and wait until “I, Frankenstein” comes out on DVD or Netflix.