Feb 22: The Crow

"A man brutally murdered comes back to life as an undead avenger of his and his fiancée's murder."

  Revenge films are always great. Seeing how much one man or woman would do in order to get back at the ones who hurt a loved one is always entertaining and exciting. The Crow is no different, and it brings that dish best served cold with style, melancholy, and the life of one individual. Brandon Lee, the star of the film, actually died in a stunt accident during the making of The Crow, and knowing that fact makes the entire movie all the more creepy. It's sad we lost Lee so early in his career because The Crow shows that he could have been something great and, unfortunately, we will never know if he could have been a star like his father, Bruce Lee. 

Hell, he could have played the Joker and it would have changed the game well before the amazing Heath Ledger

  As for the story, The Crow's is simple with a touch of the paranormal. After being dead and buried for a year, a crow brings Eric Craven (Lee) back to life to exact revenge on those who murdered him and his fiance. There is no explanation as to why it happens, it's just as though he won a afterlife lottery where, instead of millions of dollars, he gets super powers and a makeup kit. But, the why doesn't really matter as seeing him use his newly found powers to track down and kill everyone involved with his own murder is just so damn cool. The film doesn't worry about having a great story or a lot of depth (there isn't a lot), but the execution of the revenge and the ensuing action is more than entertaining enough. 

"I guess the $896,487 is okay, but I would have preferred heat vision and telepathy."

   Overall, The Crow is a pretty damn good film that may have not aged the greatest, but still stands on its own with its unique style and vision. Alex Proyas, the director, captures the dark setting perfectly and some of his camerawork is exceptional, including scenes filmed through the view of the first person. The script is strong and the dialogue is smart, pulling directly from the comic book that the film is based. The soundtrack is moody and fits the theme well and the small, but constant, reminder of the tragic loss of Brandon Lee makes the film all the more eerie and intriguing. 

The Good:

great acting by Brandon Lee in a terrifically dark and moody film

The Bad:

some scenes show the film's age and it doesn't necessarily take away anything from it, but can prove a little distracting

The Ugly:

losing Brandon Lee when he was just showing signs of being something more than just a martial artist

Overall: 7.6/10

Best Quote:

Top Dollar: "Ya know, my daddy used to say every man's got a devil. And you can't rest 'til you find him."

P.S If you're a fan of The Crow, check out another Alex Proyas' film, Dark City- completely underrated and overlooked.