Don't listen to the negative reviews

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Fans of Gothic styled revenge dramas will appreciate "The Crow", a film achieving something like cult status with the tragic death of it's principal star during filming. Brandon Lee is appropriately cast as the enigmatic Eric Draven, returned from the dead to avenge the murder of his girlfriend as well as his own at the hands of thugs operating under the auspices of a crime lord who keeps an entire neighborhood under his sway. Lee is charismatic in the role, ghostly white face paint notwithstanding, which lends an aura of awe and fascination to his character. Unlike his famous father Bruce Lee, Brandon doesn't indulge in choreographed martial arts to seek his revenge, though he does achieve a level of creativity in the way he dispatches his victims, leaving a unique crow style calling card each time he exacts his retribution. The picture itself is dark and foreboding in keeping with it's theme, with the villains having such descriptive names as Tin Tin, Funboy, T-Bird and Skank. Interestingly, Eric Draven himself is never referred to as The Crow of the title, as that function is performed by a mysterious black bird that heralds Draven's appearances and serves as witness to the retribution that follows.

The question is, would The Crow be the cult movie it is today without Lee's untimely death? Possibly not, although interest in the character was strong enough to generate a dire sequel with Vincent Perez in the title role, as well as a TV series with chop-sockey C-lister Mark Dacascos. What is certain though is that, like River Phoenix and James Dean, Lee entered the grim pantheon of fast-lived good-looking corpses and thus gained a morbid immortality which no doubt adds to his popularity among his adolescent, angsty fan base. It's a popularity significantly reinforced by Lee's eerie musing on mortality during his final screen interview just days before his death. "Because we do not know when we will die we get to think of life as an inexhaustible well," he said. "It all seems limitless."

"People once believed that when someone dies, a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead. But sometimes, something so bad happens that a terrible sadness is carried with it and the soul can't rest. Then sometimes, just sometimes, the crow can bring that soul back to put the wrong things right."Those are the words that usher us into the world of director Alex Proyas' legendary film "The Crow," based of course on the beloved comic book created by James O'Barr. The film is a defining masterpiece of its decade, and a dark and Gothic portrayal of action, romance and vengeance that thrilled audiences and remains a cult-classic to this very day, more than twenty years later. Though overshadowed by the tragic loss of its star Brandon Lee, whom was accidentally killed in an on-set incident, the fact remains that there's something special here. Something that cannot be stopped by the misfortune of Lee's passing. Something provocative and moving. Something that spoke to audiences when it was released in 1994 and still very much does.The film follows Eric Draven (Lee), a rock-and-roll guitarist who is slain- along with his fiancée Shelly- the night before their wedding in an apparent gang attack. One year later, he is brought back to life through the power of a crow- who are said to carry the souls of the dead into the afterlife. Now granted an array of supernatural (and superhuman) abilities that render him seemingly immortal, Eric stalks the night on a mission of revenge against those who destroyed his life. He receives help from Sarah (Rochelle Davis), a young girl who had befriended Shelly before her death and kind-hearted cop Albrecht (Ernie Hudson) in his hunt for retribution. What Eric doesn't realize, however, is just how far into the dark and criminal underworld he'll have to go, nor will he be able to predict the severity and intricacy of his search...I think a great deal of the magic of "The Crow" lies in the fact that while not particularly original and reliant on plenty of cliché and convention, it fundamentally excels at everything it sets out to do with a level of style and competence that is far beyond the standard Hollywood film. We've seen this story and these ideas before. But not told in quite this same way. The film isn't content with just giving us a standard visual palette... instead it crafts a complex and Gothic atmosphere that's striking and visually engaging, and combines different filmmaking techniques to create a world all its own. The characters aren't just archetypes... they're fully fleshed out and even the more minor of characters are given a great deal of establishment and development. The film doesn't just follow the standard path... but rather it gives us a stirring narrative where stakes are constantly raised and because of the supernatural elements at play, we can never guess what's going to come next. The original comic came from a very unique place, and it's clear that the cast and crew of the film are going above and beyond to craft a masterpiece.To build upon this, the performances are a phenomena and lend much to the story. Lee is a revelation, and injects not only plenty of pathos and agony into the role of Draven... but also a large amount of hope and joy. Conflicted though he may be, he's still willing to do the right thing by other people and to help them even in his war of violence and vengeance. Hudson and Davis round out our protagonists in nuanced and sensitive roles that very much compliment Draven's struggles and help to inject some heart into the narrative so that it never feels bogged down by the rampant darkness of the story. And our villains- including David Patrick Kelly, Tony Todd, Bai Ling and the extremely underrated Michael Wincott are all deliciously evil, yet still feel somewhat grounded and "real." It's a great rogues gallery for Draven to face off against with some top- notch performers behind them.And finally, the film is a complete powerhouse of visual storytelling. As mentioned above, director Alex Proyas seemingly builds and entire new world with the help of writers David J. Schow and John Shirley, in addition to his inspiration from James O'Barr's original comic. The colors are cold and stark. The designs sharp and vast. And the contrast in color and darkness is simply outstanding. Proyas takes inspiration from many sources and his slick, flowing camera-work perfectly compliments the twisted Gothic world that is crafted. He knows how to showcase both his actors and his sets for maximum emotional impact, and the film is never anything less than completely absorbing and wondrous to behold."The Crow" is by far and quite easily one of the defining films of the 1990's. With an impact still being felt to this day, definitive demonstrations of themes and visual nuances, stunning performances and a memorable message, it's no wonder why the film has maintained such a strong and dedicated following. And though its effects and ideals might feel somewhat antiquated or even dated by films that have gone on to successfully improve on the techniques used and defined here, you simply cannot downplay how big an impact its had on popular culture. It's a stunning work of art through-and- through and easily earns a perfect 10 out of 10.

It was so interesting to watch one of the most infamous movies ever made. It's not infamous because of its content but because of its production. The movie stars Brandon Lee, the son of the famous Bruce Lee. There was actually an accident on the set that actually killed him in real life. Yep, really. I feel bad for not liking this movie more if only because I want to remember a film that was truly made in remembrance to someone. Of course, it's a good film for me. It was based on an Image comic that I wasn't quite aware of.I recognized Ernie Hudson which was cool because I believe he's the most prolific black actor in history. I admit that some of the story doesn't make that much sense, especially near the end. It's still great to watch a good superhero movie from the 1990's before the golden age really hit. I personally didn't care that much for "Blade" and think this works better as an R-rated superhero movie. Brandon Lee is of course wonderful and we get lots of great imagery and lighting effects. The mood and atmosphere are perfect in this film that doesn't get too dark. ***