The Crow 1994

Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune: What's scary about The Crow is the story and the style itself: American Gothic, Poe-haunted nightmare, translated to the age of cyberpunk science fiction, revenge movies and outlaw rock 'n' roll, all set in a hideously decaying, crime-ridden urban hell. Read more

Peter Rainer, Los Angeles Times: The Crow, starring the late Brandon Lee, is like one long fright night. Even though it was photographed in color, the edge-of-darkness atmosphere descends on the audience like a shroud. Read more

Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel: As exploitation pictures go, I've seen a whole lot worse. Read more

Desmond Ryan, Philadelphia Inquirer: It's a pleasure to welcome The Crow -- a bird of a very different feather. Read more

Caryn James, New York Times: It is a dark, lurid revenge fantasy and not the breakthrough, star-making movie some people have claimed. But it is a genre film of a high order, stylish and smooth. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: If The Crow is forgettable entertainment, it can stand as an eerie epitaph for an actor who looked like he was on the way to better things. Read more

David Ansen, Newsweek: It succeeds in bringing O'Barr's comic-book vision to life, but there's little else going on behind the graphic razzle-dazzle and the moody, ominous soundtrack. Read more

Terrence Rafferty, New Yorker: Alex Proyas's pulp revenge fantasy, based on a comic-book saga by James O'Barr, is dark, moody, and seductively overwrought; it's an amazingly pure expression of morbid adolescent romanticism. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: The Crow allows no room for the viewer to take a breath, as it blazes with breakneck speed from scene to scene. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: It is a stunning work of visual style - the best version of a comic book universe I've seen - and Brandon Lee clearly demonstrates in it that he might have become an action star, had he lived. Read more

Time Out: Visually, it's a treat; characterisation is sharp, particularly the nicely defined villains; and the action scenes, though soft-pedalled, still pack a satisfying crunch. Read more

Todd McCarthy, Variety: A seamless, pulsating, dazzlingly visual revenge fantasy that stands as one of the most effective live-actioners ever derived from a comic strip. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: If he had to die so soon, this movie is the best and most appropriate sendoff Lee could have hoped for. Read more