Revenge is a dish best served as a total badass. Yes, revenge films are some of my favourite movies (if done well) as this world is so broken and so often it feels like evil is winning, so when we’re able to watch someone seek vengeance for a terrible injustice that pushes any need for the law and red tape – that’s usually followed up by a slap on the wrist in many cases – then I’m definitely here for the show. One of the coolest vengeance seekers ever to hit film, Eric Draven (Brandon Lee), sees his film, The Crow, celebrate its 30th anniversary this year with an absolutely phenomenal looking 4K release.
Sadly, The Crow is best known for it being Brandon Lee’s final movie, as he tragically died after being shot with a dummy bullet with only a few days left to film. With most of his key scenes completed the producers had to decide whether or not to go forward with finishing and releasing the movie. After lots of consideration, and with the blessing of Lee’s fiancée Eliza Hutton, they moved forward, rewriting the start of the film, as well as a few other moments to work around Lee’s passing. Chad Stahelski (best known for directing the John Wick series) was Lee’s stunt double and stepped in to film the scenes remaining. Lee’s face was added digitally in certain places, though this was 1994 and we’re a long way from de-aging Samuel L. Jackson to look like he’s 30 years younger for an entire movie, so most of the scenes with Eric that remained look to be shot from a distance.
The movie is 102 minutes, and I’d say that that a little past the midway point there’s about 15-minutes where it feels like Eric is brooding, playing the guitar, and kind of staying away from the camera. It’s not something that takes away from the movie, but I do wonder if outside of the opening flashback scene (which was the major scene they had to work around, as it was the scene being shot when Lee was killed), if there were a few moments – especially with Sarah (Rochelle Davis), who’s a young girl that Eric and his fiancée Shelley cared for due to her mother being a drug addict. I don’t know for certain, but it feels like there would have at least been a bit more between the two when she comes to talk to him. While these scenes would’ve obviously been elevated with Lee’s involvement, they were still able to make them work with proper camera angles, voice over, and minimal lines being added.
While Lee’s passing is always going to be a focus when viewing or reviewing this film (as a lot of the lines are haunting knowing that he died during filming) he did complete the majority of the movie, so we can also talk about his work and bring that to the forefront. When I say Eric Draven is one of the coolest vengeance seekers, the most obvious takeaway from that is his look. The white and black face paint, and completely black outfit is iconic. Lee lost weight for the film, as Eric Draven is a musician and a normal looking guy, yet when he dons this look he’s elevated from normal guy to total badass who drops some awesome one-liners and has such a playful delivery while dishing out his revenge that you can’t help but love it.
The story begins with Sarah narrating, explaining that it’s said that if someone dies under tragic circumstances that instead of carrying the soul to the land of the dead, a crow can resurrect their restless spirit so that they can set things right. This is such an awesome concept by writer James O’Barr, who created the comic book as a way to deal with the tragic death of his fiancée who was killed by a drunk driver. He said he was on a path of self destruction when he decided to focus his energies into the book, and that’s such a positive way to deal with something that could easily break a person. It’s not going to magically make things better, but being able to take that sadness, anger and negative energy and let it out on the page had to have been cathartic on some level.
In flashbacks we see Eric come home to find a group of thugs attacking his fiancée. She’s beaten near death, and he’s beaten, shot and thrown out the window. Seargeant Daryl Albrecht (Ernie Hudson) is in charge of the scene, and tells the team to get her to a hospital, though after hours of battling she succumbs to her injuries. One year later, on Devil’s Night, a crow brings Eric back to life to bring justice to those who killed him and his fiancée. Eric has to get his footing to begin with, as the crow leads him back to his apartment so that he can remember what happened, and from there the heavy metal badassery ensues.
