10 biggest differences between The Crow 2024 and the original movie

The following contains spoilers for The Crow, currently playing in theaters

The 2024 version of The Crow Makes a lot of changes to the story that were not present in the 1994 film of the same name. At their core, both versions of The Crow follow a similar trajectory. Both films focus on Eric, a troubled young man who is killed along with his lover, Shelly. Because of the sheer tragedy of the loss, the young man is given the opportunity to take revenge and resurrected as the nearly immortal vigilante known as the Crow.

However, both films take very different approaches to the story. The Crow’s powers, central romance, supporting characters, villains, and universe lore have changed between versions, with the new movie’s approach to one central character standing as a serious deviation from the previous version of The Crow (And even the source material that inspired both versions). Here are the biggest takeaways from the controversial 2024 remake The Crow is different from the 1994 version with Brandon Lee.

10

Shelly has a much more important role in the 2024 version of The Crow

The CrowThe 21st century remake gives Shelly more screentime and personality

Perhaps the most important distinction between the original 1994 version of The Crow And the 2024 remake is the way both films treat Shelly, Eric’s lost love, and the motivation behind his rampage. In the original movie (as well as James O’Barr’s comic), Shelley has very little impact on the actual story. Shelley is killed early in the original film, the victim of a gang assault that also kills her fiancé Eric. however, The film doesn’t spend any extra time fleshing her out as a character.

This is something that the 2024 version changes by spending much more time on the couple than in the original. Shelley is given much more characterizationIncluding a passion for music that the original seemed to lack. Her relationship with Eric is a bigger focus, and the film also spends time introducing many of her friends. The shell of the new version of The Crow Feels like a much more fleshed out character than the one who was only a motivating death in the original.

9

The 2024 Crow gives Eric & Shelly’s romance a new origin

The original version of The Crow Did not develop in their early relationship

One of the key about the 2024 version of The Crow Shelly and Eric’s relationship is dealing in the early days as a couple. Through the opening of the original version of The CrowThe romance between the couple is long-established. The relationship was largely off-screen, however, with much of the film instead devoted to Eric’s efforts to avenge her. In contrast, the new version of The Crow is much more focused on their relationship And actually delves into how the couple met.

After being arrested for some unseen crime, the Eric is introduced to the same rehab center that Shelly finds herself sent to While trying to escape Roeg. After escaping the prison, the two spend an indeterminate amount of time falling deeply in love. This is done to help enhance the tragedy of their eventual fate, and is a large part of how the film further develops the central character before the darker elements of the film take effect.

8

Eric & Shelly are targeted for a different reason in the Crow remake

Shelly is targeted by an immortal villain in the new film

One of the key elements of Eric and Shelly’s death in the original comic version of The Crow Was the way it was treated as a random act of violence. The couple were killed for no real reason, speaking to the chaos of life and death. The 1994 version added a wrinkle to this by Making the attack motivated by Top Dollar’s frustrations with Shelly’s protests Regarding tenant relocation. The 2024 version of The Crow Creates an entirely new reason for Shelley and Eric to be killed, and ties it directly to Donnie Huston’s Roeg.

In the new film, Roeg discovers that Shelly and her friends have video evidence of him using his powers on her, forcing her to kill another woman. While Roeg uses his powers to condemn people to the afterlife meant for him, Shelly escapes his grasp (with evidence that could damage Roeg’s public image) prompting him to send his minions after her. This gives Eric’s revenge mission a more personally driven element Which comes into play in the 2024 film.

7

Top Dollar and Roeg are very different villains for the Crow

The two films take very different approaches to bad guys

In both cinematic versions of The CrowA dangerous crime boss with deep connections across the city turns out to be the main cause of Eric and Shelly’s suffering. however, Top Dollar and Roeg are very different villains. Top Dollar is established as an outspoken criminal, whose efforts to further take control of Detroit prompt him to order several deaths across the city. He is a young man who even shares a passing physical resemblance to Eric, making their eventual confrontations feel like a dark reflection of one another.

rather, Rog is a much older character. His criminal conspiracy has seemingly worked much more effectively, with the police largely following his directives. He is even seen as a high-standing figure in society, capable of hosting major events with little suspicion of his true nature. While both of them share a similar place in the world, their operations could not be more different.

6

Other supernatural forces are at work in the New Crow

The 2024 version of The Crow Teas a much wider world of supernatural forces

One of the most memorable elements of 1994’s The Crow Is the way it positioned a supernatural force of vengeance against a horde of evil but grounded threats. Top Dollar and the criminals working for him are regular people, unprepared to confront an immortal figure like the Crow. Although they steadily adapted and tried to hone in on the unexpected weaknesses of the character, They remained dead throughout the film.

