Whether we accept it or not, campy horror films are not the best. They are often littered with dumb storylines and jokes, unrealistic plasticky practical effects that just feel fake, and some horrible B-Grade acting. However, when you combine that campy and corniness of the 90s horror films with a ton of action and fantasy goodness, it can turn into something truly entertaining.
That is the mindset behind every single one of Alex Proyas’ films, whether you look at Dark City, I, Robot, or even the bizarre Gods of Egypt, every single film of his follows the template he created with The Crow.
How to Download The Crow
You can download the film from a digital store. You can also stream it. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice.
The Movie Review
The Crow is a 1994 action-fantasy film that follows the journey of a young man named Eric Draven. Eric is a talented guitarist and poet, who is looking to find his place in the grand cosmos of our world, and he aims to make a name for himself. However, when he is unfairly killed, Eric is resurrected by a supernaturally gifted crow. Now that Eric is back to life, this crow will guide him to where his killers are and help him seek vengeance for what was done to him.
There is a signature distinct style to every Alex Proyas, The Crow is no exception to this fact. This is a campy film, full of dialogue that can be interpreted into memes and it can quite easily become an unintentionally funny landmark. However, due to the obscurity of this film, it is rarely mentioned in popular culture and mainstream entertainment media. That doesn’t stop it from being an absolutely amazing film though, The Crow is one of the most entertaining films of its kind.
This semi-dystopian tale is depicted in such a horrifying and gruesome way, that it struck a chord with the audiences. The film starts out with one of the most brutal depictions of violence and then divulges into more violent acts throughout its runtime. It keeps things entertaining though, with some funny and witty dialogues sprinkled into every action sequence and moments of respite in the film. Moreover, the film makes sure you are interested in the characters and their journey.
The most important part of this film has to be the acting. Now I’m not going to say that this film has bad acting, but this is one of those films where it has unintentionally funny acting. You see, this was an early example of a superhero film made in a much darker tone.
So, it retains some of the most entertaining thriller elements from darker films, as well as its tone. However, some of the dialogue here can feel quite Marvel Cinematic Universe. For the most part though, Brandon Lee portrays the character of Eric with an infectious charm to him, despite him being an honest maniac.
Of course, we cannot talk about The Crow without talking about the absolutely godly cinematography of this action film. The cinematographer Dariusz Wolski paints a portrayal of vengeance throughout every single scene. Each shot depicts the main characters’ motivations. It depicts them through its use of color, color grading, new camerawork techniques, and different camera angles to add a layer of pure emotional anguish.
Moreover, to make this tale of rage feel even more full of drive and ambiance, we have the soundtrack by Graeme Revell. This soundtrack adds so many layers of beauty and rage to this film. It elevates every single scene that it’s present in. It makes sure the viewers are emotionally devastated by the time that this film ends.
The Verdict
The Crow is a cathartic film about loss, heartbreak, and pure hatred. Every single element of the human psyche that is present in this film is depicted with extreme caution and extreme focus. This is a superhero film, it showcases a man returning from death only to take revenge on the people who wronged him. It never shies away from that concept and lives in the same vein as Sam Raimi’s Darkman. It’s a film that masters the art of cinematography and emotional visuals while containing a story that is lovable, a cast of characters that are brutally well written, and a premise that is ridiculous enough to be cosmically enchanting.
