THE CROW : Tuesday 3rd September 2024.

I saw the MA15+ rated 'THE CROW' at my local multiplex earlier this week, and this American gothic superhero film is Directed by Rupert Sanders who made his Directorial debut with 'Snow White and the Huntsman' in 2012 and followed this up with 'Ghost in the Shell' in 2017. This film is a reboot of 'The Crow' film series, it is the fifth film in the franchise, and is the second film, after the 1994 original film Directed by Alex Proyas, to adapt the 1989 comic book series by James O'Barr. This film adaptation saw its World Premiere in New York City on 20th August, was released in the US on 23rd August, here in Australia on 29th August, and has generated negative reviews from critics and has bombed at the Box Office, grossing so far just US$18M globally from a production budget of US$50M.

The film opens with Shelly (FKA Twigs) receiving a video-text from her friend Zadie (Isabella Wei) that incriminates Vincent Roeg (Danny Huston), a crime lord posing as a musical aristocrat. Choosing to save the video, despite knowing that possessing it would mean her death, Shelly attempts to go into hiding but is pursued soon afterwards by Roeg's henchmen. They call off their pursuit when Shelly is arrested for drug possession. Meanwhile Eric (Bill Skarsgard), an addict with a far from ideal childhood, struggles to maintain a grip on his life, suffers nightmares at a rehab centre, and is relentlessly picked on by other patients and staff alike. Zadie is captured and interrogated by Roeg. He reveals that, centuries ago, he had made a pact with the Devil to send innocent souls to Hell in exchange for eternal life. He forces Zadie to kill herself by whispering incantations in her ear. 

Shelly, a musician suffering similar issues to Eric is sent to the same rehab centre where Eric is housed. The two quickly form a firm bond. When Marian (Laura Birn), Roeg's right-hand woman, suddenly appears at the institution, Shelly panics and convinces Eric to help her escape. Breaking through a laundry window and over razor wire, they take refuge in the vacant home of one of Shelly's friends who is away indefinitely in Antigua, and the two soon fall in love and attempt to live a carefree life together, but are soon found by Roeg's men and suffocated to death. 

Eric wakes in a purgatory-like disused rail yard where Kronos (Sami Bouajila), a spirit guide, explains that Eric will have to kill Roeg and all of his associates in order to be reunited with Shelly. Revived and possessing the ability to rapidly self-heal from injuries, Eric visits Sophia (Josette Simon), Shelly's mother, who accompanied Marian to the rehab centre. Sophia reveals that she made a deal with Roeg - wealth in exchange for Shelly's soul. After Eric leaves, Roeg visits Sophia to ask about Eric and then forces her to jump off the roof to her death when dissatisfied with her answers. Eric proceeds to hunt down and kill several of Roeg's men, and afterwards finds Shelly's phone with the incriminating video revealing that Roeg had previously forced Shelly to kill a woman, having whispered incantations into her ear. 

Suddenly doubting his love for Shelly, Eric loses his ability to heal and is again killed. Returned to the afterlife, Eric makes a deal with Kronos to take Shelly's place in Hell in exchange for another chance to kill Roeg. Kronos grants Eric his wish saying that he will forever be banished to the depths of Hell, that his blood will run black, but that his superhuman strength and his ability to self-heal will be returned. 

Roeg learns of Eric's supernatural abilities and orders Marian to lure him to them in order to seize Eric's powers. Eric tracks Marian to an opera house, brutally killing all of Roeg's henchmen with a Samurai sword to reach her, but not before being riddled with more bullets than you could possibly count, which of course he is immune to. Marian reluctantly states Roeg's location at his country estate before Eric decapitates her. 

Eric drives to Roeg's estate where a fight breaks out between them both with Roeg managing to subdue Eric and attempts to steal his powers before Eric is able to transport them both to the afterlife, where he quickly finishes Roeg who is then pulled down into the abyss of Hell, and saves Shelly's soul. After Shelly rises to the surface the lovers share a brief reunion, before Shelly is revived on the night of their deaths and mourns for Eric after Kronos, disguised as a medic, tells her that he gave his life for her. Eric willingly accepts his fate, content in his belief that their souls will one day be reunited.

Much has been written about this turkey of a movie that really we didn't need when we have the cult classic 1994 version featuring Brandon Lee who so tragically died during the films production. Here Director Rupert Sanders has opted for style over substance with this gothic revenge thriller and a slow paced hardly convincing love story that is heavy on the imagery and the visceral action sequences particularly in the third act, but light on in terms of plot points. Bill Skarsgard gives his all as the tortured lost soul hell bent on avenging the death of his beloved girlfriend and who is pumped so full of lead its a wonder he could walk and dispense with all those nasty followers of Roeg in such a violent bloodfest, but all the other characters are largely one dimensional. For those of us familiar with the original film, don't bother having your judgement clouded by this unnecessary reboot, and for those of us who aren't don't waste your money on the price of a cinema ticket when you can stream it in a couple of months for a lot less. 

'The Crow' warrants two claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-