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The Crow Customer Reviews (40 - 42 of 51 Reviews)

The Crow is mythmaking at its best. Eric Draven (Lee) is brought back from the dead to avenge the rape and murder of his wife and his own murder. While filming the scene where his character is shot dead at the beginning of The Crow, in order to return to life as an immortal Jesus figure, the cap from the blank hit him and lodged in his spine, and Brandon Lee died. The way Lee's death on set at that particular moment fit into the myth of the movie is just as much to do with the cult status of this picture, as its fantastic gothic landscape, exciting story, gorgeous score and irresistable central figure.

Brandon Lee, being interviewed about The Crow, was asked about death and his character in the film. He said this:

"Because we do not know when we will die we get to think of life as an inexhaustible well. And yet everything happens only a certain number of times. And a very small number, really. How many more times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood. An afternoon that is so deeply a part of your being that you can't even conceive of your life without it. Perhaps four or five times or more. How many more times will you watch the full moon rise? Perhaps twenty. And yet it all seems limitless."

He died not long after. This was his last interview.

A Supernatural Achievement
Eric Draven was killed on Devil's Night; that night before Halloween when evil arsonists run amok, causing fear and destruction throught the city. His fiancee, Shelly Webster, was raped and murdered in front of him on that same night. It is said that when someone dies, a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead, ... but, sometimes, the crow will bring them back for revenge! That's just what happens in 1994's comic book-based "The Crow," a dark, beautifully gothic tale of violence, revenge, and justice.

One year after his death, Eric (Brandon Lee, in his tragic, final role) returns as an unstoppable force of vengeance, with a supernatural Crow as his guide to those whom he must destroy. One by one, Eric takes out the scumbags that took his life and love, Shelly. As his work becomes more challenging, he enlists the aid of kindhearted Police Sergeant Albrecht, played by beloved Ghostbuster Ernie Hudson. Together, they protect a young girl named Sarah, as Eric goes on with his vigilante executions, eventually leading him to a much bigger source of evil.

The Crow is a masterpiece of modern film. The first in the now popular style of dark, gothic tales of supernatural Urban warfare. The tale is cold and unforgiving, yet equally touching, and straight from the heart of creator James O'Barr. The film is dark and graphic, and perfectly matched to the story it tells. The acting is superb, the writing poetic, and the attention to detail baffling. This is a film that is truly an event to watch, as simple as the story may be. The DVD is loaded with extras that really give you insight into the depth the film-makers went to bring The Crow to the big screen. You'll also get a keen understanding of the comic and its creator, or at least, as best as you can without reading the comic yourself.

Tragically, Brandon Lee was shot and killed while filming this Masterpiece of a movie in a somewhat suspicious "accident." Who knows what wonderful films we would have today, had that accident not occurred. As it stands however, this film will go on as Brandon's gift for generations and generations to come.

Very stylish and enjoyable goth/graphic novel adaptation
I never saw this originally in '94 because I dismissed it as A. a martial arts film (and I hate those) and B. adapted from a comic (and I just can't get into those) and C. aimed at a teen/goth/punk audience (and I am way too old for that). What a mistake! Finally almost ten years on, a friend heard me say I really liked Alex Proyas' DARK CITY -- a neat sci fi film with a very different story but the same kind of dark fantasy look -- and couldn't believe I had never seen THE CROW and made me watch it.

I have to say that I really think this is a fine, well made movie and none of my preconceptions were remotely correct. The art direction is brilliant, with a wonderful and creepy gothic fantasy look, almost but not quite black-and-white, set in a mysteriously surreal "Detroit" that is in some kind of alternate universe from the real Motown. Brandon Lee is really charismatic and haunting in the role of Eric Draven, and not merely because of the tragic incident surrounding the film. He was real star material and just totally inhabits this part.

After seeing the film, I did read the O'Barr comic, which is very sincere and heartfelt, but I think the filmakers -- in what is a pretty rare event -- IMPROVED the plot and characters while keeping all of the angst and atmosphere. They totally honored the character of Eric and the basic idea of the avenger, the memories of his beautiful girlfriend, and sense of overwhelming grief that inhabits the graphic novel. Where they impoved the storyline in cinematic terms is in the treatment of the minor characters and villians. They really fleshed them out, and it enriches the movie and balances the storyline well.

Bookending the film with quotes from Sarah (Rochelle Davis), the little girl who narrates and observes much of the story is an example of a good idea that doesn't really exist in the comic, where the little girl is called Sherri and only appears briefly. Even more so is the expansion of the character of Top Dollar, who again is a minor episode in the comic and more of a grubby hell's angel/drug dealer -- in the film he has been transformed into a complex and compelling crimelord. Michael Wincott is simply amazing in this part, playing Top Dollar as a kind of depraved, satanic, renaissance prince, and clearly having a great deal of fun with this role, especially some wonderful and very clever dialogue. The very, very sick but quite sincere love story between Top Dollar and his psychic half-sister is the reversed-mirror image of the pure and innocent love of Eric and his fiance, a clever idea.

Wonderful music, great visuals, terrific acting...The Crow should NOT be missed.

NOTE: I bought the "Collector's DVD". Don't bother. There is NOTHING worth looking at on the second DVD, some production sketches and posters, nothing special. The director's commentary (on the first disk) is interesting to listen to ONCE, but you can get that on the single disk DVD. There is a smattering of extra footage, but nothing you will miss. Save some bucks and just get the one disk wide screen version.