Review of The Crow (1994) by Tom M — 26 Oct 2011

Most definitely a movie in which the case in point is 'style over substance'. But oh my goodness, what style.

Playing out quite simply as a classic revenge tale, Brandon Lee stars as Eric Draven, a man who is brutally murdered alongside his fiance, who is later brought back to life along with the power of immortality. His goal? To reek havoc and bloody revenge on those that wronged him, including the boss of a leading crime syndicate, Top Dollar.

As stated, the story breaks no new ground whatsoever, and never try's to be anything more than a bloody revenge fueled tale of anger, death and redemption. There are moments of genuine emotion however, as Eric takes time off bashing in thugs heads to recollect his emotions, whilst also reconciling with a young girl whom he used to protect alongside his fiance.

Brandon Lee's tragic death is usually what this movie is remembered for, although the remembrance should be for his perfectly moody and brooding performance as the immortal avenger. At times terrifically menacing and spooky, at times heart-wrenchingly lost and confused, Lee captures the human spectrum of emotion very well, often communicating many things with a simple curl of his cheek. Whilst his untimely death is most certainly tragic due to the fact that he was so young, it is also a tragedy to think of the great things Lee could have gone on to after this. He had tremendous potential.

Whilst some of the visual effects appear dated, The Crow has aged very well overall. The moody aspects of the crumbling city setting, the grungy soundtrack and the dark, foreboding feel; it all adds up to create a lovely, Gothic atmosphere. This is also due to the extremely stylish direction from Alex Proyas. Wether he's directing music video-like outfitting sequences or big John Woo-like shoot-outs, Proyas is on top form throughout. His direction along with Lee's performance single-handedly make this movie what it is; an ultra cool, stylish, violent, Grunge-Goth revenge tale powered by the supernatural. In some respects, a classic.