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The Crow

The Crow

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The Myth of the Crow
Review: The Crow opens with a voiceover reading this myth: "People once believed that when someone dies, a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead. But sometimes, something so bad happens that a terrible sadness is carried with it, and the soul can't rest. Then sometimes, just sometimes, the crow can bring that soul back, to put the wrong things right."

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.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best movie, Ever!!!
Review: I was bored one night and went out and rented 4 movies, and I found this movie and the second I popped it into my dvd player, I was in love.
This movie has action, suspense, everything. the story is good and it is not confusing at all. I have watched this movie at least 100 times since I purchased it last summer.
If you have not seen this movie, I recommend you see it , Right now.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Quoth the Raven, "Awesome Movie!"
Review: Tragically, this film has been dismissed by many critics as an excessively violent movie designed to play to an audience of teenage Goths and vampire wannabees harboring a morbid fascination with death. Equally tragic is the fact that the star of the film never got to see the completed picture, as he died in an on-set accident near the end of principal photography. With his widow's consent, the filmmakers persevered and completed the film, intercutting doubles and digital reinsertions of Brandon Lee into the film.

Based on James O'Barr's graphic novel, the film was a groundbreaking entry into the realm of adult "comic book" fiction, using a non-traditional superhero (in many ways, an anti-hero) as its protagonist. This dark film showed studio execs the power and profit waiting to be mined from graphic novel/comic book fiction. Without the overwhelming success of The Crow, the dark heroes in Spawn, Blade, Road to Perdition, LXG, and the forthcoming Constantine and Hellboy might never have made it to the silver screen.

The film has always had the following aspects I found appealing:

1. The delicious characterization of the antagonists in the film. Although some border on caricature, the villans are all uniquely evil, and all receive retribution commensurate for their crimes. Particularly juicy are David Patrick Kelly's Milton-quoting "T-Bird" and Michael Wincott's "Top Dollar," who has it all but wants even more.

2. The poetic justice of the villans (usually) having their own vices turned against them. Particularly impressive is the death of T-Bird, whose tendencies toward arson are rewarded with his incendiary demise behind the wheel of his eponymous vehicle, and the Crow's subsequent "signature," left in flaming accelerant at the scene of the crime.

3. The unique way in which a theme that has been done frequently (love is stronger than death) is handled throughout the film.

4. The stunning incorporation of music. Alex Proyas has been unfairly criticized for turning the film into one long music video. Certainly, the combination of Proyas' visual sense with the dark, nihilistic music of NIN, STP, The Cure, Rollins Band, Helmet, and Violent Femmes (just to name a few) displays his roots in directing music videos, but the film seamlessly oscillates between Graeme Revell's tender, melodic score and the film's heavy, alternative soundtrack at just the right moments.

Although the ill-advised sequels failed to live up to the visual (or box office) power of the original, The Crow offers a mournfully tragic, yet redeeming story if the viewer can look past the violence and strong language to the beauty of the story of eternal love and justice that lies beneath.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: EXCELLENT
Review: This is a wonderful film. Make sure you check out the comic book that inspired it. It's fantastic too.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A sad movie, and Brandon Lee's swansong
Review: Brandon Lee stars in this masterpiece. His last movie, Rapid Fire was not this good with this much emotion. The sad thing about this movie is that Brandon Lee got shot during the making. Knowing this makes the movie even more sad. However, this movie is still a classic. Now, having watched this movie about 30 times over the last month qualifies for a review. For the review I will give an overview of the movie and my thoughts about the movie.

Eric Draven, a musician (played by Bruce Lee) and his fiance, Shelly, are brutally murdered. Eric Draven's spirit, however, cannot sleep until he rights the wrongs and gives justice to those men who murdered them. So, Eric, guided by the crow, sets off after Top Dollar and his cronies (T-Bird, Skank, Funboy, and Tin-Tin).

The movie may get criticized for him just killing off the guys, but if your girlfriend got raped and killed, wouldn't you go off and kill the men who did it? I think that the movie has a lot of emotion and shows the kind of drama I have yet to see in a movie. I feel that, even though I'm 12 years old, that it made an impact on me. I could see the emotion and the chemistry between Eric and Shelly, and when I saw that they got killed right after seeing all of the love they had for each other, made me cry like you wouldn't believe. I would definitely recommend the movie and I highly suggest you get a box of kleenex. Brandon Lee's last moment on earth is a triumphant one, and he would be proud if he knew the impact it has on people today.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Crow
Review: A romance that builds to a height that without the depth of the characters, would've ceased to be a movie adapted from James O' Barr's vision and changed into a movie adapted from Marvel comics. The film is directed with style and mood, which makes up for the usually heavy-handed villians. Brandon Lee of course totally embodies the character of Draven and is the glue that makes the film work.

There's quite a bit of extras on the second disc. The most interesting for me, was the interview with O'Barr which gives insight into his motives and reasons for doing what he does and has done.

