The Crow remake starring Bill Skarsgard and FKA Twigs SLAMMED by critics in scathing first reviews
As a seasoned film critic with over two decades of experience under my belt, I’ve seen my fair share of cinematic disasters and masterpieces alike. The latest remake of “The Crow” falls squarely into the former category.
According to recent feedback, it seems that the new adaptation of The Crow might be better off avoiding a cinema release altogether, based on critic’s opinions.
The movie, a dark superhero production featuring Bill Skarsgård and singer FKA Twigs, premiered in theaters on Friday. Critics weren’t allowed to release their reviews until Thursday night screenings started. This timing is now seen by industry forecasters as a sign that studios might be worried about a negative response.
It turned out that my guess was correct, since the movie is now receiving a rather low, 14% favorable rating from the esteemed critics polled by Rotten Tomatoes.
On Metacritic, The Crow receives a slightly improved score, considering it factors in both harsh criticisms and positive reviews, yet it still manages to secure just 30 points out of the total 100 available.
Alexander Skarsgård takes on a leading role in the remake of the 1994 classic movie, portraying Eric, a character who, along with his lover Shelly (formerly known as Twigs), is brutally murdered. However, there’s a twist: he is miraculously resurrected under the condition that he must eliminate the ruthless gangster responsible for their deaths in exchange for the chance to revive Shelly.
In 1994, the initial release of the movie was a huge success at the cinema, however, it was shadowed by unfortunate events following the death of its lead actor, Brandon Lee, who happened to be the son of Bruce Lee. Tragically, his life was cut short in an on-set mishap when a prop gun, mistakenly discharged by one of his co-stars, malfunctioned.
A number of reviewers found fault with the latest adaptation of The Crow, arguing that it emphasized a dark atmosphere over the quality of its script and performances.
In an article for The New York Times, Brandon Yu argued that the movie didn’t fulfill the potential set by its initial version, despite attempting to dodge those lofty expectations.
They called it a “restart” instead of a “remake,” because they aimed to adapt the original comic book written by James O’Barr, not the 1994 movie that Alex Proyas directed.
Yu considered it a logical separation, but he pointed out that it was probably a futile disclaimer intended to avoid being overshadowed by both the cult classic’s legacy and the tragic, historic tale surrounding Lee’s death, which contributed significantly to the original movie’s popularity.
The author stated that ‘The Crow reboot of 2024 wasn’t destined to be, couldn’t possibly be, an interpretation of that film – a grungy, hard-edged gothic tragedy where the sorrow and despair resonated so powerfully with viewers as it seeped beyond the screen.’ He then criticized it as a shallow adaptation of the source material, comparing it to trendy merchandise from Hot Topic.
For AV Club, Matthew Jackson assigned The Crow a D grade, lamenting that despite its efforts to avoid being a remake of the 1994 movie, viewers who are familiar with the original film may find it challenging not to compare the latest version negatively to it.
He didn’t consider it a loyal translation of the graphic novel, but neither did he see it as a direct copy. Instead, it turned out to be an unusual blend.
In simpler terms, he stated that the outcomes were disappointing, lacked creativity, and even with some genuine talented performers, they were not engaging to view.
In a scorching pan, Alison Wilmore of Vulture observed that the latest version of The Crow was sloppily directed by Rupert Sanders and boasted a script by Zach Baylin and William Schneider which lacked depth compared to the 1994 movie’s screenplay written by David J. Schow and John Shirley.
As a die-hard fan, I can’t help but notice that the pairing in the latest flick seems to lack the spark – the electric chemistry that was so palpable between Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox during their tumultuous public relationship. It makes me wonder if they drew inspiration from their real-life romance for their on-screen performances, or perhaps it was just a case of unrealized potential.
According to Benjamin Lee for The Guardian, he awarded The Crow just one star and categorized it as one of the worst movies of the year.
He admitted to finding it ‘genuinely startling just how utterly wretched’ the long-gestating film turned out to be.
In simpler terms, the author stated that ‘The Crow 2.0 is a complete, frustrating mess, with a confusing plot and poor production quality, which will likely be remembered as one of the most unnecessary and unsuccessful remakes in history.’
In his review for the Los Angeles Times, Robert Abele derided the romantic scenes between Skarsgård and FKA Twigs in The Crow remake as a tedious attempt to emulate the style of Euphoria. He also took issue with Steve Annis’ dull, grayish cinematography and Robin Brown’s uninspiring production design.
As a die-hard fan, I must say, even though some criticized Twigs’ role as being underdeveloped, potentially not affecting her musical journey, it’s Skarsgård who has me concerned about his future acting gigs. His exceptional talent is undeniable!
Even The Crow’s more positive reviews were largely mixed affairs.
In an assessment by Dennis Harvey, he noted that the latest edition wasn’t a guaranteed success (‘slam dunk’), yet neither did it fail to hold interest (‘an unwatchable dud’).
Initially, he wasn’t optimistic about the demand for a follow-up, but he still believed that the movie surpassed many of the sequels that came after the 1994 version of The Crow.
In a piece for the Associated Press, Mark Kennedy penned that the movie is not poor to begin with, and improves as it progresses. However, despite constructing a symbolic framework suitable for today’s smartphone-reliant youth, it cannot entirely break free from Lee and the 1994 original.
The Crow is now playing in theaters in wide release.
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2024-08-24 05:04