Dark Avenger (1990 TV Movie) User Reviews

"I'm tired of ghosts and goblins, Cain"

[hwg1957-102-265704 · 5/10 · 9 July 2022]

Suffers in comparison to the Raimi film 'Darkman' made at the same time but on its own terms...it's pretty routine. Leigh Lawson is OK as the ex-judge Cain seemingly dead after a murder attempt but now the Avenger and Hector Elizondo is solid as the corrupt policeman Strauss. Robert Vaughan as Commissioner Peter Kinghorn is sadly hardly in it and Maggie Han as Rae is just irritating. It seemed like a TV pilot but it didn't awaken one's interest in ever seeing a series made.

It was also confusing. Did the sister of Dr Tremaine know he was the Grim Reaper? It seems at one point she knew but wanted to cure him as she was a psychiatrist too. So then why would she co-operate with the Avenger to free Walter Donovan if it meant her brother being arrested. Also the Avenger knew somehow that Tremaine was the Reaper anyway. Perhaps I missed something.

An excellent pilot show for its time. ;)

[bluesnaggletooth316 · 8/10 · 7 April 2004]

I remember this movie quite well, as it was shown in the "The Flash"'s timeslot on CBS's Thurday night lineup. I like the story's concept similarity to Sam Raimi's "DarkMan", which was really fresh at the time, and the style worked very well in the early 90's, the dark "Anti-hero". It would've been great to have Raimi helm this as a series, or even the team that brought us the "Flash"'s series, too.

I really liked the show's return to the hat and trenchcoat look for a 90's hero (what I'd call "neo-pulp") and would've liked to at least seen a 13 episode run of this show, if not just for Judge Cain's costume and the beautiful Maggie Han! :)