#DavidJ.Schow

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Crow (1994)

The Crow is a flawed movie but after the dust has settled, something about it resonates with me. It’s got a terrific visual style, the music/score is memorable, the atmosphere generated stands out, and the way it handles its premise will make it a favorite for many.

Starring Brandon Lee, whose life was tragically cut short during the shooting of the film, it's the story of a rocker named Eric Draven. After he and his fiancé are murdered by vicious criminals, a supernatural force brings him back to life in order to get his revenge.

This interpretation of Detroit is unique; a place that's perpetually dark, wet, and dirty. Crime is rampant. Even the best police officers have lost hope. It's significantly reminiscent of Tim Burton's Batman, where the mood does so much it becomes part of the narrative. We don’t learn why Eric is brought back to life to enact his vengeance, it just sort of happens. In this world, mysticism like this makes perfect sense. You’re on the same ride as Eric, hoping that whatever powers he's been given don’t run out before he can chop down every slime-sucking thug. This film oozes the 90’s, in a good way. The music, the Crow’s costume, the story itself transports you back to that era where superhero movies were just starting to be a thing, but not quite yet. 4 years after The Crow we got Blade.

What prevents this piece by Alex Proyas from being great instead of good is a few details throughout. The villains, for example, are weak. I’ll defend Michael Wincott as Top Dollar. He’s nothing more than a sadistic, cruel, occult worshipping anarchist, but he fits in this world. You feel as though he's been overcompensating for his lack of genuine mystical powers his whole life by buying every so-called mystical ritual blade and finally, this obsession has “paid off”. When he confronts our hero and he’s somewhat prepared to face off with him. The other villains could've used more development. They’re nothing a bunch of chumps to be knocked over one by one like bowling pins. You compare them to the side characters like Ernie Hudson as Sgt. Albrecht or young Rochelle Davis as Sarah and you’re disappointed that not everyone is as well written as they are.

The script could've used some foreshadowing to make a revelation during the final act feel less like it comes out of nowhere. I get that there’s a certain romantic idea at work here. A man whose love for his wife is so powerful it's resurrected him. He comes back with amnesia and gradually pieces together the love he's lost. When the whole truth is finally revealed, the pain is as intense, maybe even more intense than the first time around. With this newfound rage, he becomes nigh-unstoppable, which is sort of another flaw as well. It robs the film of much potential tension.

Even if you can't ignore the flaws, it's easy to see what The Crow did to capture the world's attention. The look, the music, and the story itself all have something special to offer. There’s something else too. The fact that this film has a real-life tragic element to it with the death of Brandon Lee just eight days before the last day of shooting makes the ending doubly powerful. If you’ve seen this movie once and weren’t impressed, give it another look. Upon a second viewing, I better recognized what the big deal was. (On DVD, May 20, 2016)