Review: ‘The Crow’ fails on so many levels

James O’Barr’s graphic novel, The Crow, and the movie adaptation of the same name starring the late Brandon Lee were staples of 1990s counter-culture. The film’s cult following consists of passionate fans engrossed in the love’s revenge story, which was inspired by the author’s true-life tragedy, and marked by the actor’s death during production. All that to say, in spite of the sequel pictures that came after, remaking such a beloved narrative entrenched in emotional connections is going to be wrought with challenges. Nonetheless, this year audiences are presented with another reimagining of the tale, once again titled, The Crow.

Eric (Bill Skarsgård) and Shelly (FKA twigs) are brought together by fate at a rehab facility, arriving at different times but instantly identifying a connection between them. However, she’s hiding from a powerful man (Danny Huston) whose darkest secret she discovered — and recorded. Now inseparable, the pair escape and go on the run together, indulging in all the joys and discoveries of a new relationship. However, when they’re inevitably found and Shelly is murdered, Eric is given the opportunity to return from the dead and avenge her death. Heartbroken and angry, he tracks down each of the people involved in their murders until he finally reaches the man in charge.

The film opens with an obscure scene from the comic related to one of Eric’s nightmares, representing a traumatic experience for the young man in the movie and giving the initial impression that this screen version may still be close to O’Barr’s comic. But that vision and the couple’s names are where the similarities end. This new imagining feels more like one of the disconnected film sequels than an adaptation of the source material. The story introduces never-before-seen characters, including a human guide that replaces the previously central crow in providing Eric direction, as well as a Satan worshipper with demonic gifts and a gang of unknown cronies that do his cruel bidding.

The lack of a compelling soundtrack does nothing to help the picture’s pace, which is discernably slow as Eric makes too many trips back to the in-between realm. It finally picks up at the end when he becomes fully committed to his cause, but by then it’s difficult to check back into the film. Up to then, he’s clumsily fighting more skilled henchmen one-by-one and relying primarily on his newfound immortality to barely gain the upper hand. Eric is only driven by the passion of first love as they’ve spent days, maybe weeks, together, which is a significant contrast to the enduring affections of the original pair. Its fickleness is even used as a major plot point in the movie, making it difficult to believe that their love was truly boundless or everlasting. The picture also lacks the romantic and playful poetry of its predecessors, alluding to Eric’s and Shelly’s compositions, but only sharing part of one with audiences.

It’s obvious this picture fails in comparison, though it doesn’t do so well on its own either. It’s dull and the added supernatural element is only marginally incorporated into the narrative, so it does little to enhance its attraction. Additionally, watching a browbeaten character get repeatedly pummelled loses its appeal pretty quickly. For a story based on simple, primal concepts – love, death and revenge – it neglects to create a connection between audiences and the core characters, resulting in a soulless, tedious experience.

Director: Rupert Sanders
Starring: Bill Skarsgård, FKA twigs and Danny Huston