The Crow Reboot Looks Just As Bad As The Original
So the new reboot of The Crow finally has a trailer and fans of the original are not too pleased with what they are seeing. People are already saying the movie is going to be terrible, that it looks like it is trying too hard to be edgy, and the original should have been left alone. You probably will see a lot of people feeling that way right now, but what a lot of people seem to be forgetting is that even in its original form, The Crow is still not a great movie.
The Crow Isn’t The Movie You Remember
That might sound like sacrilege to criticize a movie that is considered a classic, but if you are honest with yourself, you know it is true. The 1994 version of The Crow had the exact same problems the remake seems like it is going to have of trying way too hard to be deep and edgy. If the original movie had never been released, but was coming out today looking exactly the same, it would be getting ridiculed by fans for the same reasons the remake is.
Eric Draven Was A Goth Kid’s Wet Dream
The fans up in arms defending the original version of The Crow need to take off the nostalgia goggles and take an honest look at the movie. It was like a teenager’s fantasy of what a cool, gritty, revenge story would be. In true ‘90s style, we see Brandon Lee show he developed a dark side by…wearing all black?
Putting on some leather? Oh, and of course putting on some eyeliner! Are you shaking in your boots yet from seeing the terrifying sight of every kid who has ever shopped at Hot Topic?
Eric Draven Is As Intimidating As A Mime
I can understand having an emotional attachment to the movies you grow up with, but it is time to stop pretending The Crow is some masterpiece. It is just a power fantasy for the artsy kids who were bullied in high school back in the day. You know full well if anyone you were having problems with showed up on your doorstep looking like Eric Draven does in The Crow, you would laugh in their face at the sight of them.
I won’t deny the look is iconic. It even inspired characters like the wrestler Sting who was one of the biggest stars in the sport across WCW, WWE, and AEW. But like so much of the ‘90s aesthetic, it looks corny to modern eyes.
The Crow Doesn’t Hold Up
Unfortunately, that superficial nature extends to the rest of The Crow as well. The one-dimensional characters, the cheesy dialogue, the over-the-top moody atmosphere. The Crow is just Batman for scene kids.
It was the quintessential ‘90s movie taking things to a dark extreme to reflect the decade’s changing culture. But to say it still looks cool today would be like trying to say the stereotypical tie-dye wearing hippies of the ‘60s still look cool. Styles have their eras and when they pass we realize how goofy they really were.
The Crew Is Best Viewed Ironically
People who are criticizing the trailer for The Crow remake are actually just criticizing the original movie without even realizing it. It is just acknowledgement of how time has passed that kind of movie by and how it looks ridiculous by today’s standards.
It was an iconic role for Brandon Lee, and his untimely death was a true tragedy. But it is time to admit The Crow was never really cool except to a bunch of awkward ‘90s kids who would be calling it “cringe” nowadays.
That is not to say no one should enjoy The Crow. But it is best enjoyed now for its ironic entertainment rather than citing it as a compelling revenge narrative that so many still try and hold it up as.
