The Crow's reboot just gave a sneak peek of the movie's visuals on the pages of Vanity Fair.
Rupert Sanders directed the reimagining of the 1994 film which in turn was based on the 1989 comic book by James O'Barr. In the '90s now cult classic, Eric Draven AKA The Crow was played by the late Brandon Lee. Shelly was played by Sofia Shinas, but she didn't really appear much in that film.
In the 2024, version The Crow is Bill Skarsgård and Shelly is FKA twigs. Little is known on whether the remake will be faithful to the original film.
However, when the first image of Skarsgård as the titular character hit the internet, reactions were… let's just say iffy.
Most of the comments were directed towards the specific aesthetics of what made the '90s film. The consensus seems to be that Sanders' version Leto-fied Eric Draven.
“Holy f*** they done went and Jared Leto’d the Crow,” one X (formerly Twitter) user wrote.
Was 1994's The Crow the ultimate '90s goth aesthetic?
The film as mentioned earlier has gained cult status, especially since this was Lee's last movie. The one other thing that makes this film seemingly untouchable to its fans is that Lee died on set, from a wound caused by a firearm malfunction. He was only 28 years old. His father, legendary martial artist Bruce Lee, died at age 32.
When Brandon Lee died, he had largely completed filming for the movie and had only three days left for other scenes. Stunt performers Jeff Cadiente and John Wick franchise director Chad Stahelski served as his stand-ins while pioneering CGI technology was used to complete the movie.
So the film comes with quite a baggage, seeing as this has become Lee's Legacy. Not only that, but his Eric Draven — along with the rest of the film — embodied the '90s goth aesthetic.
However, while I agree with some of the commenters that Skarsgård's look is different from that of Lee's, I don't think it's that much of a departure aesthetics wise.
The big concern is actually the change that has been made from the original film.
2024 The Crow: A new gothic love story?
While there are no specific details when it comes to the plot, according to CBR, this remake will touch more on Eric and Shelly's relationship before they were murdered in cold blood.
This is a big departure from the original movie. In the '90s version, Eric and Shelly's relationship could only be seen through flashbacks. This worked well for the film because the story largely focused on Eric's loss and grief, which served the movie's dark and dreamlike vibe. With the remake focusing more on their relationship, it could make or break the film's tone.
Sanders told Vanity Fair, “What drew me to this was the opportunity to make a dark romance, something that dealt with loss, grief, and the eternal veil between life and death and reaching through that.”
And that is the biggest difference between the original film and Sanders' version. While Lee's had romantic elements woven in the story through Eric's memories of Shelly, it was primarily a revenge movie that dealt with the supernatural and definitely a gothic theme.
With the spotlight on Eric and Shelly's relationship comes knowing more about both characters. In the '90s film, The Crow was a mysterious man, which was one of his greatest assets as he was set up to be a moody, intense superhero.
One of the very few things the audience knew about him was that he was an underground musician who lived with his girlfriend and not much else. Everything else that the viewers know about him came after his resurrection as the supernatural vigilante The Crow and not as Eric Draven. For the 2024 version, the audience will get to know Eric and Shelly.
Give it a chance maybe?
I did saw the original version as an angsty preteen and thought it was great movie. I especially loved Brandon Lee's performance and I had hoped it would be his big break before I found out he had died without seeing the film.
And while I am a child of the '90s, I don't have a fanatical allegiance to its overall vibe, which by the way, has been making a comeback in the last several years.
Since I don't have said allegiance, I'm not all that bothered with the change of the aesthetics. I think Skarsgård has the right vibe. I'm not that sold on the make-up, but since it's all in black-and-white it doesn't give me Jared Leto's Joker.
And as for the focus on the love story, I think it can work. There's no need for the audience to develop a whiplash when it comes to getting to know Eric and Shelly, and then watching him become the avenging angel after.
Knowing the couple's love story could get the audience to be more invested — especially the ones who hadn't seen the original. If their story is told well, Eric's descent — or ascent? — as The Crow will have a greater impact.
However, Sanders doesn't have a good track record when it comes to remakes. See 2017's Ghost in the Shell. But this movie could be his redemption arc. And I hope that it is because Skarsgård has proven himself to be an actor with a vast range, while FKA twigs has her artistry to call on to reach beyond the boy-meets-girl trope.
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