The Crow

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Myself

I think I have seen this once before and that was a very long time ago and I really don't remember it at all. Now that I've seen it again I think I do remember most of it, it's just that there wasn't that much too it. It's a pretty simple story, but it's all about the style here.

Alex Proyas makes a great dark gothic sleezy comic book style city. I think he went further with his follow up Dark City, which ironically I think is better lit that this film, but you can see a lot of the same techniques here. A lot of blending of miniatures and live action with big camera fly throughs and pans and wipes and fun stuff live that.

The editing is very problematic for me. It's almost impressionistic. I don't know if this is on purpose or because they had to edit around Brandon Lee's unfortunate death but whichever the case, it makes for disjointed film. It always feels like we are missing scenes or we never spend enough time to get to know characters. There's so much jump cutting and intercutting and flashes of dreams and memory , you can follow what's going on but perhaps a few more straight scenes would be nice.

Arg, it's hard to describe, it's not that the exposition is vague it just never feels done to me. I'm never satisfied with what they've given me, like it's an extended trailer for the film.

It has a huge cult following, and it is an awesome looking 90's action revenge story. Dark and a little gothic, a little punk rockish with very comic book images. I've always been more of a Dark City fan though.