I’ll get into the look of the film in the section below, but whether you’re a longtime fan of The Crow or you’re looking to check it out for the first time – get this 4K release. There’s absolutely no better way to watch it and I can tell you after 30 years, it still holds up wonderfully and Eric Draven is as badass as ever. If you’re a fan of action then you owe it to yourself to put this high on your “must see” list. Sometimes remasters can be hit or miss, especially with older films, but it’s clear from the opening sequence where we’re flying through the city towards the crime scene at Eric’s apartment that we’re in for a visual treat. The film is dark, yet it also looks clear as day. Absolutely fantastic work done by the team who worked on it, and without question the pinnacle home version of the film for fans and newcomers alike.
4K Blu-ray Video and Audio Review:
As mentioned just above, Paramount did a superb job with this 2160p/Dolby Vision remastering, as there’s so much darkness in the film, yet it shines so bright. The clarity on the characters, the crow who follows (or leads) Eric around, the costumes, the setting and city, all of it comes through with such depth and clarity, zero muddying and wonderful lighting. This is a movie that holds up extremely well, and its stylized in a way that makes it somewhat timeless, as it’s almost a dystopian city that it takes place in, with gangs setting the city ablaze on Devil’s Night each year, and everything feeling incredibly grungy and crime-ridden.
On the audio side of things we’ve got an excellent DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless track that brings this world to life around you. Bullets fly by, explosions ring out, the soundtrack and score encompasses you from all around if you’ve got the setup for it, and the dialogue sticks front and center, nice and clear. It’s a solid track to accompany an incredible visual remastering, both going hand-in-hand to deliver audiences a fantastic home viewing experience.
Special Features:
First I’ll touch on what’s new to this release as far as special features go.
Shadows & Pain: Designing The Crow – This is a new three part feature just for this anniversary release, where we sit down with legendary production designer Alex McDowell for a deep dive into his work on the film, working alongside visionary director Alex Proyas, as well as working with Brandon Lee. This is a 25-minute feature that you can watch all at once, or individually. The three parts are:
Angels All Fire: Birth of a Legend – This comes in at 7-minutes and focuses on the noir aspects of the film, the music and the stylization and production design.
On Halloween Ground: The Outer Realm – This one comes in at just over 8-minutes and sees McDowell talk about the cinematography in the film, set construction and using miniatures, as well as the theatrical production of it all.
Twisted Wreckage: The Inside Spaces – Lastly we have this 10-minute piece that talks about Lee, production, and various sets. All in all it’s a great new feature for fans of the film to check out.
Sideshow Collectibles: An Interview with Edward R. Pressman – This feature comes in at just under 14-minutes and is a sit-down interview with late Hollywood legend Edward R. Pressman. They talk about the film, the character, as well as a premium format statue that Sideshow Collectibles released of Eric Draven. The statue looks awesome, but watching it wobble throughout the interview definitely gave me anxiety. Still, definitely fine craftsmanship on the character itself – just probably could’ve used a sturdier base.
Then we’ve got some Legacy Special Features:
Audio Commentary – We’ve got the previously released track with director Alex Proyas, which is a must-listen for fans who haven’t yet.
Audio Commentary – Producer Jeff Most and Screenwriter John Shirley offer a different perspective, and different stories than Proyas, which is always welcome.
Behind the Scenes – This feature is just under 17-minutes and sees cast and crew talk about working on the film, with Lee being interviewed as well.
A Profile on James O’Barr – A tragic tale of how The Crow came to be. This is a very personal, and in-depth interview that goes just over 30-minutes for those looking to learn the backstory of how the character came to be.
Extended Scenes
Deleted Footage Montage – They’ve put the deleted scenes together in a montage format here, which is different, that’s for sure.
Trailer
Paramount Pictures Presents The Crow. Directed by: Alex Proyas. Based on the Comic by: James O’Barr. Starring: Brandon Lee, Michael Wincott, Ernie Hudson, Rochelle Davis, Bai Ling, Sofia Shinas, Anna Thomson. Running time: 102 Minutes. Rating: 18A. Released on 4K Blu-ray: May 7, 2024.
About Brendan Campbell
