Brandon Lee kicks ass from beyond the grave
Few movies adapted from comic books truly manage to capture the feel of the original medium, especially when the atmosphere is as dark and moody as The Crow. Even darker still is the fact that Brandon Lee died during the shooting of the film, giving the entire experience a kind of symbolic irony. After the tragedy that cost Lee his life, it was doubtful that the movie would be released at all, and fans feared that, even if it did, the story would be compromised due to necessary changes to complete it. Fortunately, neither was the case.
The Crow follows the story of Eric Draven, a rock-and-roller who, along with his fiancee Shelly, is murdered the day before their wedding. Eric's soul is unable to rest, and a year later he returns from the grave to wreak vengeance on his killers. His resurrection is made possible by the crow, a constant companion that gives Eric invincibility.
Eric re-lives the horrifying events of his death, which serves to fuel his righteous anger-- and gives the viewer a sense of loathing for the murderers that have gone unpunished. His mission leads him through a world of decadent and malevolent criminals, the likes of which can only be depicted accurately in a comic book setting. The Crow pulls this off beautifully.
Brandon Lee is brilliant as both the tortured soul and the terrorizing avenger, and he is supported by excellent performances from the supporting cast. The mood never strays from its tone of brooding tragedy. The film's action sequences are top-notch and propel it along at just the right pace. Add to this one kick-ass soundtrack, and you have a movie that fans of the genre should not miss out on.
9 out of 10
The movie is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, and the video is excellent. There is no noticeable grain, and just a few scratches during some of the lighter scenes. Early releases of this title had a problem during the opening scenes where the video was unusually bright, but the problem seems to have been fixed.
This is a very dark movie, and that's where the DVD format shines through here. Check out the scene where Eric is walking through an alley in the rain near the beginning of the movie. Colors are sharp and clear, even when the film is at its darkest. Some of the details that get lost in the haze on VHS really come through here. I must have slo-mo'ed through the big gunfight near the end three times to catch all the blood sprays I've missed. Oh, yeah!
9 out of 10
The sound mixing is excellent. Background noise and music don't interfere with the dialogue. The volume levels are consistent and very few ambient sounds get lost. Sound is a very important part of getting across the creepiness of the atmosphere, and an excellent job has been done here to ensure that nothing is compromised. And let's not forget that The Crow sports one of the best soundtracks ever to grace the silver screen. The music comes across beautifully.
My only complaint is that there doesn't seem to be any real use of the surround sound made here. As a result, the sound effects seem somewhat two-dimensional.
6 out of 10
This is where the DVD falls painfully short: There is basically nothing here. The film is viewable in widescreen only. There is a French language version, but subtitles are in English only. There is no theatrical trailer and no commentary of any type. What gives? Even a quick tribute to Brandon Lee would have gone a long way towards a better rating here. Alas, we have to settle for the movie alone. What a waste of the format.
1 out of 10
All in all, Brandon Lee's last and greatest performance is captured beautifully on DVD. The lack of features is a serious downfall, however. If you buy DVDs for the extras, then this one probably isn't for you. If you love the movie and can look past the empty disc, then pick it up. It never looked better than it does here.
-- reviewed by Tim Ledet