Watched the new movie “The Crow”. Almost left the cinema.

This week, the new film The Crow, a remake of the 1994 classic of the same name, hits theaters around the world.

The creators insisted that this was not a direct remake of the original, but a new reimagining of the graphic novel by James O’Barr, on which the first film was based.

The spring trailer promised elements of dark fantasy, action and gothic thriller. Just the way we like it. We were among the first viewers to watch the new product and were quick to share. Spoiler (!) – it’s not at all what we expected.

Briefly

• The scriptwriter ruined everything
  Bill Skarsgard tries, but he’s not convincing.
  The trailer lied, we’ve already prepared the most delicious
  There is a detective element here, but it is crumpled.
  It was very bad

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The scriptwriter ruined everything

What is the film about?: The plot tells the story of Eric Draven, a young man who dies along with his beloved Shelly at the hands of a ruthless killer. However, the mystical power of a raven brings him back to life, giving him supernatural abilities. Now Eric becomes an invulnerable hero, determined to take revenge and a light soul of Shelly, who got into danger.

The original 1994 film The Crow became a cult classic not only for its dark, gothic aesthetic and deeply emotional story of love and place, but also for the tragic fate of its lead actor, Brandon Lee.

The son of the legendary Bruce Lee, who died during filming in a shooting accident, adding a special tragic element to the film and making it something of a cinematic requiem.
The atmosphere of the dark gothic world, saturated with sadness, rage and the tragic hero remained forever in the memory of the viewer. It was this film that became a role model and became a symbol of the gothic culture of the 90s.

Given the reverence for the original and its pop culture impact, expectations were high for the 2024 remake directed by Rupert Sanders. We hoped the new version would pay tribute to the classic and bring fresh ideas, while retaining the emotional aspect and power of the original.

Unfortunately, these high expectations speak volumes first half hour of viewing.

The new version’s script is seen as incoherent and lacking in originality. The main characters, Eric (Bill Skarsgård) and Shelly (FKA Twigs), are presented as a couple whose love story is meant to be seen by the audience, but instead we see stilted dialogue and shallow characters.

The chemistry between the leads is extremely unconvincing, their relationship looks artificial and far-fetched. Each subsequent scene raises logical questions, the answers to which the viewer does not receive. Absolute confusion. At some point, you just start waiting for the heroes to die, so that the story somehow gets on the right track.

As a result, the scene in which the heroes die is completely devoid of emotional impact, and the viewer is absolutely spit to their death.

Also, the first part of the article is due to the environment, there was a lack of those dark and gothic elements that made the original so memorable. It was more like a youth drama between two drug addicts. Such a context. No joke, it is simply impossible to understand what profession the main character has. Just a shady guy with tattoos with places.

When Eric finally becomes the Crow and the film picks up pace, the viewer is too disillusioned to fully engage with the action and is simply waiting for some action.

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Bill Skarsgard tries, but he’s not convincing.

Billy Skarsgård’s performance is a mixed bag. On the one hand, Skarsgård has the charisma and eccentricity that might make him the right choice for the role of Erica Draven, a dark, grief-stricken antihero looking for a place to belong. On the other hand, his Eric is too monotonous and introverted. This autistic drug addict with superpowers.

The film adds character trappings like regional tattoos, gothic clothing (though it looks more like a local thug’s getup) and dark makeup to enhance the heavy-hitter image. However, behind all the visuals, it diminishes the fight and character depth that could have made Draven’s Erica more layered and interesting.

I don’t even want to talk about the main character. We don’t need actresses like that, let her sing her songs, and Hollywood will remain, in a sense, with its talent.

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The trailer lied, we’ve already prepared the most delicious

The expectation of exciting action scenes, on which the marketing film was built, also turns out to be unjustified. Many moments have already been shown in trailers, and the staging of the action itself does not inspire admiration.

Yes, the film certainly ages in the violence of what happens, from the opening fights to the climactic battles. While the original film with Brandon Lee combined darkness with emotional depth, the new version often focuses on shock content. More blood and gore.

The director’s attempt to do something stylish can only be seen in a couple of beautiful walks the hero with a raven against the backdrop of a night city, on the overexposed scene of a fight in an opera in the trailers. Her camera constantly switches between shots of the opera set and the furious fights that unfold in the theater hall. As a result, such a cut only spoils the impression of the choreography of the fight itself. John Wick wouldn’t have it easy.

Ultimately, the scene feels more like a stylized appeal for the sake of war than a deep emotional climax that might have brought forth the themes of place and loss, a plot-based vote.

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There is a detective element here, but it is crumpled.

The whole plot revolves around why the main villain pursued the main character’s girlfriend and killed her for it. By revealing the motives for the crime, Eric reveals questions about morality and the consequences of his actions. The film presents the story of such places as a detective investigation, where Eric, step by step, reveals the dark secrets of the past related to his killers and their motives. Sounds interesting? Sure. But did the director manage to make a really interesting detective story? Of course not.

The detective line often turns out to be superficial. Having the opportunity to confuse the heroes and the audience, the creators take the path of least resistance, resulting in an extremely bland investigation.

At times the film looks like it was cut up on the editing table. The appeal and the feeling of unfinished business. The story is often focused, and ultimately the detective component feels weak and not fully thought out.

And there is no clear ending to the story either. This is fortunate, considering the two-hour chronometer.

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It was very bad

In the traditional sense, The Crow 2024 is a charming and aimless work that not only disrespects originality but is also conditioned by progressive innovation and emotional sophistication. Banal dialogue, weak direction and lack of atmosphere make this film a maximum pass.

The two-minute trailer with the excellent musical theme “Post Malone – Take What You Want (Official Audio) ft. Ozzy Osbourne, Travis Scott” turned out to be much more emotional than the two-hour film. Therefore, we recommend watching only it, and waiting for the film itself in digital release.