When The Crow first came out in 1994, it brought a different style to a comic book movie by capturing the essence of its source material while being an excellent performance by the late Brandon Lee. It’s crazy how the film had a troubled production when its leading man died during filming, but director Alex Proyas found a way to finish the movie in his honor, and became a success. 30 years later, a new reiteration of James O’Barr’s classic comic book finally arrives for a new generation who are unfamiliar with the original movie. Unlike the first film, the new version had trouble being madefor many years and it is noticeable in the final cut where are many writers in the kitchen. What audiences may end up with is a flawed and jumbled mess of a film that’s a shadow of its older counterpart, but there are some things to love about this latest adaptation.
The plot of The Crow reboot follows the initial story like the original and the comics, but just interpreted into a more grounded story. It follows the love story between Eric Draven (Bill Skarsgard) and Shelly Webster (FKA Twigs), two young musicians escaping their troubled pasts who meet at a rehabilitation center. They escape the facility once Shelly spots her old benefactor, the demonic crime lord Vincent (Danny Huston) who is out for her after she finds incriminating evidence against him for his otherworldly activities. It is known to the audience that Vincent seems to run his criminal organization and his hands all over the city, including the authorities. Their romance becomes short-lived after Vincent and his goons find them and murder the star-crossed lovers in a violent act.
Eric soon finds himself between the living and the dead when he encounters Kronos (Sami Bouajila), his guide in the spirit world. He tells Eric that Vincent’s deal with the underworld has thrown everything out of balance and offers Eric a chance to repair it by getting his revenge on those who killed him and his beloved. His path of vengeance gains Vincent’sattention as Eric kills everyone involved in his criminal empire, believing this is the only way for Shelly to come back to the living. With the crow’s spirit, Eric gains the ability of immortality and strength to defeat those who stand in his way in his quest for retribution.
The film paints a jumbled but pretty picture of Eric and Shelly’s doomed romance, showcasing the incredible chemistry between Skarsgard and Twigs. Being that this is her first foray into acting, Twigs manages to portray her character with sincerity and clarity. The original film didn’t touch on Shelby’s background, but the new version gives the audience a better understanding of who she is and where her journey has taken her after encountering Eric. Skarsgard puts a different spin on the main character from the comics but retains his creative side through his tattoos and an affinity for songwriting. These two were perfectly made to create this wholesome love story, even though most of the first act feels kind of rushed, often like not enough time was given for them to grow as a couple.
The screenplay may be one of the film’s biggest flaws as The Crow reboot doesn’t give enough time to build the world and the lore. When Eric is given an explanation from Kronos on his predicament, the audience is practically being spoon-fed the information rather than letting things happen naturally. It might be due to editing issues where some of thedialogue deliveries are a little off in certain scenes, especially with Skarsgard and Twigs. Huston’s character isn’t givenenough time to explain how he can grow his empire and cheat his way to success. It is the execution of how the story unfolds that ends up making the film suffer with its runtime.
Director Rupert Sanders has put in his style with his interpretation of The Crow giving this a polished and grounded look that moves away from the fantastical elements that the comics displayed. It works for the most part, making a stylistic choice that does not always stick. The film instead tackles the bigger themes of the source material, but it never forgets to keep things in reality. Unfortunately, it does take away the Gothic atmosphere from O’Barr’s comic books as Sanders tries to make a new vision of the character. The atmosphere does come out as moody and grim in some parts, but it doesn’tcover the film’s style visually. The musical score is also quite different to match today’s landscape with recent artists in that electro-pop vibe. However, there are some cues inspired by the original, where both characters share a love for the classics.
What the movie does well is paving the way for Eric’s journey of self-discovery as it touches on the morality of his goals. It is a different approach from the 1994 film, where Eric questions Shelly’s innocence and whether the couple’s love for one another is pure. Sometimes most of the runtime delves a bit too much into the philosophical nature of Eric’spredicament rather than being the Gothic revenge-themed thriller that The Crow is meant to be. Perhaps one of the better calls that the reboot made was omitting the rape scene from the comics, which works best so it doesn’t take away from the story of one man’s suffering after witnessing the death of a loved one. One of the most action-packed set pieces comes towards the final act, showcasing some of the most brutal kills ever seen in a movie of this caliber.
In the end, The Crow is a beautifully broken story that offers a new perspective from the source. It is a different vision that Sanders has put out in style, moving away from the gloomy and Gothic aesthetic in favor of a modern revenge tale that’snot always dark. Despite the flaws in the screenplay and editing, it is both Skarsgard and Twigs that help uplift the movie with their amazing chemistry that helps buy their characters’ love story. The absence of its fantastical elements is surelygoing to divide fans of the original and the comics, but there’s still enough to enjoy this reinterpretation of a classic story.
The Crow is out in theaters now.
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