Kenneth Branagh attempted to sex up the classic Frankenstein tale for modern audiences, but instead delivered a camp fest that got laughed off the screen. De Niro playing Frankensteins Monster should have been the highlight; unfortunately, his version is an awkward creation, complete with an out-of-place New York accent and make-up that buries most of his performance. His take on the Creature is probably one of the least sympathetic too, with this monster being a vindictive, violent jerk. The Creatures birth scene is one of the most unintentionally homoerotic sequences ever captured on film, with a naked and lubed up De Niro being wrestled to the ground by a topless and equally lubed Branagh. This scene is a great example of Branaghs struggle with tone because the film veers wildly from campy hysterics to deadly serious drama once too often. The film should be admired for being an ambitious failure, but its still a failure.