The original adaptation of James O’Barr’s comic book The Crow came out 30 years ago, and the franchise is best known for the tragic accident that claimed Brandon Lee’s life. Despite this, the 1994 film The Crow has a cult following and was largely faithful to the original. That’s more than we can say about the new version of The Crow, which stars Bill Skarsgård as the title character Eric Draven. Lionsgate has held back on reviews for as long as possible, but it doesn’t seem to have helped The Crow’s chances. And one by one, critics have lined up to criticize it.
At the time of this writing, The Crow has a rating of 19% on Rotten Tomatoes (based on 54 reviews) and a Metacritic score of 31 (based on 22 reviews). Not all critics hated the film, but very few had good things to say about it.
The Crow
- Director: Rupert Sanders
- Written by: Zach Baylin and William Schneider
- Cast: Bill Skarsgård, FKA Twigs, Danny Huston
- Premiere date: August 23
- Rating: R
- Running time: 1 hour, 51 minutes
Vulture – No Score
“(Skarsgård is) shockingly inert for someone whose career has been built almost entirely on characters at the intersection of creepy and hot.” – Alison Willmore (full review)
Screen Daily – No rating
“Skarsgård deliberately plays this antihero as a relentless brooder. The actor’s approach reflects this new film’s commitment to utter seriousness, leaving no room for kitsch or black comedy… This forgettable new version not only fails to live up to (Brandon Lee’s) memory—it never justifies its existence on its own merits.” – Tim Grierson (full review)
Mashable – No rating
“It doesn’t matter how low your expectations are for Rupert Sanders’ The Crow, because this callous and clumsy remake still won’t exceed them… This is not the Eric Draven that Crow fans know and love. He’s a shoddy imitation, lacking the haunting charm of Lee. Despite his efforts, Skarsgård’s role is more of a pose than a protagonist.” – Kristy Puchko (full review)
Diversity — No rating
“The performances are effective in a way that is quite restrained given the thin characterization and avoids too heavy-handed brushstrokes… Even when the violence is very ‘hard R’, there is hardly any sense of garish pulp fun. It is quite satisfactory, but has a somewhat detached effect.” – Dennis Harvey (full review)
The Wrap – No Score
“The surprising thing about Rupert Sanders’ interpretation is that it’s emotionally ineffective. This new remake takes the simplest story in the world and makes its plot and mythology strangely complicated, to the point where it all becomes utter nonsense… This remake understands the basic thrust of the original story, but not what made it work.” – William Bibbiani (full review)
Inverse – No points
“It’s almost ironic how such a soulful concept can be doomed by a lack of material… It’s hard enough to believe that Eric and Shelly are living, breathing people, let alone people who would go through hell and back for each other. Skarsgård is just a little wasted in the role; Twigs could be great, but there aren’t many opportunities to prove it… What starts out as a compelling love story ends up being smothered by a bloody, gruesome revenge story.” — Lyvie Scott (full review)
Rolling Stone – No Score
“This new Crow goes in a variety of different directions, none of which do much to reinterpret, expand or improve on O’Barr’s notion of an avenging angel who settles scores… Not even the mutation to Death Wish in pancake makeup, however, can save what seems like a futile attempt to reintroduce an iconic character from a cult comic/movie into today’s all-superhero entertainment landscape. It doesn’t take long to realize that what was intended to be a franchise starter, unlike its hero, is permanently dead.” — David Fear (full review)
The Crow is in theaters now.
