Bill Skarsgård plays Eric Draven this time around, and apparently, we don’t even see him in the iconic makeup until the third act, which is… an interesting choice… though I suppose this movie had to do something different to distinguish itself from the beloved original starring the late, great Brandon Lee.
The first act develops the character of Eric and his romance with Shelley Webster (FKA Twigs), a couple of drug addicts who break out of a rehab facility to live the high life together in an unnamed city. The twist here is that the villain, Mr. Roeg (Danny Huston), not only has a connection to Shelley’s past, but he also has supernatural powers that grant him the ability to sacrifice innocent souls and extend his own time on Earth.
Also, there are multiple crows as opposed to one magical bird, as the creature serves as more of a symbol this time around rather than Eric’s eye in the sky. His ability to self-heal isn’t tied to the bird’s health, either, so Eric heals much more slowly this time around and as a result, the vigilante feels much more vulnerable.
Anyway, Shelley sees something she shouldn’t have, and Mr. Roeg sends his henchmen to kill her and Eric, whose soul is subsequently caught between the land of the living and the realm of the dead. Given the chance to sacrifice his soul to save Shelley, Eric decides to come back to put the wrong things right.
It was refreshing to hear that director Rupert Sanders (Ghost in the Shell) didn’t try to ape Alex Proyas’ gothic style and instead did his own thing visually. But it was disappointing to hear that Mr. Roeg’s henchmen came across as fairly generic and easily disposable, as one of the strengths of the original 1994 film is how memorable Funboy, T-Bird, Tin Tin, and Skank were, and how each one was given a distinct personality.
On the bright side, I’ve heard that Skarsgård is pretty good — he’s covered in tattoos and has a mullet — and that the film is pretty violent, which is what fans of The Crow are hoping for and expecting. An action scene set at an opera house is said to be a particular highlight. I forgot to ask about the film’s soundtrack, but my source didn’t mention it. It’s probably best to not even invoke the original’s soundtrack, which is one of the best ever… and also of a very particular time in music.