All said though, the movie can never replace the book by O'Barr, which is arguably is essential if you saw this film and liked it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Dark gothic fantasy
Review: In the history of screen adaptations of comic books, Alex Proyas's adaptation of James O'Barr's underground comic _The Crow_ is one of the finest. I like Marvel Comics a lot and I've enjoyed most of the recent adaptations of the Marvel catalogue. But in comics-to-screen-land, I have _three_ favorite Lees: Stan, Ang, and the late Brandon.

(Brandon Lee, as most visitors to this page will already know, died tragically as this film was being produced. That's a terrible loss and it adds an even darker edge to an already dark film.)

Alex Proyas, who would later give us the haunting noir-SF _Dark City_, here turns his directorial hand to bringing _The Crow_ to (heh heh) life. The film recalls all the best elements of Tim Burton's first _Batman_ film and, I think, outdoes its predecessor by quite a bit.

You probably already know the plot here. Rock musician Eric Draven (d'Raven; get it?) and his fiancee Shelly Webster are brutally murdered on Devil's Night (the night before Halloween). Exactly one year later, Draven returns temporarily to life in order to exact revenge on the thugs who murdered them. Which he does, very stylishly.

Dressed in Goth black and with his face painted white, he comes across as something like a vampire, something like a one-man combination of Batman and the Joker, and something like the old comic book hero the Spectre (remember? murdered policeman Jim Corrigan returned from the dead?). The whole thing is calculated, in the old Batman phrase, to strike terror into the hearts of evildoers, and so is Draven's remarkable healing ability: since his wounds close over just about as fast as they're formed, he's all but unstoppable.

Anyway, the overarching theme is that love is eternal, but along the way we get to see a lot of dark and gratifying violence as the bad guys get what's coming to them.

The cast and the script are magnificent. Of course the late Brandon Lee steals the show. But everybody else is good too, including the bird.

The cinematography is brilliant. Everything is muted into almost pure black and white, with occasional touches of red. The cityscape is wonderfully realized, fitting somewhere between Burton's Gotham and Proyas's own Dark City. And it always seems to be raining. On top of all that, the entire thing is lifted high into the (night) sky by Graeme Revell's otherworldly score.

If you like noir fantasy, don't miss this one. The genre doesn't get any better.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Awesome
Review: I didn't know he was the kid of Bruce Lee. The whole fact that I waited to see this movie on encore really depresses me. My dad told me to get out when he was watching it on dvd a long time ago. I never got to see it until now. This movie is awesome.

The first thing you will probably notice is the set. It's probably one of the best ever done next to lord of the rings, possibly even better. Everything is gothic and such. You will mabye feel comfortable in the setting once(in the little girls house) but thats basically it.

Anyways, this dead rockstar comes back to life to avenge his death and the death/rape of his girlfriend. He sets out on revenge and he basically is the perfect combination of good and evil.

As for the other reviews. The movie is good. I saw that most of the reviews have 0 out of 2 or 0 out of 1. That is because 2 people who hate violent movies decided to make everyone's reviews look bad. This movie is awesome. Every review should be 5 stars. Action, drama, a little humor, and the best set designs make this an above-average action film that is a true classic.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: ALEX¿S CAPSULE MOVIE REVIEWS
Review: Highlights: Brandon Lee's doomed performance, resonating dread and malice; astounding sets that possibly rank amongst the best in comic book adaptations (except, perhaps, the original Batman and Alex Proyas' later Dark City), non-stop full-throttle energy.

Lowpoints: Over-dramatized bits; lack of decent dialogue.

Conclusion: The Crow, famous for its protagonist's death during the shoot, is a startlingly uncompromising visual experience that will be cherished by fans of dark comic books, such as Spawn, The Punisher and even Alien. Watch it for its groundbreaking special effects, efficient rock soundtrack and possibly the most agreeably gothic atmosphere ever created in a film.

SEE THIS IF YOU LIKED: Spawn, Batman I, II, Dark City, Aliens.
DON'T SEE THIS IF YOU LIKED: Daredevil, Spiderman, or any other PG-13 atrocity out there.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: For Brandon
Review: This IS, without a doubt, the Greatest Movie of all Time! Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant! Lee's portrayal as the murdered Eric Draven may have won him countless awards and accolades had he not been the victim of a tragic on set accident. He made his character believable, which considering he came back from the dead, was no mean feat! "Ghostbusters" star Ernie Hudson gives a surprisingly impressive performance as the Police Officer who can't quite believe Draven is back. Michael Wincott, as Top Dollor, is also great.With the opening narrative, Graeme Revell's emotional score, fantasy, action, love, violence, comedy, and brilliant ending, this film is a phenomenon. Buy It, Watch It, Make your friends watch it, and Share a truly unique experience. WE MISS YOU, BRANDON! 1st February 1965 - 31st March 1993.


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