My first introduction to The Crow was back in the 90s with Alex Proyas’ masterpiece with the late, great, Brandon Lee in what would become his Swan Song movie. The film was followed by several attempts to keep the franchise going but they never touched on the passion that Proyas’ version brought to the screen.
We have been brought a reboot or retelling with a new adaptation of James Barr’s graphic novel by director Rupert Sanders (Ghost in the Shell, Snow White and the Huntsman). The movie stars Bill Skarsgard as Eric and FKA Twigs as Shelly.
For many of us who adore the 1994 movie the news of this reboot hit hard and even watching the trailer in the cinema was painful, but as I review movies I had to bite the bullet and check out this new release at my local Cineworld.
Bill Skarsgård takes on the iconic role of THE CROW in this modern reimagining of the original graphic novel by James O’Barr.
Eric (portrayed by Skarsgård) and Shelly (played by FKA twigs) are soulmates who are brutally murdered when the demons from Shelly’s dark past catch up with them. Eric is given the chance to save his true love by sacrificing himself, and he sets out on a path of merciless revenge against their killers. He traverses the worlds of the living and the dead to right the wrongs that have been done.
I went into seeing The Crow (2024) with little excitement, the trailers that I had seen didn’t do anything for me and to be honest, I think we can get the gist of the entire film in the trailers! I took a deep gulp as the film started with its someone “Bond-esque” opening sequence and waited to see if director Sanders had pulled off creating a movie that could even be on par with Proyas’ movie had so much passion, excitement, energy and elements of the story that have made so many people love the 1994 release.
Sadly I was disappointed, or should I say even more disappointed, with this adaptation of the character and the story of love across life and death. The film drags and I mean drags, the script just did nothing for me and I kept wondering when all that wonder of the revenge that The Crow should bring us would happen.
The Crow is a lacklustre movie, it just seems to try to keep going and falling at the hurdles, I wasn’t impressed with FKA Twigs as Shelly I couldn’t take to her role it just seemed flat and heartless with a lack of energy.
After Skarsgards turn in Boy Kills World and the action that had I was hoping to see much of the same action in The Crow, nope! Even the fight sequences in this movie just seem to effortless and didn’t even excite me a bit.
As an example of the lack of anything that resembles moments that stand out, in the 1994 movie there is a scene that many will remember as T-Bird (David Patrick Kelly) is looking at Eric and with sheer fear blurts out the amazing line, “We put you through the window. There ain’t no coming back. This is the really real world, there ain’t no coming back. We killed you dead, there ain’t no coming back!“.
In this new movie, we get a similar moment as Eric (Skarsgard) stands next to a car and the driver who is one of the bad guys that helped kill Eric & Shelly says, “I Killed you” and Eric replies, “Yeah! You Did“. It left me feeling nothing, it was a scene that just lacked anything, no fear, no anger or anything that could resemble a moment that would give you the shivers!
There isn’t anything in this adaptation of The Crow that had me on the edge of my seat or just feeling anything for Eric or Shelly. Alex Proyas’ 1994 film had me gunning for Eric and feeling his pain for the loss of Shelly, this movie just had me wondering when it was going to finish!
I’m just glad I have a Cineworld Unlimited Card as I would have would out and asked for a refund!
Images Courtesy of Lionsgate