There are people reading this review who werent born when producers first tried to bring backThe Crow.
Simply put, the mere idea of a newCrowmovie carries with it an albatross of impossibility.
For years, no one could make it happen.
Bill Skarsgård and FKA twigs in The Crow.Lionsgate
There has to be a reason.
And that reason must mean whatever finally makes it to theaters wont be good.
Well, Sanders version did make it.
Eric and Shelly inThe Crow. – Lionsgate
Its coming to theaters this weekend.
And, Im admittedly shocked to say,its actually pretty good.Its notgreat.There are issues of course.
But even the lauded 1994 Alex Proyas film with Brandon Lee had those.
Walking down the street inThe Crow.– Lionsgate
The two quickly bond, escape, and fall madly in love.
The development of that relationship covers the majority of the film, endearing the characters to the audience.
Once Eric gets those powers, it still takes him a fair amount of time to figure them out.
Then, and only then, do we get any prolonged action set pieces or superhero-key in moments.
And, once that happens, its not just cathartic, its exhilarating.
Its truly brutal and feels like an almost completely different movie.
However, as good as that third act ends up being, its also the biggest problem withThe Crow.
Tonally, its three different movies.
Its a romantic love story.
Its the origin story murder mystery.
Then its a big, exciting, violent action film.
Each has such a unique look and presence that you cant take your eyes away from them.
Plus, their chemistry is just off the charts.
Its as if theyve known each other forever.
Sanders might not have the story quite right, but the characters and performances are spot on.
Even so, there are other issues too.
The mythology of Erics powers is a little random and confusing.
A villain played by Danny Huston isnt as exciting or captivating enough to pose a real threat.
And the ending lacks a bit of the emotional impact youd hope for after everything youd just watched.
Make no mistake,The Crowis a flawed movie.
Its much better than youre expecting and, in moments, actually pretty damned good.
The Crowopens August 23.
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