The Crow – A Disastrous Reimagining of a Cult Classic

Bradley Cooper, Mark Wahlberg, Jason Momoa, what ties all three actors together you may ask? They were all at one time or another attached to the long in development reboot of The Crow which, after numerous directors have cycled in and out of production, finally arrives in theatres this weekend. Less remake than it is a full on reboot of 1994’s cult classic, The Crow is a reimagining (also based on the comic book series of the same name) that takes a decidedly new approach to the material which will likely divide some fans (as evidenced by the response to the film’s marketing).

The Crow similarities to the original start and stop with the basic premise that sees Eric Draven (a very tattooed Bill Skarsgård) brought back from the dead after him and his soulmate Shelley Webster (FKA Twigs) are both brutally murdered, only to exact revenge on the killers with his newfound supernatural powers. Where the original film picked up immediately from there, throwing audiences head first into The Crow’s revenge story through a Gothic, stylized Detroit, this version takes a decidedly different approach. Beginning as a moody love story that then slowly spirals into The Crow many will more readily recognize, saving Eric’s resurrection for much later into the film. The film introduces Eric and Shelley as closed off strangers in a prison-like rehab centre where they quickly fall for one another. When those from Shelley’s past pop up in her life again, Eric helps her escape as the two go on the run, hunted by a supernatural crime lord (Danny Huston) with mysterious ties to Shelley whose granted immortality by sacrificing innocent souls to hell. When her past catches up to them, Eric is reborn as The Crow, an immortal avenging angel who feels pain but cannot die from any wound so long as his love is “pure” to get revenge on her killers and bring her back to life.

Unlike the very stylized and Gothic roots of the original, this new Crow is far more grounded in its location and display of Eric’s supernatural powers. Throughout the film, after his death, Eric enters a purgatory-esque afterlife with a lone guide surrounded by an army of crows who intermittently show up to dump exposition, explaining Eric’s powers and the context surrounding the villains. Despite how much is explained, the villain’s motivations and overall thrust of the story remained confusing. Meanwhile, Eric’s powers are far less expressionistic in their display than before, with subtle makeup compared to the full white visage of Brandon Lee and a less cocky attitude. Skarsgard’s Eric is moody and emo, an immortal soul that feels all the pain of his wounds. When he is shot, stabbed or broken, he usually needs to put his intestines or cracked bone back into place before he can heal which gives the film a much needed gnarly vibe it sorely lacks.

Almost every element of this film is overexplained and overcomplicated, delivering more runtime and “development” to its world and characters that amount to nothing more than white noise that detracts from the simple core appeal of the story. The angst and anger of its original premise smothered by the film’s strive to turn this into more of a love story afraid to go as dark as the original story did. The romance is poorly developed and lacking in chemistry, with a vague progression of time making it seem like they only knew each other for a week before the eventual murder. The attempt to make this film distinctly its own is commendable but it fails to understand the appeal of what made the original story resonate, making much of this come across as filler.

Skarsgard is good casting undone by the wrong design and approach to this material, often coming across more like a Jared Leto Joker cosplayer than The Crow. His angsty coolness and threatening actions come across try hard and awkward, in what is likely to elicit light chuckles in scenes intended to be serious. As a physical presence, the makeup and costuming take a lot out of it but Skarsgard’s physical performance is good, holding his own and flowing gracefully in the film’s one major action scene. A fight scene well into the film provides even the slightest bit of entertainment value, something the film severely lacks. Its slow pacing and progression of events is brutal, with Eric’s transformation into The Crow taking far too long of the runtime to get to. Had the romance been compelling, it’s drama and mystery even remotely intriguing than this origin story style approach may have worked, but alas.

In the end, The Crow is unfortunately a brutal and generic slog, and a reboot that fails to understand what made the original material so compelling while offering nothing compelling in its place. A lack of action, intriguing story and romantic chemistry sap this film of any energy or drive as it lurches from familiar plot beat to familiar plot beat. Also, its attempts at updating the edgy youth angst of the original are un-convincingly laughable and the core emotional throughline is never felt, making this Gothic romance revenge film land with a thud. One of the worst films of the year, stick to the original.

still courtesy of Lionsgate

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Alex Josevski

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