Brandon Lee’s death completely changed the way people viewed The Crow, and that’s still true exactly 27 years after Alex Proyas’ Gothic comic book adaptation first hit theaters. The leading man was on the cusp of following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a major Hollywood star, before a stunt gone horribly wrong resulted in his passing at the age of just 28 years old.
When people think of the movie it’s usually Lee’s demise and the tragic circumstances that surround it which come to mind first, but over a quarter of a century later it endures as a cult classic. Proyas’ stylish direction coupled with an energetic and propulsive narrative, not to mention a magnetic central performance from the leading man make a rewatch of The Crow just as satisfying now as it ever was.
Hollywood has been desperate to get a reboot off the ground for what feels like forever, and the fact that it keeps falling apart should eventually see somebody take the hint. Tom Hiddleston, Luke Evans, Bradley Cooper, Mark Wahlberg, James McAvoy, Ryan Gosling, Channing Tatum, Sam Witwer, Alexander Skarsgard, Jack Huston, Nicholas Hoult, Jack O’Connell and Jason Momoa have all been linked with headlining the project during that time, but The Crow still couldn’t make its way back to the big screen.
Having earned $94 million at the box office on a $23 million budget, posted big sales on home video and later DVD, as well as garnering strong reviews from critics and audiences alike, both The Crow and Lee’s legacies have already been ensured, and if the rapidly declining quality of the three sequels wasn’t enough of an indication, the property is definitely better off left well alone.