1994’sThe Crow, directed byAlex Proyas, is a modern classic, thanks in part to its story and the fact thatits star,Brandon Lee, died during filming. To watchThe Crowis to watch a eulogy for an actor cut down before his time.When it was announced that a reboot was being made thirty years later, this time helmed byRupert Sanders, and withBill Skarsgårdhaving the impossible task of portraying Eric Draven, fans revolted. It felt wrong to reboot a film that’s an emotional experience for so many, and on top of that, Skarsgård didn’t look like Brandon Lee’s portrayal and the marketing promised aJohn Wickclone.The Crowis now out, and it’s been ripped to shreds by critics and moviegoers alike. Still, this writer actually really enjoyed it. Is the 2024 version ofThe Crowas good as the original? Of course not. But there isone thing that it does better than the 1994 take, and that’s the relationship between Eric Draven and the love of his life, Shelly,played byFKA Twigsthis time around. If you put the 1994 film aside, a powerfully emotional film can be found in the new version.
1994’s ‘The Crow’ Tells Its Love Story in Flashbacks
1994’sThe Crowis a perfect mashup of genres because of its source material.It’s based on graphic novels written byJames O’Barras a way to get over the death of his fiancé, which was caused by a drunk driver.The Crowallowed him to feel the sense of revenge he never got to have in real life, as it centers on a man named Eric Draven, who is killed alongside his fiancée, Shelly. Through the supernatural power of a crow, Eric is able to come back from the dead and avenge the death of his lover by killing the thugs who hurt her. This makesThe Crowpart superhero movie, part action,part Gothic horror, as well as a romance.
There’s just one issue with the last part. WhileThe Crowdoes every other part perfectly, the love story lacks. It has nothing to do with acting skills, but because of the decision of how to portray Eric and Shelly’s (Sofia Shinas) romance. Here, Eric is a rock musician, and he and Shelly are attacked at night in their home, with Shelly sexually assaulted and both of them killed. This happens in the first few minutes of the film, butEric and Shelly’s relationship is shown in brief glimpses and flashbacks.
The 2024 Version of ‘The Crow’ Spends the First Act With Eric and Shelly
The newest take onThe Crowlanded in theaters with a thud. Not only does it havea lowly 20% Tomatometeron Rotten Tomatoes, but itmade an abysmal $4.6 million at the box officein its opening weekend. Love it or hate it, you have to give 2024’sThe Crowcredit for trying to be different.It’s not an insulting movie filled with fan service and Easter eggs, but a reimagining of the story. Bill Skarsgård is Eric Draven this time, but after a flashback shows some trauma he went through as a child, we mostly stay with him in the present throughout the remainder of the runtime.This Eric isn’t a rock star, but a lonely guy filled with pain and living in a rehab center. He’s a haunted and tortured soul, but when Shelly (FKA Twigs) ends up in the center, Eric finds a reason to go on. He’s immediately in awe of her, from her physical beauty, to how kind she is to him, and how she sneaks a smile his way. You can tell that, for the first time in his life, Eric is feeling seen and desired.
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A supernatural crimelord and his minions are after Shelly and they find her in the rehab center, leading to Eric risking himself to help her escape, but he doesn’t stop there. Instead, Eric decides to join her because this woman has quickly become his life. We know what fate awaits them, but before we get there, we get to see them fall madly in love, making love, and living life. Instead of their story being told in flashbacks, we get to see it and feel it and truly understand why Eric would want to come back from the dead for revenge. When they die, it’s more emotional because we got to know these people. 1994’sThe Crowdoesn’t give us that, but it does everything else so well that we push that missed opportunity aside.Brandon Lee is so soulful as Eric Draven that we can feel his pain and understand it without having to fully see its roots. This year’sThe Crowcouldn’t do that. They had to dig deeper into the inciting incident to make it the focus of the story, and not our constant comparisons of Lee and Skarsgård.
Bill Skarsgård’s Eric Draven Has a More Powerful Motivation
1994’sThe Crowis a revenge film. Eric Draven must kill all the men who killed Shelly.He gets his vengeance but is mortally wounded in the process,leading to him stumbling to Shelly’s grave, where he collapses, and Shelly’s ghost comes to take him with her.It’s a heartbreaking ending, made even more emotional because we know Brandon Lee died shortly after, but it’s also a happy one in a way because the two lovers are together again, this time forever.
The 2024 reimagining ofThe Crowswitches that up. It starts with Eric being told in the afterlife by a spirit named Kronos (Sami Bouajila) that if he kills those who killed Shelly, he can bring her back to life. After he repeatedly fails, Kronos lets him know that he has run out of chances and Shelly is falling to a forever Hell. Undeterred by this, Eric asks if he can trade his soul for hers. If he gets his revenge,Shelly will return to life, and Eric will take her place in Hell. This means that they can’t be together again, but it makes for a more emotional impact than the story of three decades ago. This time,Eric is not only sacrificing his life but his very soul. He loves Shelly so much that he will damn himself to save her in the ultimate selfless act.
In the 1994 film, especially with Lee’s death, such a dark ending might have been too much, but in the reboot it’s the final proof of what the relationship means. Everyone seems to be piling onThe Crow, but if you go in with an open-minded,a good but flawed film can be found. Bill Skarsgård gives us a different take on the character that you will either respect or detest, but the cinematography and score are top-notch, and the action scenes shocking and suspenseful without becoming aJohn Wickparody. At the heart of it all is the relationship between Eric and Shelly. Even if you don’t like the idea of the movie, you’ll at least understand its motivation.
The Crowis now in theaters in the U.S.
A modern re-imagining of the beloved character, The Crow, based on the original graphic novel by James O’Barr.
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