Rent The Crow on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: James O'Barr (comic book series and comic strip), David J. Schow and John Shirley (screenplay)
Directed by: Alex Proyas
Starring: Brandon Lee, Michael Wincott, Rochelle Davis, Ernie Hudson, Bai Ling, Tony Todd
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
The night before his wedding, musician Eric Draven and his fiancée are brutally murdered by members of a violent gang. On the anniversary of their death, Eric rises from the grave and assumes the mantle of the Crow, a supernatural avenger.
Verdict
It's a more than competent revenge action movie, but it's the mystique around the film and lead Brandon Lee's death that makes a dark movie all the more ominous. A man returns to life for the sole purpose of avenging his death. This is a world that seems to be perpetually dark with sadistic criminals lurking around every corner. A man back from the dead doesn't even phase the local cop, he's just happy someone will mete out justice.
It depends.
Review
Based on the 1989 comic book series, Brandon Lee was fatally shot by a prop gun during filming which wasn't properly checked and cleared prior to use. He was only twenty-eight. Lee had finished most of his scenes, and the film was completed through script rewrites and a stunt double. Lee's death overshadows the movie. It makes his performance all the more engrossing as we know it's his last.
The movie opens with a voice over about a crow carrying souls to the afterlife. Sometimes those crows avenge wrongs. Then this cuts to a crime scene. Musician Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) and his fiancee were violently murdered the day before their wedding.
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| Brandon Lee plays Eric Draven, "The Crow" |
A year later, Draven emerges from his grave, guided by a crow. He wanders to his still abandoned apartment complex where he experiences the crimes all over again. It's a dark film both in subject matter and look. The fact that the lead died during filming only adds to the melancholy. Both the actor and character died in this movie. Eric Draven is back from the dead with preternatural abilities, led by a crow to avenge his and his fiancee's deaths; to what end?
Draven as "The Crow" can't be killed and he can see through the eyes of his crow. He's an avenging angel, taking care of unfinished business by killing everyone involved in his death. The bad guys can't do much to stop him, and at first others think it must be some kind of joke. Soon enough they believe.
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| Brandon Lee plays Eric Draven, "The Crow" |
The cop that investigated the original crime, Albrecht (Ernie Hudson), accepts that Draven is back rather well. Is he just a world weary policeman where nothing surprises him? He's just heard a guy came back to life to avenge his death and Albrecht doesn't even blink. Then again this is a city where it seems to be perpetually night time.
Ironically, Draven has killed the four people responsible and is ready to return to his grave when the big bad of the movie, Top Dollar (Michael Wincott), kidnaps a friend of Draven's to draw him out; either to stop his violence or try to steal his supernatural power. In the final battle Draven discovers Top Dollar's role in his death and finishes the last loose end despite having lost his powers.
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| Title Card |
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