The Crow

The Crow (1994)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

A year after a vicious gang murders him and his fiancé, Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) returns from the dead to seek vengeance on them. I was just twelve years old when Lee was killed while making this movie and to this day I still remember very well what I was doing when I heard the news. I was actually riding back from Florida with my parents when the news broke and by the time THE CROW hit theaters I think everyone's level of excitement and sadness was rather high since we knew Lee ended up giving his life for this film. THE CROW, visually, is quite an impressive film and it's rather ironic that the real life death of Lee fit so closely with the death of the person he plays here. This is quite an exciting film to watch but there's no doubt that the haunted and sad events surrounding the movie actually help it. I think there's a very sad feeling throughout this movie and there's no question that the death also made for a very dark and haunting atmosphere. The entire film has a very cold and strange feel to it and I personally feel that a lot of it is due to what happened. We'll never know how well the film would be viewed had the tragic events not happened but as it stands the film really delivers a feeling unlike any other movie. Lee's performance is quite good in the lead as I thought he handled the action scenes quite well but he also did a very good job with the tortured character. Ernie Hudson is as dependable as always and the supporting players fit their roles nicely as well. The set design and cinematography are both top-notch and they really help the film's feel and emotion. THE CROW somewhat made Lee a legend and there's no question that the death contributed to the myth of the movie. At least Lee went all giving it his all in a film that I'm sure he would have been very proud of.