Sommerleigh Pollonais, Senior Writer
Plot: Soulmates Eric and Shelly are brutally murdered. Given a chance to save the love of his life, Eric must sacrifice himself and traverse the worlds of the living and the dead, seeking revenge.
Review: For the most part I’m good at avoiding vlogs and other review sites, but curiosity got the better of me when it came to this version of the graphic novel The Crow, a GN made famous by the 1994 film version’s cult status and love from fans. For the most part audiences seem to loathe this new version while (some) critics say it’s not that bad. So where does this humble movie reviewer land on it all?
Bill Skarsgård (Boy Kills World, It Chapters 1&2) is Eric Draven. A young man tortured by his past and institutionalised, he struggles with depression until one day a girl named Shelly (FKA Twigs) appears at the detention center. Shelly and Eric eventually escape together and go on a whirlwind romance (or maybe it wasn’t whirlwind; they don’t do a great job of explaining how much time has passed for these two) of sex, drugs and goth-themed music. What Eric doesn’t know is Shelly is running away from a powerful man name Roeg (Danny Huston; Wonder Woman, Yellowstone) and when his men catch up with them both lovers are brutally murdered…30 minutes into the movie. The rest is a supernatural revenge-fueled journey that – bless their hearts – tries to add substance and style to their retelling. But it all comes across more like someone describing what they’ve been told about the original story and not someone who has actually read/saw it themselves.
Before I dive in let me clear the air. I’m not a diehard fan of 1994’s The Crow. I saw it in cinema, enjoyed it immensely and I’ve rewatched it a few times after that. I think it’s a really good movie, but I don’t think it’s as perfect as its made out to be and I’ll go as far as to say I think some of the fandom that the movie accumulated is tied to the very real tragedy of Brandon Lee, the actor who portrayed Eric Draven, losing his life while making a movie that also explores themes of grief and death. It was a terrible fate for a young up-and-coming actor who made the role iconic. But would this version be getting so much vitriol if Lee hadn’t passed away while creating his most notable performance? It’s a question I found myself asking a lot while watching this version.
The only reason I say all this is so those reading will understand I’m not biased one way or another when I say The Crow (2024) is a mess of a movie that wastes its potential and genuinely good ideas by focusing too much on its aesthetic rather than connecting with audiences.
The good bits are there as director Rupert Sanders (Ghost in the Shell) delivers some beautifully shot scenes and solid action sequences. There’s also a lot more blood and gore on display here. Having never read the graphic novel I can’t personally speak to the look/tone, but I did manage to pull up a few of the comic panels and the brutality there can be found in this movie as well. The CGI is solid too with Eric’s ability to regenerate lost limbs and heal wounds working seamlessly. Unfortunately, none of that can make up for the lacklustre emptiness of this emotionless screenplay.
We spend the first 30 minutes of this movie with Eric and Shelly, yet at no time do I get a sense that these two were madly in love. The chemistry between the leads isn’t bad; it’s the writing that does them few favours. Danny Huston is usually a solid choice for a villain but even with the very early reveal of his demonic nature at no time did I ever feel like he was a real threat. He doesn’t hold a candle to Michael Wallcott’s Top Dollar from the original whose mere screen presence put me on edge the first time I saw him (and he was human!). As for the other characters, they’re not worth mentioning and you’ll forget them as quickly as they appear. Though I can say the same about the 1994 version excluding leads Brandon Lee, Michael Wallcott and Bia Ling.
The rest of the movie is an emotionless drudge that lacks a hero with the charisma of Brandon Lee’s performance (Skarsgård is a solid actor, but he feels miscast here), not to mention the gorgeous world building Alex Proyas created. It’s really a shame because there are some elements at play that should’ve been explored further. For instance, unlike the original where Eric’s pain, grief (and a certain crow) empowers him, this time around his (Skarsgård’s) immortality is tied to his love and belief in Shelly. If he begins to doubt her, he becomes “mortal” and susceptible to damage. It’s a unique take on the character and one that could’ve been impactful if it was executed better.
Ironically this version of The Crow loses its strength due to a sense of unsureness by the writers and director in their screenplay. Instead, it seeks the easy way out by relying on action sequences reminiscent of other movies and ultimately comes out looking not like a reimagining but more like a tired retooling of films that have done it better.
Sommer’s Score: 5 out of 10
Have you seen The Crow reboot? How would you rate it? And you can check out some nostalgic dark comic book content below:
Sommerleigh of the House Pollonais. First of Her Name. Sushi Lover, Queen of Horror Movies, Comic Books and Binge-Watching Netflix. Mother of two beautiful black cats named Vader and Kylo. I think eating Popcorn at the movies should be mandatory, PS4 makes the best games ever, and I’ll be talking about movies until the zombie apocalypse comes. Double Tap Baby! Read More