The 2024 version of The Crow Don’t go that way with Roeg, Which is established as a supernatural threat itself. After making an unprecedented deal with the devil for immortality, Roeg is also revealed to have the power to force others to act on his orders. This makes Roeg a direct contrast to Eric after he gains his powers. Roeg’s apparent pursuit of immortality even sets up his efforts to capture the Crow, as he seeks to live forever but outside the parameters of his previous bargain. This expands the supernatural influence and impact on the world of The Crow.

5

The new Crow does not share the same weakness as the original

Brandon Lee Crow has an external weakness, while Skarsgård has an internal one

Both cinematic versions of The Crow Meet the revived Eric as an almost unstoppable force. Their healing factor makes them unstoppable in a fight, and allows them to withstand large amounts of punishment while on their respective quests for revenge. however, Both of them are given a weakness that removes their abilities. in 1994 The CrowEric is revealed to receive his powers directly from one of the mystical crows that helped ferry his soul to the afterlife and then allowed him to return.

When Top Dollar’s forces realize this, they are able to wound the Crow and depower Eric. In the 2024 version, the Crows are never a target of Roeg and his men. Instead, Eric loses his powers when he doubts his true love for Shelly, because that love was what fueled his resurrection in the first place. Niha, The 1994 version of the film used this weakness to target Eric during the climactic battle.While the new film reveals it earlier in the film’s pivotal emotional beat for Eric.

4

The original Crow was much more theatrical with his kills

The Crow Plays with the style of the kills of the lead character

One of the more interesting differences between the two versions of The Crow is the way the two films personify and showcase the titular undead vigilante, especially once he’s gone on his rampage. In the 1994 version of The Crow, Eric became a much more creative and theatrical killer. He targets the gang that murdered him and Shelly with ironic punishments (such as riddling the knife-wielding Tin Tin with blades or forcing the drug-using Funboy to overdose).

Overall, the version of The Crow played by Brandon Lee was a much more theatrical character, delivering quotes to his victims and taunting them before killing them. The version of The Crow played by Bill Skarsgård is a much more dopey character, often in a greater mood and much less prepared to kill his victims than the original version. His earliest kills were much more unexpectedAnd even his slaughter of Roeg’s men feels less over the top than the 1994 version. It showcases Eric as a much different character in the new film, even as he follows the same general plot.

3

Kronos was not in the original Crow

The voice of the crows is original in the 2024 film

Kronos is the most important character in the 2024 version of The Crow which did not appear in the original film. Kronos is a mysterious figure that Eric encounters once he dies. Finding him in a mysterious train station that seems to exist between time and space, Kronos is the one who speaks for the Crows and explains to Eric what happened to him. He reappears later in the film, calling Eric out for failing to achieve his mission before losing faith in Shelly and ultimately helping restore his powers.

Kronos serves as the voice of the crows That revive Eric, who are played with a more mysterious air than they were in the original film. Kronos is an invention for the new film, being absent from the original comic and the 1994 film adaptation. He serves as an exposition dump in the new film, and helps establish the lore of the new film.

2

2024 The Crow is missing important characters from the original

There is no cop or young girl trying to help the 2024 Crow

While Kronos is only in the new film, There are several other important characters from the 1994 version of The Crow who are absent in the new film. The two most important are Ernie Hudson’s Sergeant Daryl Albrecht and Rachel Davis’ Sarah Mohr. Albrecht is the closest thing Eric gets to a steady ally in the 1994 version of The CrowWith the police officers coming through in the final moments of the film to help save the day.

Sarah is a young girl who befriended Eric and Shelly while they were alive. Her safety ends up becoming a key motivation for Eric later in the film, especially after she is kidnapped by Top Dollar and his men. No character is in the 2024 version of The CrowWhich roots Eric’s motivations entirely in revenge against Shelly. In fact, the only cop who plays any major role in the film is actually a minion of Roeg’s and is Eric’s first kill in the film.

1

Shelley is resurrected in the Crow remake

Shelley’s ultimate fate is completely different in the new film

One of the biggest changes in the 2024 remake The Crow Power to the original is the final fate of Shelley. In both versions, Eric eventually completes his mission for revenge and kills the people who arranged their murder. However, the 1994 version ends with Eric being brought back to the afterlife by Shelley’s spirit. This is not the case in the remake, in which Eric is trying to reverse their deaths.

Speaking with Kronos, Eric discovers that completing his mission will seemingly restore the pair to life. When he almost loses faith and his mission upended, Eric instead offers to stay in the afterlife while Shelly is revived. Kronos accepts the bargain, and at the end of the film, Shelley (but not Eric) seemingly revives. This provides the latest version of The Crow A bittersweet edge the original didn’t have, keeping Eric and Shelly separated but with the belief that the couple will be reunited some day