Brandon Lee is absolutely unforgettable in the premier cult classic of the 90s

In 1994, Alex Proyas (I, robot) brought James O’Bars The Crow
Comic Life with the help of writer David J. Schow (The hunger) and John Shirley (The specialist). Brandon Lee, a promising young actor and son of Bruce Lee, would portray the lead with Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters) and Michael Wincott (No) in supporting roles. The result is the premier cult classic of the 90s. The Crow Easily overcomes his stock and inconsistent CGI by simply being himself. The creatives work with extreme confidence, and it shows in every frame.

When Sergeant Albrecht (Hudson) arrives at the scene of a brutal murder, it is clear that the victim, Shelly Webster (Sophia Shinas), has a chance to survive. It’s the night before her wedding and, sadly, her groom-to-be Eric Draven (Lee) is killed in the incident. A year later, Eric crawls out of his grave reincarnated with the power to heal from any wound. With a mystical crow following him on his search for those who took away his beloved, he sets off into the night.

Across town, underground kingpin Top Dollar (Wincott) gets word of a man with white face paint killing his men one by one. When Eric realizes that it was Top’s men who attacked him and Shelly, he burns through the middlemen and finds himself face-to-face with the author of his misery.

The Crow is a masterclass in setting & worldbuilding

The production plan in The Crow Is far from perfect but there is a will to choose a style and sticking to it. Almost every scene takes place at night, where it’s easier to hide bad CGI and patchwork sets. It works as a contrast with Eric’s white face paint and all-black ensemble. When color is introduced, it jumps off the screen. The opening features a room with red light and every time we cut back to the set, it reorients the senses of the otherwise dark film.

Even today, most films are not creative or brave enough to combine real streets and sets to make the idea of ​​running across rooftops seem almost simple. As Lee flies through the night, the set not only looks great, but it evokes a strong sense of place. Although the film takes place in Detroit, it feels like a layer of hell carved out just for this story.

Brandon Lee will forever be an icon thanks to the Crows

The tragic end to Brandon Lee’s life should not overshadow the brilliant work he delivered. An unproven star with a famous father, it’s hard to say if that’s working for or against him in the grand scheme of ​​things, but once The Crow was released was no doubt. Lee not only has talent, but has a style that we still haven’t seen in Hollywood since. His physicality is unique, but what stands out is his line delivery. What he and Proyas cooked worked like a charm.

Everything that comes out of his mouth has the air of someone who knows exactly what the actor opposite him is going to say. It is not in a stiff manner that implies that he was just going through the motions of the scripture, but more like an erratic God preaching the gospel of death. The performance is just that, a performance, and when Lee is front and center the film can do no wrong.

While Lee changed the trajectory of what a lead can be, The Crow Pioneered a style that has been copied a thousand times over. A literal example would be 2005s sin city, Which feels like a digital recreation of the same world, although it should be noted that the source material for both was written simultaneously. However, the combination of horror and action with a punk/god infusion can be seen in 2015s Green room. And while it certainly didn’t invent the action-revenge film, it’s a cultural touchstone for multiple generations of the genre.

The film is undoubtedly cheesy, and the best decision the 2024 remake made was to get rid of the child character – the only weak point in the original. Save for Wincott, every villain is overreacting and it works. Even this action has its disadvantages. Part of Lee’s hand-to-hand combat sings, while a scene where he grabs and throws a knife back at a goon looks incredible. At least most of the explosions are real.

A byproduct of The crowHis filmmaking style is perhaps best illustrated by his violence. The bad guys commit a very particular crime, but what they represent is evil itself. Racism and sexism exist in the world, but with the stakes being life or death on any given day, it’s clear that the material is tackling something much broader. Wincott’s character is merely a conduit for the grotesque city and what it is driven to. “Greed is for amateurs. Disorder, chaos, anarchy. Now that’s fun“is a line that is eerily similar to another iconic psycho in white face paint.

The Crow has only grown its audience in the years since its release and, hopefully, that will continue to be the case for film and horror fans going forward. Lee turned in an all-time performance that would have overshadowed a lesser cast. But the crop of villains he demolishes carries their weight, and it’s felt in the scenes they’re in as well as the overall world building. thirty years later, The Crow Has truly stood the test of time.