Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Blood, death, sex, cursing in violent but lackluster reboot.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
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Where to Watch
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The Crow
What's the Story?
In THE CROW, Shelly (FKA Twigs) is in some kind of serious trouble. As she tries to run away while holding a purse full of drugs, she bumps into two police officers and gets sent to rehab. There, she meets quiet loner Eric (Bill Skarsgård), and they're drawn to each other. When mysterious figures—among them the imposing Marion (Laura Birn)—show up at the rehab center looking for Shelly, the couple escapes and starts a new life. But the villains eventually catch up with them, and they're both killed. Eric wakes up in some kind of netherworld and learns from Kronos (Sami Bouajila) that a person's soul is carried to the afterlife by a crow. But if a person has left behind unfinished business, they're given a second chance. So Eric goes back to Earth with new healing superpowers. To achieve his vengeance, he must work his way up the chain of villains to the leader, Vincent Roeg (Danny Huston), who also seems to have otherworldly powers.
Is It Any Good?
The filmmakers try to fill out this story, first filmed in 1994, with extra padding, but it never comes to anything more than that; it just plods along, with no urgency or purpose. Frankly, the story of The Crow never really had much going on other than pure vengeance, but at least the 1994 movie—which is notable for being the final film of Bruce Lee's son Brandon Lee—had a high style that gave it some momentum. This version spends a long time establishing the relationship between Shelly and Eric, which basically all comes down to "they were in love." That, subsequently, leaves less time for the actual Crow stuff. And, even with relatively little time left, the filmmakers waste yet more of it by showing Eric learning how to become the Crow, failing, and having to go back and strike a new, darker deal.
Only before the final showdown—which is set during an opera, and, of course, intercut with scenes from it—does he finally put on his iconic face paint and long black coat. The killings, which are gory, full-bore slashings, are mostly meaningless because viewers really don't care about any of these people. Even Skarsgård, who's normally a gifted, Lon Chaney-like actor able to do just about anything, can't convey much humanity here. But most of all, The Crow begs the question: If Shelly and Eric were both killed for the same reasons, why couldn't Shelly be the one who gets to come back and become a superhero?
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Crow's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
What is the nature of revenge? Can it be satisfying? Can it ever truly solve a problem?
How is sex depicted here? What values are implied? Is there trust? Consent? Why does that matter?
How are drinking, smoking, and drug use portrayed? Are they glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?
How does this movie compare to the original movie and its sequels? The comic books? Can you think of other ways the story could be updated?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 23, 2024
- On DVD or streaming : September 13, 2024
- Cast : Bill Skarsgård , FKA Twigs , Danny Huston
- Director : Rupert Sanders
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s) , Indian/South Asian Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Run time : 111 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong bloody violence, gore, language, sexuality/nudity, and drug use
- Last updated : August 31, 2024
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