HOLLYWOOD—People have virtually panned this movie and I thought the same would be echoed of me. Considering I’ve seen the remake, I still think the 1994 version of “The Crow” is leaps and bounds over the 2024 remake. Why? Brandon Lee. Lee really immersed himself into the role and he created a character that the audience truly rooted for and it was fascinating to watch.
The backdrop of the city of Detroit, made the chaos, violence and this quest for revenge that more exhilarating to watch. Stepping into the role of Eric is Bill Skarsgard. We all know Skarsgard can deliver a hell of a performance, just look at his transformation for the 2017 remake of “IT” and its sequel which was fantastic. There isn’t much eeriness in this flick. The atmosphere is a bit brighter and dazzling. I wanted a bit more grit, fear and terror to echo the darkness of the original.
The 2024 remake has a more ghostly and supernatural focus. ‘The Crow’ or ‘raven’ as it seems to point out in this remake brings our protagonist back to life and allows himself to heal from injuries sustained. However, there also seems to be this element of being trapped in an immortal hell. Eric’s dead, but is he really dead?
This remake is not really geared towards the tale of vengeance. Does vengeance matter? Yes, but it’s more about a quest of love and that might frustrate some fans of the original. We didn’t get to see Shelly and Eric’s love story in 1994, but in 2024 we see it a lot and I mean a lot. The first 40 minutes of the movie allows the audience to witness the burgeoning love affair between them. Shelly is portrayed by FKA Twigs, and the actress does solid work.
It’s amazing to see these two characters who have struggled with addiction who become fond of one another while institutionalized. Skarsgard and Twigs have great chemistry together and as a viewer you buy them as a couple.
My biggest gripe with this movie is the villain Vincent Roeg (Danny Huston), who plays this supernatural entity that has the ability to whisper into people’s ears and force them to do wicked things. Rather it is to others or themselves. I didn’t like that approach for the narrative because it doesn’t make much sense. In addition, the big climax between hero and villain is such a letdown, the big fight before that meeting is epic, and it takes place at an opera house of all places.
Bloody? Absolutely. This movie delivers the bloodletting in a way that will make you cringe and turn your face away from the screen on more than one occasion. One particular death is so gruesome, you’ll look at swords in a different way. The characters that are protecting Roeg are not as fleshed out as in the original. It was a building block to something grand. Here, not so much. They are just people who ae part of a massive, bloody body county.
The sequences are fun to watch, but you’re not invested in a vast majority of the characters. This is Skarsgard’s movie, but he alone cannot save the movie. It’s a decent outing, you are entertained, but the remake is none the least comparable to the 1994 iconic; a classic that has leaps and bounds over this one.
