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Cast:
Brandon
Lee
Ernie
Hudson
Michael
Wincott
Rochelle
Davis
Ling
Bai
David
Patrick Kelly
Angel
David
Michael
Massee
Jon
Polito
Action:
Jeff
Imada
Brandon
Lee
Writer:
James O'Barr
(comic)
David J. Schow
John Shirley
Producer:
Edward
R. Pressman
Jeff
Most
Director:
Alex
Proyas
Score:
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THE
CROW
AKA:
N/A
Year:
1994 Reviewer: Phil
Mills
"People
used to think that when someone dies, a crow carries their
soul to the land of the dead. But sometimes... just sometimes,
the crow brings that soul back to set the wrong things
right." When rock star Eric Draven (Lee) and his
girlfriend Shelley Webster are brutally murdered, this
prophecy comes true and Eric is brought back to life exactly
one year later. However, his only purpose is to reap
bloody revenge on the men responsible for taking away his life
and his love. One by one, Eric seeks out the gang
responsible who all seem blissfully unaware that this night is
likely to be their last on earth!
As
an opening and somewhat sad note, you cannot view 'The Crow' without
knowing that it was to be Brandon Lee's last film after he was
tragically killed in an on-set accident but on a brighter
note, it can also be labelled as his finest film and an
extremely proud legacy. Utilising James O'Barr's comic
book as it's source, this is an extremely dark tale of revenge
and a lost love that is a superbly crafted with an engrossing
story, larger-than-life characters and some top notch
action. Although deviating from the book slightly, it is
still a relatively accurate representation with the atmosphere
spot-on and numerous memorable lines re-enacted
perfectly. Lee's performance is perhaps the guiding
light though as he utilises his theatrical background to convey
his character as opposed to following in his father's
footsteps with the whole "kung Fu" thing. He
is constantly captivating with razor sharp delivery of
dialogue and it really amplifies the fact that he was an
immense talent who would surely have gone onto be a big
star. The action featured is also of a very high
standard, although not martial arts based there is a hint of
Brandon's influence and it certainly makes for some
interesting duels. On the whole though, its the
heartfelt story that shines through, connecting with the audience
on numerous levels and making them root for the anti-hero as
he reaps his bloody revenge on those that have wronged him.
'The
Crow' truly is compelling viewing with it's fresh approach and
gothic vision of this hell-on-earth. Sadly some may
chose to remember it primarily for the loss of Brandon Lee but
I prefer to think of it as a fitting tribute to an impressive
actor/martial artist and a superb piece of entertainment.
If I am ever pushed to name my top films of all time, then
this movie would certainly feature!
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