The question of whether or not The Crow would have been a success had star Brandon Lee not been killed during shooting, will never be answered. While the film is a bit strange, James O’Barr’s comic book of the same name that originally ran as a four issue mini-series in 1989 was a thoughtful and nihilistic story of everlasting love, unrelenting pain, and human nature gone terribly awry.
The film, released in 1994, is a much darker story about brain dead punks, and capitalism in the guise of arson. Brandon Lee plays murdered rock star Eric Draven, who returns from the grave one year following his Devil’s Night slaughter. His mission is a bloody one—avenge his death and that of his girlfriend Shelley (Sofia Shinas). In order to do that, he must eliminate each of the four killers responsible. He does the job, with each killing becoming grizzlier in nature. Along the way, he teams up with a friendly cop (Ernie Hudson) who sympathizes with his goals.
Director Alex Proyas (I, Robot, Knowing) gives the audience no time to take a breath, moving from scene to scene at a rapid pace. The film is so packed with action; it makes up for a number of character and plot shortcomings. Admittedly, the appeal of The Crow is entirely visceral. There’s nothing intellectual about frying eyeballs and impaled bodies. Even with all the action, this film falls squarely in the “revenge picture” genre.
The decision to tell the story, at least in part, from the perspective of young Sarah (Rochelle Davis) is an effective choice. By doing this, The Crow has an emotional pull that wouldn’t have otherwise been possible. This is one of the few occasions when a voiceover works to advance the story.
Eric Draven is the perfect film hero. He mourns his past and his loss, and refuses to let anyone get close to him. He finds himself a target of law enforcement on a night when more than 200 buildings are usually lit on fire. Apparently his dispatching of the men who are pivotal in creating said fires freed up more time for them to try to hunt him down! He quotes Poe, and uses his enemy’s strengths and weaknesses against them, killing them in a fashion that acts as a statement for the other men in the gang.
Now, the bad guys are completely forgettable. T-Bird (David Patrick Kelly), Skank (Angel David), Tin Tin (Laurence Mason), and Funboy (Michael Massee) are developed enough to matter, but the way in which they’re killed is certainly memorable. While The Crow is far from a perfect film, it’s an entertaining thrill ride.
Presented in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, this 1080p transfer is very impressive. Detail is very consistent, Clarity is superb and skintones are spot on. Black levels never waver, either, which means this super dark film looks absolutely amazing, quite possibly the best the film has ever looked.
The lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track does a great job. The dialogue is crystal clear, especially the solid midrange. In the action sequences, the surround channels provide an immersive experience. LFE is triggered in action scenes, as well, and we hear ambient noises on the streets.
English, English SDH and Spanish subtitles are available.
The following special features are included:
- Feature Commentary by Director Alex Proyas. Proyas discusses the challenges of trying to work with a limited budget. He also discusses changing elements from the original comic book version to make the film more exciting and meaningful, such as altering Eric’s profession to be a musician so that Proyas could feature a soundtrack of rock music. He also details how the special effects shots were achieved.
- Behind the Scenes Featurette (SD; 16:33) is an archival featurette which offers clips, storyboards and interviews (including with Lee).
- A Profile on James O’Barr (SD; 33:33) is a circa 2000 interview with The Crow‘s original author.
- Extended Scenes (SD; 11:32)
- Deleted Footage Montage (SD; 5:23)
- Original Poster Concepts
- Production Design Stills
- Storyboards
- Theatrical Trailer (SD; 1:30)
- Trailers for other Lionsgate Releases (HD; 9:45)
