BRANDON LEE 'THE CROW' AN EDWARD R. PRESSMAN PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH JEFF MOST PRODUCTIONS PRESENTED IN ASSOCIATION WITH ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA INVESTMENT CORP. ALSO STARRING ERNIE HUDSON MICHAEL WINCOTT MUSIC SCORE COMPOSED BY GREAME REVELL PRODUCTION DESIGNER ALEX McDOWELL EDITED BY DOV HOENIG, A.C.E. AND SCOTT SMITH DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY DARIUSZ WOLSKI CO-PRODUCERS CALDECOT CHUBB AND JAMES A. JANOWITZ EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS ROBERT L. ROSEN AND SHERMAN L. BALDWIN BASED ON THE COMIC BOOK SERIES AND COMIC STRIP BY JAMES O'BARR SCREENPLAY BY DAVID J. SCHOW AND JOHN SHIRLEY PRODUCED BY EDWARD R. PRESSMAN AND JEFF MOST DIRECTED BY ALEX PROYAS

Released in 1994.

This film almost certainly would have been the film to catapult Brandon (son of martial arts legend Bruce) Lee into the bigtime. I say would because, due to one of the most ridiculous blunders in the history of movies, live ammo was in one of the weapons fired at him in a scene killing him. The film was completed recreating Lee using special effects and earlier footage. I defy anoyone to tell me when this begins in the film from viewing it alone.

The film is a dark (and I mean dark, I don't think daytime happens in this world) fantasy based on a popular comic by James O'Barr. Lee plays Eric Droven who on a night known as Devils Night is killed along with his girlfriend Shelley by a gang of thugs. This doesn't stop him though as on the first anniversary of his death, Droven is resurrected and given powerful abilities by (or including) a crow which follows him around and appears to provide him with his strength. Once reincarnated Droven seeks to exercise his revenge on his killers, and probably make the world a slightly better place too while he's at it.

Despite the tragic background to this movie, this film is modern excellence capturing a surreal, comic book atmosphere with it's arty shots and set pieces along with the over the top violence and one-liners. The performance by Lee is excellent and proved the the future could have been very bright for him. The bad guys are suitably comic book and over the top. Direction is fluid and hectic at the same time and an excellent soundtrack accompanies the action perfectly and serves to heighten the experience.

If you have only seen CROW II : CITY OF ANGELS then forget that and go see this. It's a goody.

Rob / Coagulus